Book 2021 or wait? So many questions

[courtky]

I canceled my September 2020 trip and rebooked for the end of January 2021, about the same time we went this year. I really wanted to do Food and Wine, but COVID-19 had other plans. I think it's better to go ahead and book a package since you can cancel it within 30 days of check in. It's just $200 on hold. I'm hoping for fireworks and the parades to be back by then and maybe COVID-19 will have slow down by then... but it's too early to tell, especially with cases spiking again. I say book if you're able to have $200 on hold and don't mind cancelling if you have to. Doesn't hurt anything!

 

[Darcy03231]

We cancelled our September trip and didn't rebook anything yet. I don't plan to go back until things return to some semblance of normal which means late 2021 or 2022. I'm not tied to a school calendar so can go anytime. I have no interest in going and having to wear a mask, have no parades, fireworks, character meals, park hopping, etc.

 

[Toolulu22]

We have a trip booked for December of this year. Being in NY, with the current two sided two-week quarantine and who knows what with the virus itself, I feel less and less confident that trip will happen. Stinks because the last time we went to WDW at Christmas, we had checked it and went up to our room and got a call that my mom passed. It took many years to enjoy the holidays and even think about WDW at that time of year. My husband says he thinks that if it doesn’t happen this year that something is telling us not to go at that time. I want to go next summer, right before the 50th, split with Universal- but I’m definitely waiting to do anything to find out what will be available in terms of events and happenings. I would wait another year, and would love to see the 50th In 2022 in full splendor.

 

[qman6975]

We kind of look at it in terms of until we can have the “classic” Disney vacation, we don’t want to go. We had planned a California trip this fall with a visit to DL as part of that trip followed by a 2021 WDW vacation. It makes sense to us to move that all back a year (DL in 21, WDW in 22) when thing begin to approach normal. Until there is a vaccine crowds of any size don’t work for us.

 

[myhoney]

I want to go next summer, right before the 50th, split with Universal- but I’m definitely waiting to do anything to find out what will be available in terms of events and happenings. I would wait another year, and would love to see the 50th In 2022 in full splendor.

This is what we are doing! We booked August 24-30, 2021, and then switch to Universal for three days, flying home before Labor Day weekend.

We only go to Disney every 5 years. We hope things open more by next August, but for us, being there will be special enough for us. We don't do hoppers. We catch a few minutes of the parades, but not enough to make us miss it if they didn't have any. We've never seen the fireworks as the kids were always too small and exhausted to stay up for them.

We were flying home on 2/25/20 from an 8 day cruise and I was planning our Disney trip from the airport! I was lucky because it allowed me time to check flight prices near the holiday weekend before Covid-19 hit and everything was shut down.

This is likely our last trip to Disney as the full family. College is looming for our oldest. We will enjoy our time together, regardless of what might be different due to the pandemic. On our last trip to Disney we all caught the stomach flu and we still laugh about the wild memories made on that vacation!

 

[randumb0]

It depends on your risk tolerance level. If you book it you need to understand that things may be completely different than you are expecting. If you are ok with that then go ahead.

If not, then I would wait

 

[Grnl706]

I had a June 2020 trip j moved to June 2021. If some changes are still in place by then, I figured that we will have been in this long enough that it may not bother us as much as it would now (if that makes sense). So we're booked/plan to go and will adjust as things hopefully change.

 

[Winky65]

I booked a trip during my birthday (August 2021) with the full understanding that we might push it back, either because of COVID or choosing to wait longer for all of the new construction to finish.

I think it's all about having a plan, but being mighty flexible.

Happy early birthday x2! We are booked for August 2021 as well. Booked about a week before the virus shut things down. Have POFQ booked for 3 nights and 4 FREE FROM DISNEY nights booked MK view at the Polynesian. POFQ has no opening date as of now but I would think it will be open then. I think things will be back to close to normal by next August, but if things are not to our liking 60 days out we will push the trip back to 2022.

 

[JM23457]

Also, do y’all think that if I go ahead & book but then change resorts if rates change or open (like POR), and I’ve already chosen my park dates, that I’ll have to do so again?

I changed the resort and check-out date (added a day) of a reservation I already had park passes for, and I did not lose my park passes.

 

[annadreamsofdisneyworld]

We actually booked 2 trips, for April 2021 and August 2021. We only plan on going once next year but want to have options. It's easy enough to cancel and get our money back. This way we know we have a resort and park tickets for the 2 weeks that my husband, kids, and I can both take off work/school.

 

[annadreamsofdisneyworld]

Do you need to book a package though to reserve park dates? I would have guessed you need tickets versus room-only to book.

Also, do y’all think that if I go ahead & book but then change resorts if rates change or open (like POR), and I’ve already chosen my park dates, that I’ll have to do so again? Meaning if we book CSR now, reserve park dates, but then decide to switch to another onsite resort, we still keep the dates? Asking because it is our strong preference to stay at Port Orleans Riverside or animal Kingdom Lodge, neither of which are showing availability right now.

I think you would keep your park dates. We used to have a reservation for August 2020, and I made park reservations for the trip. Last night I called Disney and cancelled the trip. When I went into MDE later I noticed that the resort and tickets were gone, but our park reservations were still there. I had to manually delete each one of them. So they were not connected to our room and ticket package.

 

[NY Pirate Princess]

If I was planning to go in 2021 and I wanted one of the resorts that can be booked now, I would 100% book and get park passes TODAY. You can always modify your reservation or rebook if a good discount comes out and you haven't locked in air fare.

In my experience Disney nearly always increases the prices just before releasing discounts. Sometimes rack rate before the increase costs less than with the discount after the increase. Disney gives good room discounts or enticing packages when they need to increase resort bookings. I don't think that will be the case in 2020 or 2021. I could always be wrong!

There is absolutely no way to know how this will all play out. Off site might be a great savings, or it might freeze someone out of accessing the parks altogether.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[Delirium]

Would love to get a 2021 Disney trip in, as the kids are both now in high school and we may not be taking family vacations like that in the future. That said, I will not pay Disney prices for a non-Disney experience. The virus is not Disney's fault, so I do not blame them in any way.

But, the reality is Park Hoppers, FPs, Nighttime Spectaculars, Parades, Special Events, and even though our kids are older, Character Meets are all an integral part of what makes Disney a special place for our family to be. Without those things, I can't, and won't try, to justify the cost of a Disney trip.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

We are possibly planning a January trip for the marathon, but unless Florida does something drastic to turn their numbers around, it doesn't sound safe or fun.