What am I forgetting? PTR for a trip delayed....4 years!

[LaughingSphinx]

...It feels kind of irresponsible to be doing a pre-trip report when I never finished the trip report from my last trip....almost a decade ago...how embarrassing is that?

At any rate, I'm back at it again! Now that we're finally booked and confirmed, I have reverted to Planning Mode, a state of existence my husband detests as it means almost every other conversation starts "So I was thinking, for our Disney trip..."

We last went in 2011, so I know a lot has changed, and changed drastically, since the last time we were there. I'm frantically researching and making lists and essentially in my happy, frenetic planning zone. But we're also taking along a few other folks

Who are we?
(The whole family is technically in that photo, it's hard to tell but the smiley little munchkin on the right is hanging out with us in the pic on the left, movin' and groovin'

I'm your hostess with...well, if not the mostest, then certainly I've got something. I'm in HR by day, and by night I'm hanging with my family, bellydancing, or reading. Or cooking. Good gad, but the kitchen has become my happy place and creative outlet.

DH-He's my sexy nerd. He's an actuarial consultant, lover of board games and cross-stitch, and is leaning hard into dad-humor. (I'm here for it) Our 12-year anniversary will be a few days after we get back from our trip, and I love him to pieces.

DD1-She's 4 going on 15, inquisitive, opinionated, empathetic, and a hoot and a half. She's a ball of energy and her favorite Disney movie, show, and character seems to change on a weekly basis. Although she apparently wasn't exempt from the Frozen 2 obsession, so she's seen it in theaters twice, and will again as soon as it's on Disney+

DD2-She just turned 1, and is already the sweetest, most mischievous, and outgoing little thing. Walking (almost running, really) everywhere, getting into everything, I swear she's part cat with the way she tries to climb into cupboards and dash at open doors. Obviously her memories, if any, from this trip will be very different from everyone else's but if nothing else I think she's going to enjoy the change of scenery, the quality family time, the food and the parades.

MIL-She's a lady whose age I will not disclose because I actually love my MIL. Yeah, we've had our moments of friction and one big altercation but seriously? She's awesome. She loves her grandkids and me, and it shows. I'm actually really excited she's coming with us.

Table of Contents
Chapter 1: We've got the Who, here's the When and Where
Chapter 2: Not this time
Chapter 3: So what ARE we doing, anyway?
Chapter 4: Magic Kingdom
Chapter 5: Fastpasses Booked!
Chapter 6: COVID-19 Limbo
Chapter 7: We're baaaaack
Chapter 7.1: We're back, but with breathing room
Chapter 8: Oh no it's crunch time

 

[LaughingSphinx]

Chapter 1: We've got the Who, here's the When and Where

When: We're booked for mid-May (the week after Mother's Day) because we wanted to avoid the summer crowds, and definitely wanted to be in and out before Memorial Day. It's the last year before DD1 starts kindergarten and we don't want to set a precedent of pulling her out of school for family trips. Although I would like to file a formal complaint with someone, because there's no way she's already old enough for school! We figured the weather would be decent, and hey-it's when all us grownups can get some vacation time from work! Our plan is to fly in Monday, arriving in the evening, and then settle in at the resort, snag some grub, collect packages from bell services, etc. We wanted to make sure the girls tackled the parks fresh from a full night's rest, and to give all the grownups time to recharge, since my MIL is really worried about flying solo, and DH and I have never flown with both kiddos before.

Where: We'll be headed to Pop Century, which will tick off a few of the check boxes for our diverse crew. It's on the cheaper side (welp, there goes our tax return!) and a friend highly recommended it. We'll be close to food, and we can take the skyliner, which DD1 will love. I've only been to WDW a few times, and the first two I was either too young to remember anything about where we were staying or I stayed off-site, so I've only been to Coronado Springs, which was lovely. I feel like a preferred room may be a bit full once we add a pack & play to the suitcases claiming floor space, but then again, we're mostly only going to be there to sleep and shower. And probably to listen to stories of the day's adventure, courtesy of DD1! I'm pretty stoked, the resort photos look great, even if the Hippy Dippy pool is closed when we're there, there are 2 other ones we can visit and the food looks like it'll pass muster with my self-admittedly picky eater MIL. Not gonna lie, you guys, I'm really excited about this.

Next up: What? (are we doing, are we packing, are we thinking?)

(side note: anyone know how to resize a gif?)

 

[lvcourtneyy]

Joining in! Your girls are adorable.

We'll also be at Pop Century in May!

 

[LaughingSphinx]

Joining in! Your girls are adorable.

We'll also be at Pop Century in May!

Thanks Courtney! I love my girls, the warranties are expired so I guess I'll keep them I have to admit, I'm excited for a spring trip; I think my MIL will really like the flower & garden show!

 

[LaughingSphinx]

Chapter 2: Not this time

Like most children, my oldest will often ask to add extra items to the shopping cart or exclaim over something she wants to take home when we're out and about. She's got plenty of toys, snacks, and anything else she could ask for at home, so my answer is usually "No, not this time" and she understands that the item in question will be staying on its shelf today. So before I started outlining all the things we're doing, I wanted to highlight for my DH and MIL what we're not doing, and why.

-No ADRs (Anyone need a defibrillator? Help unclenching pearls? Crane to lift a jaw off the floor?)

This was not necessarily a fun decision, but ultimately this felt like the right one for our family. Cost is going to be a big factor for all of us: DH and MIL's gut reaction to some of the costs for character dining (and the cheaper ones at that) were...shall we say...not favorable. And I get it. It's a lot of money, especially when we're not sure how DD1 will respond to meeting characters in-person, and where DD2 is honestly a little young for them to have any significance. Plus, even though I'm super proud of my kids' adventurous eating habits, I still have a hard time paying prices like that for a toddler who may just not be super hungry at that time, or who may wind up feeling so stressed from the travel and the crowds and the heat and everything else that all they want is french fries. (I'm not saying I'd blame them, but I want to set us all up for the least stress possible, and DH would definitely feel, even if subconsciously, stressed if he felt we were paying $$$ for a meal but weren't getting our money's worth from it) Plus, with MIL's slightly pickier palate, our options would be a bit limited off the get-go, and this way no one will need to worry about making it to a reservation on time. I admit, I'd be the one stressed out if I thought we were running late. My plan is to do quick-service all the way, and I'm really excited that the WDW app lets you order via mobile phone. With two young ones who get hangry in a hurry, I feel like that's going to be clutch.

-No checked bags. (Omg, are we crazy?)

We're flying JetBlue, MIL has a separate flight because she lives in a different state, but I think we can fit all the stuff we'll need into the carryons we'll be allotted for DH, me, and DD1 (who will be SO excited, at least at first, to be Big Enough to carry her own suitcase and backpack) plus DD2 gets the diaper bag as an allowance on top of everyone else's stuff. We've got a sizeable diaper backpack, so you betcha I'm going to make strategic use of all that space! But we're also going to be ordering a lot of stuff to be shipped to the resort, like diapers, wipes, shampoo, etc. The Diet Pepsi that is all my MIL will drink (thank goodness she likes it room temp!) and maybe some breakfast stuff as well, save a few bucks. But DH and I are old pros at planning and packing for trips that last at least a week and that also include 12-hour car trips. I'm not worried.

-No park hopping. Admittedly, we haven't done Disney with kids before, but I am also not convinced that the time spent in transit between parks mid-day is going to be worth the change of scenery, especially since we don't have any ADRs that would require us going to a different park than the one we've chosen for the day. DH and I had the option when we went ages ago, but we didn't use it, and honestly, didn't feel like it was worth the extra money we paid for it. If we ever start going back more frequently (like, oh, maybe every 4 years instead of almost 10 between visits) then mayyyyyybe. Or if we started doing actual ADRs.

-No trying to see/experience/do EVERYTHING. We're gonna have 2 small kids, plus 3 grownups with different energy levels, activity levels, and priorities. Last time, my mission was to reduce wait times and optimize the number of times we could experience the attractions that spoke to us. But that was also back in the days of paper FPs. This time around, I'm focusing more on 'what will the girls enjoy the most' and we'll go from there. There's going to lots of stuff we'll miss-I'm kind of bummed that Thunder Mountain RR will be closed for refurbishment while we're there, but them's the breaks. I'm going to focus on making this a really positive experience full of fun memories.

-Not gonna sweat the small stuff!

Admittedly, this is more of a mindset than anything else, but it's still a deliberate choice. I'll prepare to the best of my ability, and I won't worry about experiences or attractions that don't work out, or if the girls show me that in the moment, something else is more interesting or more important. As long as I get one single Dole Whip, I'm happy. (And let's face it, I've gone this many years without one, I can survive a few more. But I really want one!)

 

[LaughingSphinx]

Chapter 3: So what ARE we doing, anyway?

With all the "we are not" items on the list, I should probably clarify what we ARE doing. I'll probably need to break this down too, because goodness knows I can go off on a typing tangent and then it's really hard to jump back on track. So what little tips and tricks are we taking advantage of before we even set foot in a park?

Our arrival day's going to be hectic, but that's all right. An afternoon flight does, at least, mean that we'll have time to double check the luggage, grab some food, and take our time. (For me this is a big deal, as usually when I fly, it's just me solo, and if I want a shower I have to wake up at stupid o'clock so I can shower, dress, grab my prepacked bags and a protein bar and then walk about a mile to the train that takes me to the airport)

-Drive to airport shuttle, park, snag shuttle to airport
-Get through security (I have a feeling the screening will take longer with a diaper bag, it always did with DD1, so I'm factoring in some extra time there to reduce stress)
-Fly! (This will be DD2's first flight, so that's kind of exciting. I'll be wearing her in our Tula through the airport and for most of the flight itself, and we'll have snacks and some toys. We did pay the additional $$ to select our seats so we can stay together as a family. DD1 flew around the same age, and just conked out so I'm crossing my fingers we can do the same.
-Meet up with MIL, and take the DME to the resort (Her flight gets in less than 10 min before ours, but I do still need to call them because her departing flight is an hour before ours, so she'll need to take a different bus back to the airport and she's worried that since her name is under our reservation, they won't let her. Not a big deal, I'm sure a phone call will address it, I just need DH to send me her flight deets so I can do that.
-Head to the resort for a delayed dinner and to get to our room (We're landing around 6, so I'm assuming it'll be 7 or 8 by the time we actually get to the resort. I'm really counting on being able to go directly to our room and bypass the front desk. (I'm sure they're lovely folks, I just want to dump my bags in the room and then go get my family fed!)

-Gift cards! (Thanks, Berkely and Jensen!) (Side note: A previous employer's content filters used to block those letters, so I always write it as BeeJay's and I probably always will) Our BeeJay's membership saves us 5% on Disney gift card purchases, and I'll take whatever I can get. So I bought a few gift cards to cover the resort/tickets, and I was almost disappointed that the customer service rep didn't so much as bat an eyelash. It felt very odd to be buying a couple thousand dollars' worth of gift cards so nonchalantly, with my cart of pickles and coffee beans and diapers right next to me. Our plan is to buy a few more before we leave, and use our magic bands while we're in the parks themselves to charge meals to the room. Then every other day or so, we'll use our gift cards to pay down the balance.

-Amazon to the rescue! Between Now and Prime, we'll be having a few things sent directly to Pop so we don't have to take up space in our carry-ons. Diapers, wipes, water, diet pepsi, sure- But also some things like sunscreen, band aids, neosporin, moleskin, ponchos, and some starter pins with a lanyard. My sister is an avid pin trader and she and I have chatted with DD1 about pin trading, so that'll be a fun surprise for her when we get there.

-Holy crap, there's an app for that! Last time we went, we had the cards that were room keys/charge cards for the room. I am so excited to make use of the Disney app to do everything! We've already checked in (although I still need to call to have them make a note that we need 2 queens and to request a pack & play) so that by the time we get to the resort, we can just go straight to our room. Because we're getting in a little after our normal dinnertime, I wanted to make sure that we reduced the wait times as much as possible before we could get the girls fed and into the room where they could stretch their legs and unwind a bit. I've already set up a PIN for everyone's magic bands before purchases can be made, as a precaution for DD1, an option which I appreciate as a parent. (We're kind of sticklers in that we don't let DD1 play with our phones, we have an iPad that she's allowed to use, and we've put as many passwords and parental controls on it as we thought would prevent accidental purchases. Judging by the number of times she's asked for help to get back to her game/episode of Vampirina, etc. because she's accidentally clicked on a purchase option, it's a good thing we did!

-Stroller pickup. I'm torn between Kingdom Stroller and Orlando Stroller Rental. Either way, I'll have them send the stroller to the resort (I'm fine with getting up to meet a stroller delivery guy at 6:30 am ) and we'll drop it off at the airport. (So convenient!) We're going to go ahead and reserve a double: DD1 is super energetic and actually ran a mile this past weekend (not all at once, but still!) but in the heat and with all the emotional excitement, I think she's going to make good use of it towards the end of the day, and toward the end of the trip. I'd be using one for DD2 regardless, so I might as well make sure that DD1 can sit down and take a load off if she needs to.

Next up: What we'll actually be doing in the parks themselves!

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

Joining in and excited to hear about the plans!

 

[LaughingSphinx]

Chapter Four: Magic Kingdom

I've still got some time before I can sign up for our FastPasses, and currently the entire family is trusting me to make the plans. So I'll get the blame when things go wrong but no credit when they go right. No pressure, no pressure. And truthfully, no one else on this trip really wants to dig in and do the research the same way I do, so I'm not super-worried about complaints. At least, not about my planning. We all have moments where we whine about other things: I'm sure I'll hear about how it's too hot, too humid, there's too many people, why wouldn't They* put more benches in, or why would they design the queue line that way, etc. etc. (I love how there's always a They, upon whom we can lay all the blame and irritation, so long as I'm not the They!)

So. Magic Kingdom. Let's do this.

We'll probably be spending a full day here, along with the partial day the morning of our trip back home. Hubby and I figured this would likely be the park that everyone will enjoy the most, which is why we're spending the extra time there. As far as I know, all FastPasses are tier 2, although I'm really bummed that Big Thunder Mtn and the Disney railroad will be closed for refurbishment while we're there. (DD1 loves trains, and roller coasters, and will adore Thunder Mtn RR.)

We're not worried about rope drop, and will actually make sure we don't attend on a day with extra magic hours, so I think I'll snag FastPasses for Splash Mtn in the afternoon (what a way to cool off!) one for DD1 to meet Ariel in her grotto in the morning, and the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. I still want the girls to experience everything they can (especially the interactive queue stuff in Haunted Mansion and Winnie the Pooh) so we'll probably splurge on the Touring Plan info just to confirm order of events. I'm absolutely going to drag everyone to Its A Small World and the Enchanted Tiki Room (which I think they'll enjoy anyway) I have a spreadsheet where I've listed out all the rides, whether DD1 or DD2 can ride, what the FastPass tier is, and whether we'll need to do a rider swap. I've mentioned I like planning things, right?

My goal is to be able to find a good spot for the Festival of Fantasy parade, park the girls in their stroller and take a snack/entertainment break. MIL, DH, or I can always dash to grab some snacks if we don't want the ones we'll pack. Last time, I had to reserve a spot early, and I'm totally fine plopping my butt down and keeping space for my kiddoes, and we didn't really have any major issues with people trying to cut in front of us. I'm also not hesitant to bring out my mama bear if I feel like someone's trying to take advantage of, harm, or otherwise be rude to my girls.

I'm also debating how much we want to utilize the rider swap: For rides where we have FastPasses, I want to make sure that everyone who wants to ride something gets the chance, and of course DD1 will reap the benefits of the rider swap. But I also don't want to be dragging DD2 through too many standard queues just to take advantage of the rider swap, since her height (or rather, lack thereof) will be the reason behind most of our rider swaps. Anyone have strong opinions? There are so many rider swap threads and I admit I get a little overwhelmed.

If Merida is still doing M&Gs (the calendar wasn't clear if that was still an option) then we'll probably do that, I think she'd also enjoy meeting Tinker Bell. I've also got a quick reference list of the food options that will work best for our family. I love my MIL dearly, but she's a self-admitted picky eater and I don't want food to be a source of stress. So my Magic Kingdom spreadsheet has a list of the different spots, what they serve (because DH and I will NEED to know where to get some coffee to help keep up with everything!) and whether we can do mobile ordering. I've seen some folks post their spreadsheets where they also include times for everything, but since I'm trying to be cognizant and respectful of the girls, I'm not going to hold us to strict schedules. This will be a slower-paced trip, and trying to over-schedule will only lead to stress, breakdowns, and bad memories. No, thanks. We'll go at a snail's pace if that's what will provide the most joy and the best memories for our family. The only goals on my MK list are the fastpasses listed above, and a Dole Whip. I've gone mostly sugar-free, but man oh man.

Can I tell you that with DD1, I craved pineapple like none other? I ate so much of it my tongue bled. One of our friends, who among his other many talents is a pastry chef, made so many pineapple delights....I'm drooling just remembering how much pineapple deliciousness was in the house at the surprise birthday shower. It was amazing. So yeah, everyone else can do what they want, a Dole Whip is the only thing that I will demand on my own behalf in Magic Kingdom.

(Side note: I'm really loving the Amazon Prime Wardrobe feature right now: I've got a package arriving tomorrow of very low-priced stuff I can try on to see if it'll work for the parks. I'd thought about Disneybounding, but that'll probably only be for one day, so I need some breathable stuff for the rest of our trip. And I wanted a chance to try on the Teva sandals I've been eyeing: it's too early to find them in stores near me and I want a chance to break them in around the house before we go!)

 

[LaughingSphinx]

Joining in and excited to hear about the plans!

Thanks! I hope it's entertaining

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

For rides where we have FastPasses, I want to make sure that everyone who wants to ride something gets the chance, and of course DD1 will reap the benefits of the rider swap. But I also don't want to be dragging DD2 through too many standard queues just to take advantage of the rider swap, since her height (or rather, lack thereof) will be the reason behind most of our rider swaps. Anyone have strong opinions?

So, you can book an alternate FP for the adult who is going to stay behind with DD2 to do something while you're in the area. You didn't mention that above, so not sure if you knew.

Dumbo or Winnie the Pooh goes well with mine train, magic carpets with splash. That way, she's not just sitting around waiting through double ride cycles. Also, at that age, a sugary snack and a little bit of space to run may well be just as interesting as anything else you can think of.

 

[LaughingSphinx]

So, you can book an alternate FP for the adult who is going to stay behind with DD2 to do something while you're in the area. You didn't mention that above, so not sure if you knew.

Dumbo or Winnie the Pooh goes well with mine train, magic carpets with splash. That way, she's not just sitting around waiting through double ride cycles. Also, at that age, a sugary snack and a little bit of space to run may well be just as interesting as anything else you can think of.

Oooooh, thanks for the tips! We will definitely take advantage of that!

 

[LaughingSphinx]

Chapter 5-Fastpasses booked!

We interrupt your regularly scheduled broadcast with this breaking news: Fastpasses have been booked! (Okay, not breaking news, people do it all the time.)

Work has been a bit....hectic....lately, with a lot of reporting that's due this time of year, but I feel like I'm juggling multiple balls that are also now on fire. I'm facing some intense frustration because my counterparts at another branch of my employer (I know, I'm being super vague, I'm sorry) mucked about and terminated the insurance plans for a bunch of folks that are my jurisdiction. Gah. Plus the increase in responses to the coronovirus has put additional meetings on everyone's calendars, as well as skyrocketed the inquiries I'm fielding on a regular basis. We are being cautious and cleaning All The Things, but people are understandably super concerned.

So I'll lighten the mood-I booked our fastpasses this morning! I'm really pleased; the only thing I couldn't book was the Runaway Railway (I'm not surprised) and the system is pretty user-friendly. I like that I can adjust times and that it's so easy to add another person to my group.

DH knew that this was The Day, so I got up, worked out, showered, and then plopped myself on the couch in the basement with my laptop and reviewed my schedule and my wishlist. Then, FastPass fun. When I was all set, I went back upstairs and looked at DH and pronounced "It is finished" far more somberly than the situation called for, but we had a giggle. I'll go back and either edit or do a separate update for Magic Kingdom, but as of this morning, here's our schedule:

Tuesday, May 12 (Magic Kingdom)
Peter Pan's Flight (9:40)
Splash Mountain (1:00)
Haunted Mansion (4:50)-I know we are likely to do this multiple times so I wanted to have one FP in my pocket. I'm excited to watch DD1 play in the queue areas.

Wednesday, May 13 (Epcot)
Frozen Ever After (10:05)
The Seas with Nemo & Friends (12:10) (DD1 LOVES Nemo)
Living with the Land (4:55)-We didn't try this one when DH and I were there, and my MIL said this sounded interesting, so okay then!
Once we've used our other ones, I'll check for FPs for Soarin and Test Track, although we'll probably aim to get in line for Soarin first thing in the morning.

Thursday, May 14 (Magic Kingdom day 2)
Space Mountain (10:10)
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (1:00)
(I plan to get a good parade viewing spot for a break and a snack)
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin (4:35)

Friday, May 15 (Animal Kingdom)
Kilimanjaro Safari (9:40)
Avatar Flight of Passage (1:25)
Expedition Everest (4:50)

Saturday, May 16 (depart early to take DME back to airport)
Tower of Terror (9:20-Just me and DD1, if she's interested. No one else in the family likes big drops like this, but I love them an I think she will too)
Slinky Dog Dash (10:40)
Toy Story Mania (11:55)-We may have to skip this, depending on when we need to get back on the bus to retrieve our luggage and head to the airport, but such is life.

I'm really excited, now that we have our initial FPs booked, I'm so stoked for this trip!

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

Congrats! That's a very stressful day you now have behind you.

 

[lvcourtneyy]

Glad FP day went well! Our FP day is on the 16th and I was hoping for MMRR on May 17 or 19 but it's looking like that isn't gonna happen!

 

[LaughingSphinx]

Thanks @TheOneWithTheTriplets! I'm very glad to have that done, and to check off another item on my seemingly endless to-do list!

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you @lvcourtneyy! I think when I logged in yesterday there were some FPs available but none in the morning, which is when I'd needed them. If you're doing a full day you'll probably have better luck.

 

[lvcourtneyy]

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you @lvcourtneyy! I think when I logged in yesterday there were some FPs available but none in the morning, which is when I'd needed them. If you're doing a full day you'll probably have better luck.

Thank you! I managed to snag one in the afternoon. Now the real question is if we'll get to take these trips lol

 

[LaughingSphinx]

Chapter 6- COVID19 Limbo

Well. I've been kind of a ghost in recent weeks, partially because work got INSANELY busy, and then because I'm trying to balance working from home while also being a stay-at-home parent. DH is also working from home, but since technically his salary is larger, and I have both stronger job security and also the understanding that working from home and parenting from home are each full-time jobs and I am but one person... It's Mommy in charge most of the day, and I catch up on my workload in the evenings. So I've been prioritizing spending time with the kiddos, working, creating yummy things together in the kitchen, etc.

And actively avoiding thinking too much about the current pandemic. I've never been diagnosed with anxiety or depression but for my mental wellbeing I can only handle so much before I have to turn off the news, scroll past the article, etc.

DH and I have acknowledged that we will almost certainly have to postpone/cancel our May trip, and I'm also kind of waiting to see how Disney decides when to reopen to look at rebooking. Once we have that info, I'll take next steps. Until then, I'm just gonna keep hunkering down, baking homemade bread the girls can't get enough of, and thanking my lucky stars we have plenty of toilet paper.

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

Chapter 6- COVID19 Limbo

Well. I've been kind of a ghost in recent weeks, partially because work got INSANELY busy, and then because I'm trying to balance working from home while also being a stay-at-home parent. DH is also working from home, but since technically his salary is larger, and I have both stronger job security and also the understanding that working from home and parenting from home are each full-time jobs and I am but one person... It's Mommy in charge most of the day, and I catch up on my workload in the evenings. So I've been prioritizing spending time with the kiddos, working, creating yummy things together in the kitchen, etc.

And actively avoiding thinking too much about the current pandemic. I've never been diagnosed with anxiety or depression but for my mental wellbeing I can only handle so much before I have to turn off the news, scroll past the article, etc.

DH and I have acknowledged that we will almost certainly have to postpone/cancel our May trip, and I'm also kind of waiting to see how Disney decides when to reopen to look at rebooking. Once we have that info, I'll take next steps. Until then, I'm just gonna keep hunkering down, baking homemade bread the girls can't get enough of, and thanking my lucky stars we have plenty of toilet paper.

Ugh, all of that just sucks! I'm only part-time, so Hubby and I have been trading shifts to get my 21 and his 40 hours in per week. I can't even imagine pulling it off with two full time parents. We just keep trying to tell ourselves that we're lucky that both of our jobs are secure even in the current climate.

I'm so sorry that your trip got impacted by all of this but hopefully it means you'll get a really great deal when you re-book.

 

[ariane37]

Joining in as I venture to the PTR's from my usual TR and dining report hang outs

Your title got me as we have currently rescheduled our cancelled April Disney cruise/WDW stay to Memorial weekend and as of now are still hoping and still planning. If they're open, we'll go. We also have trips planned in July and September but our boys won't be with us in September; that's DGD's first trip!
So far all the planning you've done sounds so good, I do hope you don't need to reschedule! I'm sure you're aware of the FD offer out for anyone with March-May reservations; not sure that would work for you to reschedule during those dates.

I've never been diagnosed with anxiety or depression but for my mental wellbeing I can only handle so much before I have to turn off the news, scroll past the article, etc.

I am the same and need to leave the room often when DH has the news on. I want to stay up on details and being in NY there are lots and they come often; but I cannot listen to it all day. I need to feel "normal" as much as I can and focus on the positives in the future so I myself can stay positive for my kids, for work, for myself ❤

DH and I have acknowledged that we will almost certainly have to postpone/cancel our May trip, and I'm also kind of waiting to see how Disney decides when to reopen to look at rebooking. Once we have that info, I'll take next steps. Until then, I'm just gonna keep hunkering down, baking homemade bread the girls can't get enough of, and thanking my lucky stars we have plenty of toilet paper.

Yay to the baking! We've made a few Disney recipe inspired dishes, some come out better than others lol.

 

[LaughingSphinx]

Minor update: Postponed but not forgotten!

We're in an indefinite holding pattern still, waiting for DH and I to be eligible for the vaccine. We've gotten refunds for everything except for the tickets, which I've been assured can be rolled over to new tickets once we determine when we will go.

Life has been stressful. DD2 has spent almost half her life in a pandemic. It's unfathomable that a year ago, this was all mostly a blip on the horizon. I still remember the last day I was in the office before everything shut down in our state, and the surreal quality of it.

So for now, I'll keep hoping and watching movies with the kids, baking way too many things, and step away from my spreadsheets for a bit. We'll very likely postpone our visit to 2022 or later; there are just too many unknown factors at present to tell, but I DO know that this trip will happen!