We are booked at BLT for 7/17 for 9 days. Its rented DVC points with no travel insurance so it is now use it or lose it. I realize it is going to be a scaled down experience but it still is Disney World. We’ve got some amazing ADR’s and so I plan to make this one food centric!
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I’m agreeing with @sanstitre_has_left_the_building based on the changed hours since I posted this. I just canceled our September trip. We were flying down for two nights and it was for an all day EMM through MNSSHP day at the MK hurrah.
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When I originally asked the question I was wasn’t 100% certain if I would go without parades/fireworks/characters while having to pay full price. I’m still unsure. Now, I get shorter hours too??!!??
Hopefully, it’s a opening weekend issue and not indefinite.
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Yeah I was pretty much in cancel mode… Then I saw the 7 pm close… I think we are out. Going to wait until the email comes out for sure, but can’t see where we think it will be worth it for us. I think we will just wait for June 2021.
Might still go to Orlando with the airfare we have, but will just relax at a resort or grab a car and drive to the beach for a week. Just need a relaxing week somewhere.
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I’m OK with the limited experiences. I figure it’ll be unlike any other Disney trip I’ve ever taken! I’m interested to see how it all pans out.
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Earlier in the month I removed a few days from the Disney portion of my trip. I currently have 2 nights at Pop & was only planning to purchase MNSSHP tickets if we didn’t have to wear masks. If they cancel my coveted Ohana dinner ADR for arrival I might cancel. No reason to pay over inflated Disney prices for a parkless trip and not being able to enjoy it.
I absolutely agree. I wouldn’t be surprised to see rooms stay at rack rate. Whereas I would definitely still go under all these pandemic conditions, a rack rate room may be a deal breaker for me. I count on that RO discount when planning WDW trips.
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I’m on board with this way of thinking. I realize this is completely coming from a place of privilege, but there is a part of me that wants to go just because of the historical aspect of it. Idk if the parks will ever be like this again and I want to be able to tell my grandkids (or whomever), “I was at WDW when…”
And this is only my second trip. I don’t go all the time, like many who say they have no problem going in these conditions. It is not convenient for me to get to WDW. We are not so wealthy that we don’t feel the strain of a WDW vacation. And I still want to go.
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My trip is scheduled for August 5-12. My kids are older (10, 13) and not fans of parades or fireworks, so those restrictions don’t really impact them. I had a beautifully crafted plan that had multiple park hops which will clearly have to go out the window (like everyone else’s plans.)
We have a dining plan, which is our first time (I booked a bounceback offer during my September 2019 girl’s trip), which with the limited park hours is not as awesome as it would have been, as I would hate to take up limited park time with eating.
I’m on the fence as to whether or not we want to go. On one hand, with the limited park hours, this could be the most relaxing Disney trip we have ever taken! And it won’t be crowded! On the other hand, there are things I was really looking forward to that are clearly going to have to be dropped (such as From Marceline to Magic in the morning and then park hopping to AK.) We are taking a wait and see approach for now.
Our kid’s first trip was supposed to be end of April. Even though it will be a limited experience, we plan to go September now. It is disappointing that experiences will be limited, but I just want to recover whatever magic we missed out on in April. This won’t be our only trip. We plan to go back in the future. But maybe this will give us time we would have spent on entertainment to do attractions that we wouldn’t normally do. Then, the next visit will be just as magical as their first when they get to experience the entertainment. Honestly, I will take anything to get out of this house right now (safely of course), haha!
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We are cancelling our July trip. It may be quite a while before we try to go back. I am very disappointed by Disney’s fear.
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What I am concerned about for first timers is not so much the limited experience but the possibility that, because of restrictions and safety requirements, the experience may be marred in a way that makes a return trip less likely. Please keep that in the back of your mind. I don’t know how little your littles are, but if they have a bad time your plans to go back might be null.
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I understand being disappointed by the reduced experience, but I don’t see what else they could do given that they need to protect their CMs and guests. ‘Fear’ is completely understandable when we are attempting to come out of an unprecedented global pandemic. Being the vector for a second wave isn’t a good look for any business. And better to start off reduced and gradually increase offerings than start off gung-ho and then have to reduce things.
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I think the limitations Disney are imposing are proportionate and sensible.
But this means that a visit to WDW in the next six months for a regular visitor to the parks will be very different to a first-timer or someone who only goes every five years.
As @cbalusek says, for regulars a trip this year could actually be very relaxing. Obsessive planning may simply not be possible. Going with the flow might be rather nice and, as regulars, you know you’ll be back if you feel you missed out on something.
But for first-timers, now might really not be the time to take a trip.
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Actually, I think the reduced hours and the DDP might pair well? Use your snack credits in the afternoons and then wind up the day with late dinners at Disney Springs or the resorts if nothing late is available at that day’s park? No fireworks shows to stick around for.
Just grab QS for lunch to maximize park time.
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What if this is precisely their plan?
QS by mobile order in park only
TS only outside of park
Hmm…
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We are booked for November (Jersey week) and April spring break. I’m 50/50 on whether we’ll go in November, but I think I’d be more willing to put up with the restrictions if we didn’t have the second trip booked. As it stands, the trip in November is shorter and we’ve had to pick and choose what we want to do, as opposed to our planned 8 day trip that got cancelled, where we got everything we want to do scheduled.
As I’m typing this, I think I’m realizing that the November trip booking made us feel a lot better about the trip that got cancelled in April. I don’t know if it serves any other purpose. Weird.
That’s exactly my hope too. From what I’ve read when Florida gets to Phase 3, “theme parks can operate at 75% capacity and resume normal operations with limited social distancing still in place”. We have a trip that was rescheduled from April now booked at the end of August. I’m really hoping some of these restrictions are loosened by then if it is based on Florida moving from Phase 2 to Phase 3.
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I’ve got a rented DVC reservation for Sept. I’m hoping that more of the experiences will be available as I don’t want to cancel the trip and be out that money.
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I hope so too, for you and me! Its great to check inhere because you will learn a lot from all the super fantastic people here. Check in and ask often. I’m planning to be there Sept 13-23 and I am happy to share what I learn and am thinking!
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