Any advice from fellow parents bringing under-12 kids during Covid?

[WishUponAStar3]

Hi, all! So, I know there's a lot of diverging opinions on whether it's safe for unvaccinated under-12 kids to attend the parks and I don't mean to debate that here- but what I would be SO grateful for are any tips and insights from parents who have done it! I have a video appt with our pediatrician tomorrow to run our plan by him (bringing my 4-year-old to Oogie Boogie Bash next Thursday, starting with the mix-in at 3 PM) and thought it might be helpful to hear some real talk from parents who know what it's like at DLR these days and if you felt safe with your kids there? Also, if you have any safety or risk-mitigation tips? We are planning to keep our masks on outdoors as well as indoors (KN94 for my son, unless I can find a comfortable N95 that fits him!) and we're only doing outdoor dining. We also have a pool day planned at DLH the day after the party, but I booked us a cabana so that we wouldn't be too close to people, though we will take off our masks while swimming. (We have stayed at other resorts where we've done this and felt very safe, though who knows how crowded the DLH pool will be next Friday the 10th??)

Thank you SOO much in advance!! I would really love to still make this happen for my son if we can do it safely- Nightmare Before Christmas is his absolute favorite!

 

[beachdreamr1229]

We went back in June when there was still social distancing and plexiglass and felt pretty comfortable. We're going again in a couple of weeks for the first time since they got rid of most of their safety measures. But, we've been to other amusement parks as well. My kids are 7, 7, and 11. I would say the biggest thing is just to make sure they have masks and spare masks in case the first one gets wet, dropped, or lost. We also bring hand sanitizer with us wherever we go and only eat outdoors. It's probably a little different with a 4 year old if he's never been to school, but if he's been in school or daycare, to be honest, I'm not sure the risk is much different unless you're packed like a sardine can with crowds. Be careful with swimming. It should be fine, but the only times we've taken our masks off somewhere this past summer were at water parks/pools, and every single time we came home sick (not with covid, but still, the risk is there). If you can, keep your distance from others while swimming, though of course it's easier said than done. Above all, enjoy yourselves. Be smart and it should be okay.

 

[WishUponAStar3]

We went back in June when there was still social distancing and plexiglass and felt pretty comfortable. We're going again in a couple of weeks for the first time since they got rid of most of their safety measures. But, we've been to other amusement parks as well. My kids are 7, 7, and 11. I would say the biggest thing is just to make sure they have masks and spare masks in case the first one gets wet, dropped, or lost. We also bring hand sanitizer with us wherever we go and only eat outdoors. It's probably a little different with a 4 year old if he's never been to school, but if he's been in school or daycare, to be honest, I'm not sure the risk is much different unless you're packed like a sardine can with crowds. Be careful with swimming. It should be fine, but the only times we've taken our masks off somewhere this past summer were at water parks/pools, and every single time we came home sick (not with covid, but still, the risk is there). If you can, keep your distance from others while swimming, though of course it's easier said than done. Above all, enjoy yourselves. Be smart and it should be okay.

Thank you SO much for this advice!! Yes, my 4-year-old is in preschool, so I had the same thought- not sure how much riskier it is to be outdoors in a crowd where we're not interacting with people, vs. in a small group indoors where they're in close contact. (Masks on in all scenarios, of course!) That's good advice about the pool though, maybe what we'll do is just wait to go in when it looks like there's enough space for us to swim far enough from other people!

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

You will get so many different opinions from people who don’t worry a bit about covid to those who say going to DL (or anywhere for that matter) is far too dangerous to even contemplate. You have to do what feels right to you after your talk with your doctor. We have gone five times since June and have felt fine with it regardless of the current rules/covid situation. I am vaccinated but my 6 and 2 year old obviously are not. I will say that I’ve only brought my 2 year old once when masks were not required at all. I haven’t brought him since they made masks required indoors again simply because he won’t wear the masks reliably. My 6 year old is a pro.

 

[gelatoni fan]

At least this past weekend, it wasn't too crowded. I'd say the riskiest part is taking off a mask to take character photos if you are planning to do that. My general stance is to recommend not bringing any unvaccinated people to Disneyland but if you've already pre-paid for things such as your OBB tickets, then just make the trip and try to be as safe as possible.

Some things to consider:

1. In addition to how good your son is with masks, how good is he with not touching random things and his face?
2. Be good about hygiene: Use hand sanitizer as often as possible, switch to a new mask at least once per day, shower after getting back to the hotel each day, don't rewear clothes, etc.
3. Try to do everything else to keep your immune systems healthy: eat healthy, don't tire yourselves out, wear sunscreen, bring a jacket in case it's cold at night or in the morning, etc.

 

[amyg1975]

We went opening weekend and again in early August. We masked in ALL lines, not just indoors. In crowded areas, we masked up as well. Lots of handwashing and hand sanitizer. We are going again this weekend and will do the same thing.

 

[colormegreen]

Honestly, it is my concern too as my little one is 5 and doesn't qualify for the vaccine yet. Delta scares me mostly for him, but I know I can't keep him in forever.
This is what we do...

• My little touches EVERYTHING, even after we tell him not too. We visit the bathrooms often to wash hands and use hand sanitizer after every ride, or if we notice he is touching something.
• He attends school so he is used to the mask, but we take extras just in case. We don't take it off unless it is to eat. We try to separate ourselves from others for snacks and when in line we just keep him between us (my husband and I).
• We wear hats (the sun), sunscreen (again the sun), and we take our vitamins. lol. And we wear weather appropriate clothing as we want to be as comfortable as can be with mask on.
• We also take many breaks. We bought the keys and are local so to use getting to everything isn't priority, and when he is ready to leave we leave.

 

[WishUponAStar3]

This is all SO helpful, thank you everyone!! Luckily my son is a pro with the mask and used to wearing them at preschool, and we’ll only be there half a day for the party anyway. Great suggestion to keep him between us vaccinated parents in line, @colormegreen, I hadn’t thought of that, but what a no-brainer! Fingers crossed our pediatrician gives us the green light tomorrow, and that DCA crowds will be light on the 9th!!

 

[DLgal]

Touching surfaces isn't too much of a worry with covid, it's breathing the same air as others. To that end, I'd recommend masking your child the ENTIRE TIME (not just where Disney requires it). Masks on unless actively eating while distanced. I'd also recommend the adults follow this advice, as vaccination isn't much protection against contracting covid Delta, specifically. My vaccinated husband ended up with symptomatic covid after just being at an outdoor event with other unmasked people. It was a scenario similar to being in outdoor lines at a theme park.

As for the pool, I'll echo what someone else said and say that the pool itself should be okay, BUT watch out for the waterslide area/lines. I caught a miserable cold over the summer after a visit to Great Wolf Lodge where I was standing in line next to a little girl who kept coughing. Thank goodness it was just a cold and not covid, but I know for sure I caught it there. Maybe keep your son away from the slide area if it looks crowded.

 

[V.I.N.CENT.]

We went a few weeks ago and I observed a lot of people wearing masks outdoors the whole time. I would say in the 75% range. It helped, we are a COVID cautious family. Your experience with outdoor mask wearing may differ, but I hope it's high if you go.

 

[gpjacobs]

Just had the same conversation with my DD's pediatrician yesterday ... and still feel torn with the guidance. In short, he said it’s a personal decision based on risk tolerance. If you want to eliminate risk entirely, postponing the trip until the delta surge ends is the way to go. However, he very pragmatically reminded me that every trip – regardless of COVID – has risk.

In our case, our daughter is in first grade, attending in-person school and wearing a KN95 mask at all times while indoors. We just received an email last night that states kids are now “highly recommended to wear masks outdoors.” She’s surrounded by other unvaccinated kids and the vaccination status of those kids’ families/social circles is unknown. Our doctor admits there is inherent risk there, similar to what we’d face in DL.

The doctor stressed that the standard cold/flu rules apply, with some modifications: stay hydrated, take vitamins, eat well, gets lots of rest, wash hands/use hand sanitizer frequently. In line/while dining indoors, we should have a vaccinated person flanking DD at all times. And the KN95 mask indoors is crucial (using a fresh one daily).

(Everything below is irrelevant to the OP)

I pressed for some more concrete guidance and our doctor said he “wouldn’t outright discourage us from going” but heavily recommended we take a wait and see approach. The models suggest delta has peaked in many areas of the country and will soon peak in California, if it hasn’t already. If we experience the sharp decline that other countries experienced, mid-October might be a pretty advantageous time … and that’s when our trip is planned.

One important note: we’re coming from NorCal and the doctor suggested we forgo flying and drive. If anyone in our family (God forbid) tested positive before our return flight, we’d be stuck … and rental cars are hard to come by.

 

[ClaudiaKincaid]

Genius tip for keeping the unvaccinated kid between vaccinated adults in line, thank you! I'll keep watching this thread for more news and suggestions.

As for us: We're booked for our trip Oct. 3-9, and only the 9-year-old is unvaccinated (my husband and I and the 13-year-old all got it done ASAP). Both kids attend school full-time and in person; our district was fully remote from mid-March 2020 through the 20-21 school year, but reopened with no remote option for this school year with a TON of safety measures and an absolute, everyone-all-the-time mask mandate, so ...). We've got our fears and doubts about this trip, but if the Mouse's House is open, we're going.

 

[ClaudiaKincaid]

One important note: we’re coming from NorCal and the doctor suggested we forgo flying and drive. If anyone in our family (God forbid) tested positive before our return flight, we’d be stuck … and rental cars are hard to come by.

Also a good point ... we are in NorCal, and going to fly! Eeep ... DH, who's been working from home since 3/5/20, will bring his work computer, so if we get stuck there, we'll like ... get an airbnb or something? and wait it out? I'll have to put some thought into this ...

 

[nursemelis374]

DL local here and we bought keys and will be attending with my 5 year old. My pediatrician said the two most important things for littles are: 1. Teach them not to touch their face and wash hands as necessary. 2. Adults that are in their lives and close to them need to be vaccinated.

We have gone to DL and Knott's and will continue to mask inside always, avoid really crowded packed situations and listen to our gut.

Good luck in your decision! It is not easy and I find myself wavering at moments.

 

[gpjacobs]

Also a good point ... we are in NorCal, and going to fly! Eeep ... DH, who's been working from home since 3/5/20, will bring his work computer, so if we get stuck there, we'll like ... get an airbnb or something? and wait it out? I'll have to put some thought into this ...

Yeah, this threw me for a loop. We have air travel booked but may suck it up and have Southwest credit us for a flight at a later date.

 

[Epicnemesis]

So our situation is a little different. We went to knotts in the summer while the number were low, listened to the requirements, but didn’t to anything above them. Basically lived as close to normal as possible. Then my daughter and I got COVID (unrelated to amusement parks) end of July. Super mild symptoms, my wife was negative so she stayed with my in-laws for 10 days. Now when we go to Disneyland we do the required stuff like indoor masks but otherwise are fine.

If we never got it I would still probably not alter my behavior much. We still take the stroller which I think is pretty isolating as it is for the outside stuff when the hood is down and then mask indoors. The only difference I guess would be that we would still mask up in outdoor lines if we didn’t already get it.

Outdoor transmission is more likely with delta than the others, but you are still pretty safe when walking about (relative to indoor spaces) it’s the lines where you would need to take precautions because people still really love being right up to your butt for some reason as if last year taught us nothing.

My wife however wears a KN95 at all times now in public spaces (she is also 8 months pregnant so is being over vigilant so close to the finish line.) She did sleep next to me 2 nights I in hindsight had symptoms so I think either her prenatal vitamins have magical properties or she was exposed before and we didn’t notice.

So yea, if my daughter wasn’t already exposed I think we would basically keep her unmasked in the stroller, masked in lines and in doors, and try to sit outside for meals. We’d also keep the hand sanitizer flowing for peace of mind even though that’s not really how this thing spreads.

 

[Matrixleos]

When we went in July, my kids were 17, 14 and 12. Plus we all were vaccinated. Although my wife and I are pretty heavy hand sanitizer users. After every ride, we use hand sanitizers. If we sit down for a break or meal, we use Clorox wipes to clean all the surfaces. On indoor lines, I'd be my wife first, then my kids and then I would be at the end, to form some kind of space buffer the best we could for the kids. (big bulky backpack does wonders for this! LOL)

We've followed this same formula this year and have visited.....

Disneyland
DCA
Universal Studios Hollywood
Hershey Park
Busch Gardens Williamsburg

We also have visited beaches on the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

People state how risk adverse are you but I'd like to counter, how well prepared are you. We constantly use hand sanitizers, wear masks indoors and wash our hands often. Luckily so far, we been fairly lucky and this formula has worked for us so far.

 

[WishUponAStar3]

When we went in July, my kids were 17, 14 and 12. Plus we all were vaccinated. Although my wife and I are pretty heavy hand sanitizer users. After every ride, we use hand sanitizers. If we sit down for a break or meal, we use Clorox wipes to clean all the surfaces. On indoor lines, I'd be my wife first, then my kids and then I would be at the end, to form some kind of space buffer the best we could for the kids. (big bulky backpack does wonders for this! LOL)

We've followed this same formula this year and have visited.....

Disneyland
DCA
Universal Studios Hollywood
Hershey Park
Busch Gardens Williamsburg

We also have visited beaches on the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

People state how risk adverse are you but I'd like to counter, how well prepared are you. We constantly use hand sanitizers, wear masks indoors and wash our hands often. Luckily so far, we been fairly lucky and this formula has worked for us so far.

These are great tips, thank you so much!

 

[WishUponAStar3]

GOOD NEWS- our pediatrician approved the plan!! I'm so happy!! Basically, he said that while he's not a fan of going to theme parks during Covid in general, he thinks that our plan (just a 1/2 day for the limited-attendance Halloween party) is totally reasonable and he's comfortable with it, and even said he likes that we are doing something special like this for our son before his baby sister arrives. So I'm just so relieved to have his seal of approval, and I will be following all the brilliant tips you awesome parents have given me above- thank you!!

 

[DLgal]

GOOD NEWS- our pediatrician approved the plan!! I'm so happy!! Basically, he said that while he's not a fan of going to theme parks during Covid in general, he thinks that our plan (just a 1/2 day for the limited-attendance Halloween party) is totally reasonable and he's comfortable with it, and even said he likes that we are doing something special like this for our son before his baby sister arrives. So I'm just so relieved to have his seal of approval, and I will be following all the brilliant tips you awesome parents have given me above- thank you!!

I was at the parks today and there were a LOT of people wearing masks outdoors and I didn't see anyone not wearing one inside. I was impressed. I'm sure you will have a great time!