Are you reconsidering your plans for January & February 2022?

[corpcomp]

It took me almost two years to get up the courage to visit Florida again with all the dire warnings coming out of DC. I'm over 65. We visited during Food & Wine in November, walked among at least 8000 unmasked people in EPCOT and flew home exhausted but healthy. I stopped worrying and my BP came back to normal.

Now we have a trip coming up in late January and the warning out of DC are all over again re Omicron. So now in a wait and watch mode. If I cancel, Member Services told me we lose all our points which are booked from 2021 (Feb use year).

For those of you planning a trip soon, are you also in a wait and watch mode or is it just me and my paranoia?

 

[Dawg74]

It took me almost two years to get up the courage to visit Florida again with all the dire warnings coming out of DC. I'm over 65. We visited during Food & Wine in November, walked among at least 8000 unmasked people in EPCOT and flew home exhausted but healthy. I stopped worrying and my BP came back to normal.

Now we have a trip coming up in late January and the warning out of DC are all over again re Omicron. So now in a wait and watch mode. If I cancel, Member Services told me we lose all our points which are booked from 2021 (Feb use year).

For those of you planning a trip soon, are you also in a wait and watch mode or is it just me and my paranoia?

We have a trip booked January 4th, at this point we are still going but we are considering the option of canceling. We live in Ontario and things have been getting worse here and some restrictions have started to return. Good luck whatever you decide , it’s hard to know what to do.

 

[BL2020]

If you do decide to cancel and I'm on the fence as well with a mid-January trip for similar reasons (non disney property that I can cancel), you may be able to rent your booking on the major dvc rental sites. I did that a few weeks ago for a trip in early Jan that my son couldn't make and I would have lost points (March use year), but the reservation was rented out in two hours!. Just about covered my dues for next year while renting less than half the points. I couldn't have rebooked if I wanted to, no availability.

 

[DebbieB]

Went to WDW in September/October and DL 2 weeks ago. Planning early April, triple vaxxed, not worried. I do have an April use year, intentionally planned that way. My friend wanted to go in late March, I said no, too risky.

 

[CarolynFH]

We’re booked for a week in January, and we’re going. We’re high risk but vaxxed and boosted, and we’re planning minimal parks, lots of resort time!

 

[lovin'fl]

Not reconsidering. Have our booster shots. We have our own vacay place in FL. Bought in April due to covid. So we can go stay there for weeks and have some sort of vacay. Going for Jan and Feb. Did cancel the Feb cruise but mostly because our old doggo would have to be in kennel for 8 nights and he just can't handle that anymore. Plus one of our port stops remains closed so they swapped it for Nassau which we have zero desire to go to again. So we did cancel right before final payment. But keeping the plans to go to our place and we have a few Disney days booked that we are sticking with as well.

 

[npatellye]

We’ve decided to keep our trip. My husband and I have our boosters and my kids received their second shots on 12/1.

My kids have had a rough go of it lately. My father ended up in the hospital unexpectedly with what he thought was chest pain and turned out to be heart failure. My parents are a huge part of my kids’ lives and they haven’t seen my father since November 2nd (no one under 18 is allowed to visit in the hospital where he is). His heart transplant recovery is taking quite a long time.

This is the first time ever that they haven’t slept at my parents’ house and had all of the holiday traditions they do with my parents (visit to Santa, lights, snowtubing trip, etc.). They’re holding up okay but they talk daily about missing my father and wanting to know when he’s going to be back home from the hospital. The one thing they are looking forward to is FaceTiming my mom and telling her and my father all about their trip. So we are going and I’m looking forward to them FaceTiming my mother while she’s with my father and talking about their trip.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Keeping an eye on information and giving thoughts to rebooking if we decide to not go in January. Haven't cancelled yet though. Don't have the concern about UY - it's October and I'd figure out a different trip or would rent them out.

 

[zavandor]

If it can help you decide, during my trip that ended last week, Disney has been quite good at enforcing the mask mandate indoor, everywhere except in restaurants.

At Universal, while there are notices and announcements saying masks are recommended, few people wear them indoor (I'd say 5-10%).

Outdoor almost no one wear masks.

 

[DonMacGregor]

Arriving on February 10th. All are vaxxed and boosted (parents and adult kids), so we'll wear masks indoors and in crowds, wash hands and sanitize regularly, and enjoy our trip. We're spending more resort time this trip, but that was already the plan as we want to visit some other resorts we're contemplating buying in at.

 

[nuhusky123]

If it can help you decide, during my trip that ended last week, Disney has been quite good at enforcing the mask mandate indoor, everywhere except in restaurants.

At Universal, while there are notices and announcements saying masks are recommended, few people wear them indoor (I'd say 5-10%).

Outdoor almost no one wear masks.

I did a quick dec weekend trip to Orlando and visited Disney springs and universal

Disney springs was a nightmare. No masks and I’ll be avoiding disney springs for the foreseeable future

universal was god awful I think you are being generous on the %. I’d say it was closer to 1%. Went on the shriek ride where they stuff you into an anti room. The thing was packed and not a mask in sight. I’ve never felt so uncomfortable

 

[Judique]

I've done so much Disney in the last 30 plus years, I don't care. So, I've got another Hilton Head trip booked end of January and then there is March. Disney is planned for April with a cruise and some nights and I may or may not go. Everyone is vaxxed or will be soon (both grands will be old enough very soon).

I have not missed the parks but I do miss warmer weather as soon as it gets cool here. So, I may book something for mid to late February just to get warm, but it doesn't have to be Disney.

 

[Matty B13]

We are keeping an eye on the number of cases and available hospital beds in Florida before making our decision. Our January into February trip is using points that we will lose by March if we don't go, but would rather lose the points than have something happen to one of us. We are all vaccinated now, but in no rush to get sick.

We also have a trip booked for April this year so there really isn't a reason to force ourselves go go on our January trip.

 

[lovin'fl]

We are keeping an eye on the number of cases and available hospital beds in Florida before making our decision. Our January into February trip is using points that we will lose by March if we don't go, but would rather lose the points than have something happen to one of us. We are all vaccinated now, but in no rush to get sick.

We also have a trip booked for April this year so there really isn't a reason to force ourselves go go on our January trip.

Probably more beds in FL than your home town. Plus this Omicron doesn't seem to be a real severe variant. I think folks are not getting super ill from it typically.

 

[dclpluto]

I don’t have any trips planned until may but there is no way I will be cancelling.

 

[igrsod]

We have a trip booked January 4th, at this point we are still going but we are considering the option of canceling. We live in Ontario and things have been getting worse here and some restrictions have started to return. Good luck whatever you decide , it’s hard to know what to do.

We are in Ontario and just got back from our trip. We made different choices this time around and felt completely safe.
We brought tonnes of hand sanitizer and used it after every ride, and before every meal.
We wore our masks religiously... indoors and outdoors.
We only ate outdoors.
We avoided crowds... so no fireworks shows this time around.
Spent more time at the resort, by the pool etc.
A few times we left the parks after one ride, as it was just too crowded for our comfort level.
It felt more stressful coming home to be honest. I say go and just be safe and don't feel bad if you don't get to spend all day in the parks.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

I am a few years younger than you, but in a high risk category for multiple reasons. However, have been three times since the pandemic started. Been Vaccinated and Boostered. Going again in Feb.

I am not going to stop living my life. TBH the risk is higher that I will get in a car accident or have a heart attack at this point, then that I will be taken out by COVID.

 

[a1tinkfans]

Imho…I ve canceled our Jan Trip. TheOnly other time I have Ever canceled a Disney Trip in over 30 continuous years of multi year visits was During the First surge of Covid. This was not based on the Increase COVID to the area, nor the Hotspot designation there along with our own area increases!
Disney has Changed, and sadly, it’s not for the Better. the Amount of Hoops one has to go thru to actually Enjoy a ( previously Magical, mostly relaxed, escape to the Happiest Place on Earth) is simply Inexcusable.
It saddens me …to my soul. No drama just based in Reality of the Current Management Team who is Ultimately Responsible for All the Changes, breakdowns, multitude of Xtra costs, and a myriad of other factors thrust upon its Guests.
At one point in time there was a feeling of Value in Visiting and being Immersed in Walt’s Vision. Where I felt confident in my Choice to share our family and our Income. No more.
It’s difficult, no Impossible for me to Justify a Visit despite being able to Afford the Same Type Trip of years past at the
Overinflated, Undeserved Costs ( accommodation /food/ride access/ experiences) and Most Important, almost Complete Lack of Customer Service. The Trip Reports are Abundant with Complaints including our own extended two families that visited in the last several mos and were Very Unhappy …saying they are Done
So, I canceled with no plan for returning anytime soon.

Add to that..last evening, literally close to 3.5 HOURS in the online Chat line Waiting for Clarification regarding our cancellation. Disney, that’s Disgraceful.

 

[lovin'fl]

I am not going to stop living my life. TBH the risk is higher that I will get in a car accident or have a heart attack at this point, then that I will be taken out by COVID.

This. So much this. We have had friends and family have heart attacks, strokes, cancers and various other things in the past 2 years that makes me be of the mind that we need to live life to the fullest now while we are alive. It can all change in the blink of an eye. Our parents are mid 70s and if we didn't see them these 2 years and they passed we would never get those 2 years back. Just got to go on with life. This illness is here to stay, like influenza and HIV and cancer. And, personally, my own mental health is severely on the brink right now. Been fighting to keep afloat for about 4+ months. Not sure if the vaccines triggered the depression, the likes I haven't seen since my teen years (like chemical). Or just this whole dang event (more mental with being shut in so much). Or both. But I just need to get back to some normalcy.

 

[igrsod]

Imho…I ve canceled our Jan Trip. TheOnly other time I have Ever canceled a Disney Trip in over 30 continuous years of multi year visits was During the First surge of Covid. This was not based on the Increase COVID to the area, nor the Hotspot designation there along with our own area increases!
Disney has Changed, and sadly, it’s not for the Better. the Amount of Hoops one has to go thru to actually Enjoy a ( previously Magical, mostly relaxed, escape to the Happiest Place on Earth) is simply Inexcusable.
It saddens me …to my soul. No drama just based in Reality of the Current Management Team who is Ultimately Responsible for All the Changes, breakdowns, multitude of Xtra costs, and a myriad of other factors thrust upon its Guests.
At one point in time there was a feeling of Value in Visiting and being Immersed in Walt’s Vision. Where I felt confident in my Choice to share our family and our Income. No more.
It’s difficult, no Impossible for me to Justify a Visit despite being able to Afford the Same Type Trip of years past at the
Overinflated, Undeserved Costs ( accommodation /food/ride access/ experiences) and Most Important, almost Complete Lack of Customer Service. The Trip Reports are Abundant with Complaints including our own extended two families that visited in the last several mos and were Very Unhappy …saying they are Done
So, I canceled with no plan for returning anytime soon.

Add to that..last evening, literally close to 3.5 HOURS in the online Chat line Waiting for Clarification regarding our cancellation. Disney, that’s Disgraceful.

I feel your pain. I too have waiting too many hours on hold trying to resolve something simple that shouldn't take more than 10 minutes. I also do not like the direction WDW is heading. The nickel and diming is atrocious. Paying more and getting less is awful. And while we had a few lovely cast member interactions, the amount of cast members just standing around with grumpy faces, or talking to their co workers or even worse complaining to each other about things within ear shot of guests, was unbelievable to me. The training must not be there anymore. I hope they go back and retrain. What truly makes a Disney trip special, is the cast members. It was noticeably missing this trip (we got back last night).

Weird observation though, most of our fantastic interactions were with 'older' cast members. The young ones were just not into providing that Disney Magic. It took 3 days before we heard.... have a magical day. It's a silly thing, but it was noticeable.

I'm not ready to fully give up yet. I'm hoping that things will continue to improve over the next year. But, if things don't.... we will be spending our money elsewhere for sure.