To Go or Not To Go

[AussieFan8]

I agree with waiting to decide if you can. I am in Missouri and it appears we are leveling off; I just read that infection rate is going down and case rates should follow.

 

[MyTwoPrincesses]

I've been telling my clients something along these lines: First, it's a very personal decision and the only person who can really make it is you. But second, if you're asking, you probably already know what the right answer is for your family. My clients who are going are full-stop going and are now focused on logistical last-minute things like their touring plans, transportation, etc. The ones who are debating are likely (based on past experience) going to cancel/reschedule, at the very least because they know they won't be able to relax. It's a very expensive trip if you'll be nervous: you won't be able to enjoy yourselves.

Maybe... I debated a lot. I was going on a big family trip with 12 people total. My brother and his family canceled as did my parents. After some careful thought and review of Disney's current policies and research into outdoor dining options, I have NOT canceled my trip. Unless something drastically changes, I will be at WDW in 10 days. I think it's prudent to weigh the safety risks depending on your individual circumstances, family, and comfort level.

 

[kylenne]

You're not crazy at all. We just returned from a 7 night stay and just trying to maneuver through the parks, constantly trying to avoid massive crowds was mentally and physically exhausting. We had some great experiences, but in hindsight I would never go it again. And for all our extreme measures attempting to stay safe, my grandson got sick anyway. We missed the character meets, the shows, the parades, no dessert parties and the repetitive and limited menu's got old and fast. We ended up, for the first time, driving off sight to get decent take out to eat. We didn't want sit down dining due to my grandson not being vaccinated and while there are couple of great places, most of them are serving the same things and none of it was good.

We won't go back until Disney is really back. I'll wear masks all day long but I'm just not spending the kind of money it takes with so much missing. It just wasn't the Disney I love.

I am so sorry to hear you had such a stressful trip. Please keep us updated on your grandson.

 

[meremac]

I think it's prudent to weigh the safety risks depending on your individual circumstances, family, and comfort level.

Yes exactly. It's really a very personal decision. But I would say that, of the 20 or so clients I have traveling in the next 2-3 weeks, 90% of those who expressed concern to me over the current circumstances have ultimately cancelled. My point is that, if you're concerned enough to ask other people what they think, then you most likely already have a gut feeling what the right decision is for you. Not always, but most of the time.

 

[SCDisneyfanatic]

Maybe... I debated a lot. I was going on a big family trip with 12 people total. My brother and his family canceled as did my parents. After some careful thought and review of Disney's current policies and research into outdoor dining options, I have NOT canceled my trip. Unless something drastically changes, I will be at WDW in 10 days. I think it's prudent to weigh the safety risks depending on your individual circumstances, family, and comfort level.

We had a trip scheduled for May for our 40th Anniversary but many in the family couldn't attend without extra weeks of quarantine because of where they live. So we went from a party of about 30 down to a late October trip with one daughter, one son in law and 2 granddaughters (4 and 2). The Grands have never been. We are hoping for a sort of normal Disney experience but luckily the granddaughters will be extremely excited either way. I hope you have a very awesome and memorable trip!!

 

[Helene_C]

I have a no-parks, all-resort (WBC) trip planned in two weeks and seriously reconsidering. I thought I was being paranoid back in May when I designed the trip (driving down, no parks, no indoor activities, no restaurants) but now the thought of local hospitals being at capacity is giving me pause, even if we can avoid covid exposure. The “good news” is my cancellation date passed so long ago that I won’t lose anything extra by deciding day-of versus earlier.

 

[IluvMGM]

We went last September and had a good time, despite the changes. We have another trip this September and are still going. We are both vaccinated and I still wear masks when I have to go somewhere. I feel better when there was distancing in the queues, and not as many people, but every year there is some sort of wrench thrown into our trip whether it be a pandemic or a hurricane, and we always make the most of it and have a good time.

 

[PalmettoPath]

Whats Disneys policy on last date to cancel/postpone? Are boo bash tix refundable?

We're supposed to be going in two weeks and the discussion is coming up. Both of us fully vaxxed with two kids, we were perfectly ok with it a few months back. Now i don't know. At the very least we haven't mentioned the trip at all to the young ones so if we bail they won't be disappointed since they didn't even know we had planned to go to begin with....

While Boo Bash tickets are officially non-refundable, they did refund our Boo Bash tickets. They were very good about and did not resist at all. The CM I spoke with was very accommodating given covid. We are still going to WDW, but have decided to drastically limit park time and the opening night of Boo Bash (our tickets) was something we decided wasn't worth it for us. So it's definitely worth calling.

 

[lovethattink]

Posting this reminder again. Please stay within the DIS guidelines for Covid discussion. All post from when I posted this earlier today and on that don’t comply will get warnings and points applied.

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[

 

[StuckInKS]

We just got back from 5 days at Disneyland yesterday and caught something because all 6 of my kids came down with sore throats/coughing during the drive back. We plan to go get them tested later today or tomorrow. Kind of disappointing because we were masked indoors the entire time. We went to WDW for even longer in March and didn't catch anything, which I think was more protective because everyone had to wear masks, not just us. The only day Disney required masks for everyone was on our last park day. We literally have not left our house since our WDW trip in March (we work from home and kids homeschool), so it most likely came from Disney.

 

[cdnSpinalTap]

We are in the middle of making the same decision - to go or not to go. I guess the questions I would ask of the people that have posted their real world experiences, are the following (these relate to the most under 12 group). My questions are not opinion one way or the other - I am really just trying to gather additional facts that would help me decide:

• When you say you were "careful" and wore masks indoors, etc. - did you eat at any restaurants where you or the kids would have had your masks off for extended periods of time? Were you in crowded pools or other areas where you could not wear a mask?
• Of the kids that did get sick, did any of them require hospitalization or otherwise get seriously ill, other than "flu-like" symptoms?
• Was the entire group carrying out safe practices, or was it only the under 12's that were wearing masks, etc. In other words, did you all treat yourselves like you were under 12 and not vaccinated and protect yourselves accordingly?

I think the decision for me boils down to 3 things:

1. Can we protect ourselves with safety practices, while not depending on others to protects us?
2. If our under 12-year old got sick, what is her risk of serious illness?
3. If our experience is limited by 1. above, can we still enjoy ourselves, or is it "worth it"?

Again - this is not to stir a debate, just gather additional insight and explain my thought process.

 

[Mango7100]

We are in the middle of making the same decision - to go or not to go. I guess the questions I would ask of the people that have posted their real world experiences, are the following (these relate to the most under 12 group). My questions are not opinion one way or the other - I am really just trying to gather additional facts that would help me decide:

• When you say you were "careful" and wore masks indoors, etc. - did you eat at any restaurants where you or the kids would have had your masks off for extended periods of time? Were you in crowded pools or other areas where you could not wear a mask?
• Of the kids that did get sick, did any of them require hospitalization or otherwise get seriously ill, other than "flu-like" symptoms?
• Was the entire group carrying out safe practices, or was it only the under 12's that were wearing masks, etc. In other words, did you all treat yourselves like you were under 12 and not vaccinated and protect yourselves accordingly?

I think the decision for me boils down to 3 things:

1. Can we protect ourselves with safety practices, while not depending on others to protects us?
2. If our under 12-year old got sick, what is her risk of serious illness?
3. If our experience is limited by 1. above, can we still enjoy ourselves, or is it "worth it"?

Again - this is not to stir a debate, just gather additional insight and explain my thought process.

We went 6/30-7/8 (so no mask requirement at WDW except transport) with DD8 for a resort stay, 2 days at MK, one day at AK, and none of the 3 of us got sick with anything, but to answer your questions…

Our practices of being careful (DH and I as vaccinated adults did the same thing as DD8) no indoor rides or queues that were indoors for a long period of time (we did ride LM as a walk on and Pooh since that queue is more open air). No indoor shows—we did the bird show at AK. No eating inside—we cancelled our Ravello character breakfast because it was raining that morning so we could not eat outside there. We drove our own car and took the ferry from TTC to MK. Watched HEA from BOG entrance to avoid crowds and stayed in MK about 30 min after closing to avoid the crush leaving. Masks on in any line and walking in crowded areas. Masks on walking through hotel. We stayed at the Four Seasons so it was much easier to have space at the pool area since it is gigantic and the hotel is 1/3 the rooms as YC/BC. Their employees still wore masks, kids were required to wear masks at Kids Club (which she did go to 4-5 times), and most every restaurant had covered outdoor terraces to eat at.

We still had a fantastic time but I think a large function was we made it more of a resort stay. We were in the parks probably 24 hours total that week. We still enjoyed the parks, but we laid the ground rules out as a family as to what we were or were not going to do. We knew we were going to have a modified experience, and that was OK. That being said, I would not go in the next month. End of September we were going to do an adult only trip for Food and Wine and Galaxy Edge staying offsite, and we are waiting to see how things are,

 

[cakebaker]

• When you say you were "careful" and wore masks indoors, etc. - did you eat at any restaurants where you or the kids would have had your masks off for extended periods of time? Were you in crowded pools or other areas where you could not wear a mask?
• Of the kids that did get sick, did any of them require hospitalization or otherwise get seriously ill, other than "flu-like" symptoms?
• Was the entire group carrying out safe practices, or was it only the under 12's that were wearing masks, etc. In other words, did you all treat yourselves like you were under 12 and not vaccinated and protect yourselves accordingly?

My grandson is currently sick after having been at WDW last week. He started showing symptoms on Sunday afternoon, our 7th day being at WDW. He has been tested, as have all of us and are waiting on results. He is not what I consider to be seriously ill. High fevers and heavy coughing are his major symptoms. This could be flu, it could be just a cold, it could be covid.

We did not eat at any indoor dining and rarely used the regular seating at outdoor dining- only if we could space ourselves from others. Otherwise, we found an out of the way spot to eat. We went to the pool at FW once, less than an hour. It was not terribly crowded and my grandson did not interact with any of the kids in the pool. He's excellent at following instructions and knew to not get in a cluster of people. If he was out of the pool, he immediately masked up when he got to our poolside chairs. We went to Storm Along Bay twice when we switched resorts, but again, practiced the same safety measures we did at FW.

Our entire group carried out safety practices. We are all vaccinated except for him. We wore masks faithfully anytime we were indoors, even before it was a requirement. We wore them on all transportation. We avoided the monorail, wore masks on the boat transportation at FW and the BC. My grandson wore a mask anytime we were out of our room or cabin. Some of us would remove our masks outdoors when we were not in crowded areas, but if it was congested, masks were on. We did 2 indoor attractions, COP and Philharmagic, but only after the mask requirement went into effect.

Our biggest exposure was watching HEA. That said, we developed a way to keep him in somewhat of a bubble. We sat in the garden area, staked out a spot an hour or so before it started and put him on the fence in that back, all of us off to both sides and two of us in front of him. We waited until crowds had cleared to leave the area. We also used that method to move around the parks- one on each side, one behind him, one in front.

We sanitized before eating and after exiting any attraction. We washed hands using the recommended methods often.

I felt like other than not watching HEA, there just wasn't any more we could do if we were going to go to the parks at all. He still got sick, but we do not yet know if he's positive for covid. No one else is showing any symptoms. My daughter had a sore throat yesterday, but it has gone away today with no other symptoms.

 

[cdnSpinalTap]

My grandson is currently sick after having been at WDW last week. He started showing symptoms on Sunday afternoon, our 7th day being at WDW. He has been tested, as have all of us and are waiting on results. He is not what I consider to be seriously ill. High fevers and heavy coughing are his major symptoms. This could be flu, it could be just a cold, it could be covid.

We did not eat at any indoor dining and rarely used the regular seating at outdoor dining- only if we could space ourselves from others. Otherwise, we found an out of the way spot to eat. We went to the pool at FW once, less than an hour. It was not terribly crowded and my grandson did not interact with any of the kids in the pool. He's excellent at following instructions and knew to not get in a cluster of people. If he was out of the pool, he immediately masked up when he got to our poolside chairs. We went to Storm Along Bay twice when we switched resorts, but again, practiced the same safety measures we did at FW.

Our entire group carried out safety practices. We are all vaccinated except for him. We wore masks faithfully anytime we were indoors, even before it was a requirement. We wore them on all transportation. We avoided the monorail, wore masks on the boat transportation at FW and the BC. My grandson wore a mask anytime we were out of our room or cabin. Some of us would remove our masks outdoors when we were not in crowded areas, but if it was congested, masks were on. We did 2 indoor attractions, COP and Philharmagic, but only after the mask requirement went into effect.

Our biggest exposure was watching HEA. That said, we developed a way to keep him in somewhat of a bubble. We sat in the garden area, staked out a spot an hour or so before it started and put him on the fence in that back, all of us off to both sides and two of us in front of him. We waited until crowds had cleared to leave the area. We also used that method to move around the parks- one on each side, one behind him, one in front.

We sanitized before eating and after exiting any attraction. We washed hands using the recommended methods often.

I felt like other than not watching HEA, there just wasn't any more we could do if we were going to go to the parks at all. He still got sick, but we do not yet know if he's positive for covid. No one else is showing any symptoms. My daughter had a sore throat yesterday, but it has gone away today with no other symptoms.

First, my best to you and your family - I hope you are all healthy and safe.

Thanks for the response, this sounds pretty much what we would be like. Can I ask what types of masks you were wearing? Also, would you be willing to share the results of your tests when they come back? I know none of this applies directly to us, but again, data points definitely help.

 

[stephk1981]

My grandson is currently sick after having been at WDW last week. He started showing symptoms on Sunday afternoon, our 7th day being at WDW. He has been tested, as have all of us and are waiting on results. He is not what I consider to be seriously ill. High fevers and heavy coughing are his major symptoms. This could be flu, it could be just a cold, it could be covid.

We did not eat at any indoor dining and rarely used the regular seating at outdoor dining- only if we could space ourselves from others. Otherwise, we found an out of the way spot to eat. We went to the pool at FW once, less than an hour. It was not terribly crowded and my grandson did not interact with any of the kids in the pool. He's excellent at following instructions and knew to not get in a cluster of people. If he was out of the pool, he immediately masked up when he got to our poolside chairs. We went to Storm Along Bay twice when we switched resorts, but again, practiced the same safety measures we did at FW.

Our entire group carried out safety practices. We are all vaccinated except for him. We wore masks faithfully anytime we were indoors, even before it was a requirement. We wore them on all transportation. We avoided the monorail, wore masks on the boat transportation at FW and the BC. My grandson wore a mask anytime we were out of our room or cabin. Some of us would remove our masks outdoors when we were not in crowded areas, but if it was congested, masks were on. We did 2 indoor attractions, COP and Philharmagic, but only after the mask requirement went into effect.

Our biggest exposure was watching HEA. That said, we developed a way to keep him in somewhat of a bubble. We sat in the garden area, staked out a spot an hour or so before it started and put him on the fence in that back, all of us off to both sides and two of us in front of him. We waited until crowds had cleared to leave the area. We also used that method to move around the parks- one on each side, one behind him, one in front.

We sanitized before eating and after exiting any attraction. We washed hands using the recommended methods often.

I felt like other than not watching HEA, there just wasn't any more we could do if we were going to go to the parks at all. He still got sick, but we do not yet know if he's positive for covid. No one else is showing any symptoms. My daughter had a sore throat yesterday, but it has gone away today with no other symptoms.

We have been in the parks off and on throughout the summer, mostly just going for an hour or two at opening. Last month, exactly 4 days after a MK visit both my DD3 and DS12 started having fevers from 102- 103.5. I started getting sick the next day, I have been vaccinated as has DS12. We all had horrible coughs, my DD3 being the worse, as she was also vomiting. My DS and I both got covid tests, they were negative. However DD and DS were then seen at their pediatrician and diagnosed with RSV. Hoping your grandson recovers quickly no matter what he has, ours lasted about 3 weeks in total.

 

[cakebaker]

First, my best to you and your family - I hope you are all healthy and safe.

Thanks for the response, this sounds pretty much what we would be like. Can I ask what types of masks you were wearing? Also, would you be willing to share the results of your tests when they come back? I know none of this applies directly to us, but again, data points definitely help.

Thank you. The adults wore disposable masks. My grandson wore a mix of disposable and cloth, but we changed them often during the day. We went through a LOT of masks. I have no problem sharing the results of our tests. The more you know, the better off you are. We are all constantly refreshing our online medical charts to see if any results are back, so far nothing.

Regardless of what he has, I am amazed he caught anything. I thought we were super careful. Since the beginning of Covid we have been cautious and followed all guidelines. Previous to covid, he was very prone to catching anything that came his way. We are a family of teachers so someone in our close family almost always had something and yet for the past 1 1/2 years he hasn't had so much as a case of the sniffles. He's 9, very experienced in mask wearing and has no issue wearing masks and wearing them correctly. He's been taught how to properly remove them or lower them to take a drink, etc. So I expected, as long as we were careful, he'd be fine.

 

[cakebaker]

We have been in the parks off and on throughout the summer, mostly just going for an hour or two at opening. Last month, exactly 4 days after a MK visit both my DD3 and DS12 started having fevers from 102- 103.5. I started getting sick the next day, I have been vaccinated as has DS12. We all had horrible coughs, my DD3 being the worse, as she was also vomiting. My DS and I both got covid tests, they were negative. However DD and DS were then seen at their pediatrician and diagnosed with RSV. Hoping your grandson recovers quickly no matter what he has, ours lasted about 3 weeks in total.

He had significant nausea and vomiting Sunday afternoon through yesterday. It seems to have stopped now, but the symptoms you describe sound very much like his. His temp has run in the same range unless medicated. If he tests negative, he'll be back to the dr to make sure it isn't something more serious than a bug, but they need him tested first.

 

[unrequited23]

Our neighbors were at Universal 7/22-7/28. Their youngest plays with our kids but we haven't seen him since they day after they got back and rang our doorbell to play. My kids were with their grandparents. Just found out from his mom that he has just been released from the hospital after spending time in the ICU with covid. He's 8 and has asthma. No info on where they stayed or if they masked...though the neighborhood kids mask when they play indoors. I'm pretty much wrecked right now.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

Thank you. The adults wore disposable masks. My grandson wore a mix of disposable and cloth, but we changed them often during the day. We went through a LOT of masks. I have no problem sharing the results of our tests. The more you know, the better off you are. We are all constantly refreshing our online medical charts to see if any results are back, so far nothing.

Regardless of what he has, I am amazed he caught anything. I thought we were super careful. Since the beginning of Covid we have been cautious and followed all guidelines. Previous to covid, he was very prone to catching anything that came his way. We are a family of teachers so someone in our close family almost always had something and yet for the past 1 1/2 years he hasn't had so much as a case of the sniffles. He's 9, very experienced in mask wearing and has no issue wearing masks and wearing them correctly. He's been taught how to properly remove them or lower them to take a drink, etc. So I expected, as long as we were careful, he'd be fine.

It sounds like you did everything you could to be safe - probably more so than most people would do. That tells me, no matter how careful you are it’s pretty easy to pick something up (Covid or otherwise). I hope whatever your grandson has he recovers quickly

 

[mala55]

We have a trip planned, after a few cancels and reschedules, for Nov 2021. There are 3 of us all vaccinated now. I still may reschedule with the a delta variant. Just not the Disney experience I was hoping for and for all the expense. Also even though we are vaccinated, we could get infected.

As a mom, now if a teenager, I would not go if I had young children. Although at very low risk, there is still a risk. I would never take a known risk on my children’s health. A vacation is not worth it to me. They are young, you can wait a year or two and still have an amazing experience. Just my honest opinion.