Ok, who is bored and wants to help me pick park days for our trip that most likely isn’t happening?

So here’s the story: My family of 4 (me, DH, DS12 and DS6) have had a trip booked since last May for this coming August 15-25. We are staying at ASMovies, and have 7-day tickets, not park hoppers. This is supposed to be our 4th family trip, and we go every 3 years. Being a Liner, I of course love to plan, but I still haven’t really done any planning for this trip (including no park reservations yet) because it is highly likely we won’t be going, and I know if I start planning, I will just get my hopes up and then have to be depressed when it doesn’t work out. Here are the reasons we probably won’t go:

  1. DH refuses to go if we have to wear masks. He isn’t a non-mask wearer or anything, but he really hates wearing them, and especially in the heat and humidity, which obviously we will have a lot of in August.

  2. We found out recently that my niece will be getting married on Aug. 14, which will be one of our travel days since we drive down from NY. I would not say that we are super close to my niece, we usually see her once or twice a year, but she is my only sister’s daughter. My mother of course has already started the guilt trip for me even considering still going to Disney. I just don’t want to make any decisions either way until we get closer to when we would have to cancel.

So, this leads me to the reason for this thread: in the small chance that mask restrictions suddenly get lifted for Disney in August, and we are still able to go, I guess I should probably make some park reservations. And I really haven’t researched the best options, nor do I have the time or desire to do so.

So, who wants to help plan a trip that most likely won’t happen? :crazy_face:

How would he feel if masks are lifted for outside?

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In unrelated (possibly related) news, Chip and Co is reporting that some hand washing stations are starting to poof. Gave me slight hope the mask mandate could ease up sometime before Fall.

Otherwise, I’m no help. I can’t even plan my own days. They sit there and mock me with the ever-changing crowd calendars.

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I usually look at when I expect EMH to be, figure out which we want to use, and slot the rest in more or less at random. The only other bit of strategy I use is putting FOP on at least the 3rd day to make it easier to get a FP. Since there are no EMH and no FPs, I am pretty useless to you!

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My thought process would go something like this:

  1. which park do you want to end on to have the last bit of magic before returning home?
  2. What park will you be hankering to see as soon as possible when you arrive?
  3. Is there an attraction you need to plan for to give you extra flexibility? (For a RotR boarding group, you may want multiple HS days just in case. If FPP returns, you will want to slot hard-to-get FPP for later in your trip, etc.)
  4. Does the crowd calendar / crowd patterns indicate you should avoid certain parks certain days? (Eg, Avoid Epcot on weekends during festivals)
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Good question. I think slightly better, but probably not good enough. He still doesn’t really want to go to the local mall because he doesn’t want to deal with wearing a mask.

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These are my usual techniques too! I feel pretty clueless right now.

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This is definitely a must do… I would say must-try, but there is no try…we are hardcore SW fans. (Well, not DH. Hmmm, maybe we should think about leaving him behind :joy:)

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Seems like he already has 2 strikes against him…

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In that case, definitely get multiple reservations for HS! My opinion would be to book at least 1 HS day for every 4 days you are in WDW, and book HS for any day you plan to go to Epcot. You can always hop to Epcot or try to switch your reservation later if you change your mind. So if you’re going for 4 days, book 2 HS days, 1 AK, and 1 MK.

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Maybe send him to the wedding😂? I based our days on which park we like to do first (AK), which I want to avoid on a weekend (EP) which one we might need 2 days to do everything we want to (HS) which we want to do twice (AK) and since doing a split stay doing HS and EP while at CBR (hopefully no need for buses). It’s odd not to plan for FP

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Well, considering I had to force him to go to our nephew’s birthday party yesterday, and that is his own sister’s kid, I’m gonna say that ain’t happening :joy:

(He’s really not a bad guy, he only sounds like it on here :rofl:)

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Thanks for the advice! I’m nervous about not scheduling Epcot at all…one of my goals this trip is to try to experience Epcot after dark, it looks so beautiful and we have never lasted long enough! We will not be getting park hoppers unless some special deal comes out between now in them that would involve having park hoppers. (Like our last trip, we got free dining, which I’m guessing won’t be back either.)

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If that is the case, obviously my plan doesn’t work. I would get at least one Epcot reservation, but probably not more. You can switch additional days to Epcot later if you get bored of the other parks (Epcot is usually the last to run out and easiest to switch to last minute, though never guaranteed).

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Epcot seems to almost always have availability so I wouldn’t stress too much, especially during August when it’s not peak season. As far as masks go, I think they will be around longer than any other precaution. The CDC has already stated vaccinated people should still wear them in crowds and it’s a hell of a lot easier for people to wear a mask than main 6 ft distancing at all times. I think we’ll see distancing shrink or go away and crowds increase, but masks remain for the foreseeable future. Hopefully he’ll realize the joy of a family vacation in your happy place is worth a little personal inconvenience.

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I shouldn’t lay all the blame on DH, I think a lot of it is the masks, but also the fact that we only go every three years, so if there is a possibility of less experiences, that is a huge factor for me as well.

(I’m feeling guilty for making this his fault now)

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I’m like both of you really. I’d love to return soon but the idea that we only will go every 3? Years is making me wait. I wear masks, just not sure I want to for my whole vacation. And I need fireworks backs and other stuff before we spend the money!

So just groaning with you haha, but people who go looks like a lot of fun And they are tempting me!

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Me three.
We only go every 3 years or so and I wouldn’t want to go without all the fun pieces being back. I’d need fireworks and PM shows and no masks.

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Yeah that’s a totally different reason than what you laid out earlier. I get it. If I only went every few years I’d probably postpone for a year and hope for some form of normalcy by then. I’d plan a cheaper more local vacation for this year and save Disney for later.

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And that is most likely what will happen, I’ve mostly come to terms with that. But, for that small chance that everything turns around in the next 2 months, and since we don’t have to cancel until a month ahead, it feels irresponsible of me not to at least make APRs :woman_shrugging: I know I’m probably nuts.

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