Are seniors taking trips with their family, now?

[Bete]

We had a four generation family trip to Dollywood back in Spring 2019. We have two great grandsons, who are twins and are seven years old right now. This trip included 84 year old great grandpa, who has diabetes and stage three kidney disease. He uses a scooter at amusement parks. Then, later that same year he and I took a trip with a girlfriend of mine to Disney World for Christmastime. Everything went fine with both trips.

It was our hope to do another four generation DW trip for Nov./Dec. 2021 or 2022. Enter Covid and now I'm scared to take any vacations. Great grandpa has had his first Covid vaccine shot and in a few weeks will get his second. We all plan on being vaccinated when it's our turn. We will continue to wear masks, too.

Our enjoyment has always been the entertainment over the rides. We love the shows, parades, street entertainment and fireworks. We enjoy character meet and greets, too. Rides are secondary. For Christmastime we never missed the Candlelight Processional at Epcot. Epcot storytellers were a highlight, too. Right now, a DW trip would be severely compromised for us.

Then, there's the fear we could get Covid and it's really making me feel we might be better off putting the monies toward a college fund for the great grandsons instead. Also, it doesn't seem to have the value without the Disney entertainment. I know they are bringing back the Festival of the Lion King show this year but I just can't see this getting back to normal in less than two years.

We want memories and we have a love for Disney World. This would probably be the last trip there for great grandpa.

So, my question is how are you, as a senior, feeling about doing trips with your family to DW? If you have done a trip already there, was it worth it?

 

[Bete]

Anyone out there that can reply?

 

[Marionnette]

We had a four generation family trip to Dollywood back in Spring 2019. We have two great grandsons, who are twins and are seven years old right now. This trip included 84 year old great grandpa, who has diabetes and stage three kidney disease. He uses a scooter at amusement parks. Then, later that same year he and I took a trip with a girlfriend of mine to Disney World for Christmastime. Everything went fine with both trips.

It was our hope to do another four generation DW trip for Nov./Dec. 2021 or 2022. Enter Covid and now I'm scared to take any vacations. Great grandpa has had his first Covid vaccine shot and in a few weeks will get his second. We all plan on being vaccinated when it's our turn. We will continue to wear masks, too.

Our enjoyment has always been the entertainment over the rides. We love the shows, parades, street entertainment and fireworks. We enjoy character meet and greets, too. Rides are secondary. For Christmastime we never missed the Candlelight Processional at Epcot. Right now, a DW trip would be severely compromised for us.

Then, there's the fear we could get Covid and it's really making me feel we might be better off putting the monies toward a college fund for the great grandsons instead. Also, it doesn't seem to have the value without the entertainment. I know they are bringing back the Festival of the Lion King show this year but I just can't see this getting back to normal in less than two years.

We want memories and we have a love for Disney World. This would probably be the last trip there for great grandpa.

So, my question is how are you, as a senior, feeling about doing trips with your family to DW? If you have done a trip already there, was it worth it?

How does Great Grandpa feel about travel right now? At his age and with his comorbidities, a trip to Disney World during a pandemic may not be the most prudent thing to do. Why not plan a nice December holiday at home with him and extended family. I know that if my mom were alive, she wouldn’t care where she was as long as she could share the holiday with her family.

 

[Bete]

I haven't made a final decision and I'm concerned for great grandpa. I'm looking at this trip as a final vacation to DW. I know there will come a time where vacations may have to stop. I have time to see if getting the vaccine will make a big enough difference to go with everyone. Also, I want the kids to have fun, too. If great grandpa needs a nap we will take a break. If we sit out some roller coaster rides that's all right, too. I feel better being with family on trips, now.

I'm trying to find out if seniors are going to DW and their thoughts about it right now.

 

[KPeterso]

My Mom is 82. We cancelled our trip for September as we did not feel safe going then. My Mom has gotten her first vaccine shot and gets the second on 2/13. I am going in March, but she is not (although she normally does not go on my spring trips). I am meeting up with friends who are probably late 60s - early 70s in age. At this point, they are planning to be there. We have made our dining and park reservations for our dates. And then I have reservations in September for Mom and myself. She really is planning to go on that trip. She will be fully vaccinated and I will hopefully be vaccinated by then too.

 

[Marionnette]

I haven't made a final decision and I'm concerned for great grandpa. I'm looking at this trip as a final vacation to DW. I know there will come a time where vacations may have to stop. I have time to see if getting the vaccine will make a big enough difference to go with everyone. Also, I want the kids to have fun, too. If great grandpa needs a nap we will take a break. If we sit out some roller coaster rides that's all right, too. I feel better being with family on trips, now.

I'm trying to find out if seniors are going to DW and their thoughts about it right now.

Well, at 60+ and no comorbidities I am cautious about visiting but I went in October. The airport and the airplane itself were where I felt most uncomfortable. If Mom were alive she would be 85. She had diabetes and heart disease. There’s no way that we (her kids, grandchildren, and great grands) would have felt at ease taking her along on that trip. And I’m not sure that I would feel good about it now until I see a significant decline in the rate of infection for a year following this vaccine roll out.

So from a “senior”, there’s my opinion. Cautious but okay with going when there are no significant health issues. A big ”no way!” if there are issues that put the senior at increased risk.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html

 

[Bete]

We will do a road trip with two layover nights each way. Half of our group will fly.

At this point in time I'm 55% no on a trip to DW. I was hoping to find more seniors going and liking it.

 

[Travel60]

We did 3 generation trip to HH in 2019 and were booked for a 3 gen trip to WDW last August. Canceled. Daughter and I were talking this week about summer 2021. She said a hard no to WDW this year but we will do a 3 gen trip to a lake and stay in family home in August and are all planning trip to Oregon for son's wedding in October.

Maybe 2022 to WDW or HHI.

 

[Eeyore daily]

My 80 year old grandma is coming with us for a weekend trip to Disney. However she has been traveling since the pandemic began while talking precautions. We also only drive two and a half hours to get there so different perspective.

 

[browneyedgirl1683]

I'm a big believer in letting people do what makes them comfortable, as well as "no guilt" cancelations if they feel like it's a bad idea at the last minute.

We phrased our trip like this. We are booking a trip, people are welcome to book along with us. If we can't go, they can still go. If they can't go, we are still going. We are viewing it as individual family vacationing together.

 

[disneyseniors]

We had a four generation family trip to Dollywood back in Spring 2019. We have two great grandsons, who are twins and are seven years old right now. This trip included 84 year old great grandpa, who has diabetes and stage three kidney disease. He uses a scooter at amusement parks. Then, later that same year he and I took a trip with a girlfriend of mine to Disney World for Christmastime. Everything went fine with both trips.

It was our hope to do another four generation DW trip for Nov./Dec. 2021 or 2022. Enter Covid and now I'm scared to take any vacations. Great grandpa has had his first Covid vaccine shot and in a few weeks will get his second. We all plan on being vaccinated when it's our turn. We will continue to wear masks, too.

Our enjoyment has always been the entertainment over the rides. We love the shows, parades, street entertainment and fireworks. We enjoy character meet and greets, too. Rides are secondary. For Christmastime we never missed the Candlelight Processional at Epcot. Right now, a DW trip would be severely compromised for us.

Then, there's the fear we could get Covid and it's really making me feel we might be better off putting the monies toward a college fund for the great grandsons instead. Also, it doesn't seem to have the value without the entertainment. I know they are bringing back the Festival of the Lion King show this year but I just can't see this getting back to normal in less than two years.

We want memories and we have a love for Disney World. This would probably be the last trip there for great grandpa.

So, my question is how are you, as a senior, feeling about doing trips with your family to DW? If you have done a trip already there, was it worth it?

Actually, we are seniors, and we end up taking some of the family with us on our trips, LOL.
Our daughter always surprises us or comes with us for a few days of our vacation.

That aside, I can see your concern over taking your 84 y/o great gpa with you. He is in the age group that's most vulnerable with some medical problems too. I guess He will have to make that decision. He will have to weigh the risks with the advantages. I hope it works out for you.

If it were me in his place? I would go because to me life is too short to not do what you love. But that's just me.

 

[pjacobi]

If *I* encouraged an elderly person to travel now and they get Coronavirus and die, I could not handle the guilt.

-Paul

 

[DVCjj]

Here now for 2 weeks, 3 resorts. 77 and 76.
Also here in Sept / Oct.

Wouldn’t hesitate to come again. Disney is insanely encouraging a safe environment. Oh my lands. Shocking job they are doing.
Even when here in September, I actually felt very very UNSAFE getting off that plane in HOME city and environment when back.

Disney felt like a Safety Bubble. Hated to leave it.

PS: Far less people and many things closed. Sad but still having a wonderful time.

 

[SG131]

My mother went with us back in November, she is in her early 70s, so not quite where great grandpa is but she also uses a scooter. I would echo what others have said, that we felt safest in Disney, the plane not quite as much. If I were you I would probably still try to do it because I'm sentimental and love the experience of a family trip. Especially for kids, they are great memories to carry with them their whole lives. My mom barely rides any rides, but seeing my 4 year old and all the little things we did is enough for her. We did a few character meals and they were still fun even in this modified format.

Plus Disney has great accommodations for people in scooters. It was a bit of ashame not having all of the entertainment when we went, but lion king is coming back in some form and it appears as though they're moving toward finishing the new Epcot show, so I think if you plan for 2022, there should be at least some entertainment options. Disney also did some test shells, while we were there at Magic Kingdom, so I'm hoping they may have a new show there for the 50th. Maybe it's just wishful thinking. You could always set a date and if as the date gets closer almost no Disney entertainment has returned then cancel.

 

[hsmamato2]

If *I* encouraged an elderly person to travel now and they get Coronavirus and die, I could not handle the guilt.

-Paul

This. Our family has canceled a multi generational trip this past year,no plans on the horizon for another yet either. Isn't there any other type of togetherness trip you could put together to protect those in your group? Beaches,mountain cabin,etc etc? I wouldn't plan anything with my older mom that involves plane travel in all of this, for the above reason. (If she chose to plan something for herself,I have no say)

 

[VandVsmama]

From what I saw at WDW this past week, yes, seniors ARE taking trips with their family to WDW right now. Seniors are also taking trips to WDW with other friends their age. And also on their own.

 

[wilbret]

I see seniors at the parks, zoo, museums, aquariums, stores, the beach, the movies... all the time. We've had grandparents on our scout camping trips. My in-laws normally go with us to Orlando at least once per year, but they both had surgery this past year and didn't make the trip. We are booked for September with them.

We have been to the beach 2x since Covid with my parents. They didn't dine in restaurants over the summer, but they didn't hide out or anything. They have been on a vacation since then, with another couple, and did eat at restaurants.

Seniors should be able to make their own decisions. If in good health and can practice common sense, it really is possible to remain safe in this environment.

 

[noahdove]

Anyone out there that can reply?

I'm planning a trip for July with my grandson, granddaughter and great granddaughter and we can't wait! Yes, if you are able to go, I have had both of my vaccines.

 

[Dakota731]

If they are grown adults with no mental issues then let them decide. My elderly parents have been traveling this entire time and don’t seem to worry about it as much as a lot of younger people. My 100 year old grandmother even wanted a huge birthday party last summer, and we had 75 people. She said she’d rather die of covid then of loneliness and not seeing her family! With both vaccines I know my seniors parents wouldn’t think twice about going but everyone is different so talk with them.

 

[Bete]

I'm still undecided, but I appreciate everyone's input.