When do you realistically think ABD will start operating again?

[Cousin Orville]

Hey Dr. M —The PIF date is moments away and I don’t want a placeholder just because I am ticked at the way ABD is handling this—not the best reason, I know. I feel strongly enough that the trip isn’t going to go that I am willing to PIF just to have the ability to get full refund. We have both Oct 6 Paris Escape and Oct 8 Seine and I noticed they did NOT cancel the September 15 Paris Escape yet but did cancel all other trips through September 15. Obviously it is safer to change it to a placeholder, but DH is 75 and I don’t see us traveling until vaccine is available. We did buy the vacation protection with both Adventures but “fear of travel” is not a covered reason to cancel.
Would you gamble on PIF or go Placeholders?

Personally, I’d gamble.

 

[Rapunzellover]

I don't think we'll see ABD's start back up while social distancing is recommended. That probably puts us into early 2021 depending on vaccine progress and herd immunity. I have 3 ABD's scheduled - Rhone, Backstage Magic, and SE Asia. I give the BSM a 25% chance. The others I give next to a 0% chance.

When are these ABDs scheduled- 2021? Or 2020? As a CA resident, I don't see DL opening this year, tbh. Gov. Newsom is not happy with cases rising, and talk is we're headed for another serious lockdown. I'm guessing thanks to July 4th, we're gonna have a massive spike come on in the next week, which I think will trigger stricter measures, as hospitals, especially in my area in the Central Valley, are getting close to capacity. This will push back any DL reopening.

I also believe FL has been completely irresponsible opening Disney World as cases surge, and that their reopening is gonna be a disaster. I expect hundreds sick, if not more. I don't think the DisneyWorld reopening is gonna last more than a month. I expect in a couple weeks, massive amounts of cases will be traced to it, and it will be forced to reshut.

So if your BM ABD is this year, I'd say it's more like 5-10% chance. And the international trips are almost definitely no go this year. I don't see anyone letting us in this year. Early 2021 is perhaps possible. However, I'm thinking it might be till mid 2021 or even 2022 till international travel is possible.

 

[CaliKris]

We took the gamble and paid in full for our Sept. 15th Egypt ABD on June 17th. We received notice on June 23rd that our trip was cancelled. We requested a full refund and it was posted to our credit card by June 26th. ABD only had our money for 9 days. It was a risk, but ended up being worth it in the end.

 

[lovetotravel]

I'm going to have to go with late 2021 or early 2022! I really hope it's sooner than that such as early 2021. I don't know if ABD can survive 2 years of no trips and business.

 

[OfCourseTheresAlwaysMyWay]

Even if a vaccine is magically developed by early 2021, that doesn’t mean it will be widely available across the US or across the world right away. It will take time to rebuild international travel from so many logistical standpoints. How many vendors will even be left by the time ABD can start up again?

Right now I think it’s naive to expect to leave the country any time before 2022. But I would love to be proven wrong...

 

[Cousin Orville]

When are these ABDs scheduled- 2021? Or 2020? As a CA resident, I don't see DL opening this year, tbh. Gov. Newsom is not happy with cases rising, and talk is we're headed for another serious lockdown. I'm guessing thanks to July 4th, we're gonna have a massive spike come on in the next week, which I think will trigger stricter measures, as hospitals, especially in my area in the Central Valley, are getting close to capacity. This will push back any DL reopening.

I also believe FL has been completely irresponsible opening Disney World as cases surge, and that their reopening is gonna be a disaster. I expect hundreds sick, if not more. I don't think the DisneyWorld reopening is gonna last more than a month. I expect in a couple weeks, massive amounts of cases will be traced to it, and it will be forced to reshut.

So if your BM ABD is this year, I'd say it's more like 5-10% chance. And the international trips are almost definitely no go this year. I don't see anyone letting us in this year. Early 2021 is perhaps possible. However, I'm thinking it might be till mid 2021 or even 2022 till international travel is possible.

Our trips are 2020. I expect them all to be cancelled. Ironically 2020 was a heavy travel year for us. We’re just taking them one trip and cancellation at a time. Just had a flight to the Maldives get cancelled for August. I figured I’d have to cancel that one myself, but Emirates sent an email saying that all the flights had been cancelled. Not sure if it’s flights to and from the US that triggered the cancellation. Anyway, next up is the Rhône. I expect that to be cancelled in the next 2-4 wks. Then comes BSM....

I’m optimistic vaccine research and early production should get us in a good position by Spring 2021.

 

[abdgeek]

From articles I’ve seen online about what different countries are doing, a lot of them are saying that they don’t plan on allowing international travel until early to mid 2021. Africa has already said they won’t reopen until Feb. 2021 for international travel. It seems that countries are using a phased approach to tourism of allowing regional, domestic, then international travel. Given this, my first international trip isn’t until June 2021. I also have a domestic trip for December 2021. My sister has worked in public health and she advised me not to plan on traveling internationally until 2023 or 2022 at the earliest given all the logistics of what needs to happen before it will be safe to do so. I just don’t want to wait that long to travel internationally again.

 

[TravelJunkieHubby]

From articles I’ve seen online about what different countries are doing, a lot of them are saying that they don’t plan on allowing international travel until early to mid 2021. Africa has already said they won’t reopen until Feb. 2021 for international travel. It seems that countries are using a phased approach to tourism of allowing regional, domestic, then international travel. Given this, my first international trip isn’t until June 2021. I also have a domestic trip for December 2021. My sister has worked in public health and she advised me not to plan on traveling internationally until 2023 or 2022 at the earliest given all the logistics of what needs to happen before it will be safe to do so. I just don’t want to wait that long to travel internationally again.

I hear ya abdgeek and as much as I’m also sad about the thought of not traveling internationally for the next 2-3 years, I’m trying to imagine what international travel would be like in 2021 if borders are open and I doubt it will be a relaxing experience.

Part, if not most, about why we love ABD is the stress free nature of the way they do travel... unless we could all form one big ABD bubble, I don’t think ABD 2021 would be the stress-free vacation we’ve come to associate with the brand.

I’m guessing they roll out a nature-themed domestic options in 2021 where they have more control of the itinerary, maybe a river cruise down the Columbia River/San Juan islands? Another crack at the short lived Caribbean ABD?

 

[Mathmagicland]

I’m still hoping for 2021 and channeling my inner Cinderella- courtesy of Songwriters Mack David, Al Hoffman, Jerry Livingston, & David Pack—


Have faith in your dreams and someday
Your rainbow will come smiling through
No matter how your heart is grieving
If you keep on believing
The dream that you wish will come true

 

[OKW Lover]

My opinion is that ABD knows it will not be doing any trips this calendar year and is making us twist in the wind with the PIF or placeholder options.

...or perhaps they genuinely don't know if they will be able to do any trips this calendar year and are hoping they can provide guests with a good travel experience.

 

[OKW Lover]

Our next ABD is scheduled for September 21. Its a SouthWest Splendors trip and I'm seriously doubting that it will actually happen. Still, I did go ahead and PIF using my Disney Visa. If the trip happens, we will go. If it gets canceled I'll take the refund rather than move the money to a different trip. Fortunately we are retired and can be flexible with our travel plans.

 

[RbdFoxes311]

I am in a similar situation to you but with a Backstage Magic trip in late Oct. I am going to play chicken with ABD. I do not like they way they are treating us with either PIF (and gamble) or move monies to a future date. Many of us simply cannot move or commit to future travel for a variety of reasons (COVID and non-COVID).

100% agree with all of this. We are booked on a late Oct BSM too. I'm furious that they won't give us any information, or let us cancel for full refund, OR let us book next year at the early booking rate we had originally booked. They won't give any answers about how they are going to social-distance us on a tour bus, not to mention the parks not even being open yet.

I did notice that for the last few months the itineraries for all BSM dates through April 2021 were taken down - the webpage just said "sorry page not found." They are back now, so I'm leaning on just taking the loss on my deposit to be shut of the whole thing.

 

[neurosx1983]

100% agree with all of this. We are booked on a late Oct BSM too. I'm furious that they won't give us any information, or let us cancel for full refund, OR let us book next year at the early booking rate we had originally booked. They won't give any answers about how they are going to social-distance us on a tour bus, not to mention the parks not even being open yet.

I did notice that for the last few months the itineraries for all BSM dates through April 2021 were taken down - the webpage just said "sorry page not found." They are back now, so I'm leaning on just taking the loss on my deposit to be shut of the whole thing.

Hang tight. California just announced they’re basically re-locking down. No chance ABD will run a trip there in October.

 

[Rapunzellover]

Hang tight. California just announced they’re basically re-locking down. No chance ABD will run a trip there in October.

CA ressie here, and let me clarify: it's not basically relocking down. It's about a 70% turn back. And that is mostly only for the counties hardest hit. Gyms and hairdressers shut, but outdoor dining and shops allowed. This could change if things keep progressing this rapidly.

But LA schools are officially not reopening in the Fall. It is the most heavily affected area. I don't see Disneyland opening before schools. And even if it does, I would eat the money. It's way too risky and hospitals are filling up.

My take: I don't see this Oct. ABD going and I'd gamble.

 

[DizMagic]

We are booked for the Jan Winter in Wyoming and I keep thinking they are going to cancel it. Our PIF date is Sept, I have been holding on paying as long as I can.

 

[Chirple]

I’ve been mostly lurking in the forums lately. As I read through these threads of trip cancellations and timing of ABD communication, I am so sorry many of you are going through this frustration. I think we’ll eventually come back to ABD but not until at least 2022.

 

[Discruisin]

We are scheduled for Peru in December. I desperately hope we can go but everyday that goes by it is looking less and less likely. Our final payment is due soon. Think we are going to wait till the day before to make that just in case something happens. This was going to be our first ABD, my wife and our two daughters. We have been planning this trip for almost a year. Seriously bummed it probably wont happen.

 

[bavaria]

From articles I’ve seen online about what different countries are doing, a lot of them are saying that they don’t plan on allowing international travel until early to mid 2021. Africa has already said they won’t reopen until Feb. 2021 for international travel. It seems that countries are using a phased approach to tourism of allowing regional, domestic, then international travel. Given this, my first international trip isn’t until June 2021. I also have a domestic trip for December 2021. My sister has worked in public health and she advised me not to plan on traveling internationally until 2023 or 2022 at the earliest given all the logistics of what needs to happen before it will be safe to do so. I just don’t want to wait that long to travel internationally again.

Africa is an entire diverse continent made up of independent countries. This is simply incorrect information. Several countries have already opened borders and more plan to do so soon.

The situation in much of Africa is dire, and we caused this situation. South Africa is a great example of why lockdowns don't work in certain countries. They had one of the harshest in the world including no cigarettes and no alcohol, and now their cases are rising after they opened. It only benefited the middle and upper classes, whilst the poor became even more poor. Starvation will continue to rise across the continent.

Several countries have opened because they realise this and know that they cannot continue to keep borders closed. NGOs and voluntary organizations had to stop work and in many cases expats lost their jobs and subsequently their personal staff did as well.

In much of the world international travel has resumed, without significant rise in deaths. We need to begin to normalise as the number of non-COVID deaths will surge. While the United States is not yet ready to begin international travel, much of the world can, and has been doing so for some time already.

Edited to add that river cruises, sea cruises, and bus tours have already been operating for awhile now in other countries.

 

[RbdFoxes311]

Just an update - I was ready to cancel (our late October So Cal ABD), but my mom talked me into moving to a placeholder. We were surprised to find that when she called, they let us move to a new date at the new-booking rate. Unfortunately the lowest rates were sold out until Jan 2022, so we have pushed our trip until then. I do wish they would have let us move to the October 2021 dates when the new booking discounts were available one the last two times we asked.

We booked our trip back in May of 2019, so I hope Disney is making wise investment choices with our deposit that they will have for 32 months before we travel. Despite my grumbling, I'm glad we kicked this decision down the road a fair bit.

 

[abdgeek]

Africa is an entire diverse continent made up of independent countries. This is simply incorrect information. Several countries have already opened borders and more plan to do so soon.

The situation in much of Africa is dire, and we caused this situation. South Africa is a great example of why lockdowns don't work in certain countries. They had one of the harshest in the world including no cigarettes and no alcohol, and now their cases are rising after they opened. It only benefited the middle and upper classes, whilst the poor became even more poor. Starvation will continue to rise across the continent.

Several countries have opened because they realise this and know that they cannot continue to keep borders closed. NGOs and voluntary organizations had to stop work and in many cases expats lost their jobs and subsequently their personal staff did as well.

In much of the world international travel has resumed, without significant rise in deaths. We need to begin to normalise as the number of non-COVID deaths will surge. While the United States is not yet ready to begin international travel, much of the world can, and has been doing so for some time already.

Edited to add that river cruises, sea cruises, and bus tours have already been operating for awhile now in other countries.

Thank you for reminding me that Africa is a huge continent and that some of its countries are now open for certain people to travel to. In my earlier post, I should have specifically referred to the South Africa region which is closed to travel. While decisions are constantly changing regarding when and how to open up, they remain closed to international travel. While the tourism powers that be want to open up to certain travelers in September, it is still estimated that international flights won’t begin until 2021.

The South Africa ABD was one I was considering, but will continue to delay given all the uncertainty of when the countries I am interested in visiting are open without a quarantine requirement or requirement of a negative test requirement for US citizens. Unfortunately, it is still taking at least 5-7 days in my state to get test results back. While I don’t plan on traveling Internationally until next year, this makes it difficult for me to travel anywhere that requires proof of a negative COVID test within 48-72 hours of flying. Maybe testing turn around times will be better by next year.