****December 2020 Thread****

[monique5]

We leave Sunday if everyone can stay healthy until then. I feel like we're trying to dodge bullets here. This is a rescheduled trip from August. Maybe it would have been better if we had just gone then.

If we don't go now, it would be June at least before we could reschedule since I teach. I just need to stop watching TV. It's making me feel guilty for trying to do anything "normal or fun." I teach in person, so social distancing at Disney has got to be safer than elementary kids and their germs.

We leave Thursday. Same here about dodging bullets. We've had this scheduled since January. DD12 is REALLY looking forward to this trip. It has been a rough, long year for our family with COVID-19, as it probably has been for many others too.

Yes, I have stopped watching the news in its entirety or I change the channel. Try to avoid news post too, yet I still see and read. I have been teaching in person since August, and I feel that Disney must surely be safer or as safe.

 

[corn princess]

We leave Thursday. Same here about dodging bullets. We've had this scheduled since January. DD12 is REALLY looking forward to this trip. It has been a rough, long year for our family with COVID-19, as it probably has been for many others too.

Yes, I have stopped watching the news in its entirety or I change the channel. Try to avoid news post too, yet I still see and read. I have been teaching in person since August, and I feel that Disney must surely be safer or as safe.

Same! I've stopped watching all the news. We traveled in June (not to disney) and will do a lot of the same things on this trip we did on that: plan our stops as we drive down, wipe down surfaces like door handles, wear our masks, just basically try to be as careful as we can. I also teach in person so I feel the same way!

 

[corn princess]

Same! I've stopped watching all the news. We traveled in June (not to disney) and will do a lot of the same things on this trip we did on that: plan our stops as we drive down, wipe down surfaces like door handles, wear our masks, just basically try to be as careful as we can. I also teach in person so I feel the same way!

I will also.add that we don't plan to share photos on social media so that way we don't have to deal with negative comments. We will share with our families who all know and support our trip. We have spent a lot of time thinking and deciding whether to take it so it wasn't a lightly made choice but my husband (a radiology tech) and I both feel comfortable going.

 

[DisMom829]

Has anyone seen deals on rental cars? We just booked flights last night and will now need a rental car for 5.

 

[ashnicole]

Reports that not skipping rows on EE today too. I’m good with being safe and making decision for family to go to WDW, but I would hope Disney would still be responsible in social distancing and crowds as COVID-19 cases continue to rise in FL.

I rode EE on Wednesday and can second that report. I rode it twice and there were people in every row. That was the only attraction without plexiglass that did not skip a row. All of the others in every park skipped 1-3 rows, depending on the attraction.

Can anyone shed light on how you think one day in Epcot would be during Christmas week? We love the park so much and really would love to snack in WS but also can’t go without riding test track and Soarin. Just trying to figure out if one day tickets will be worth the experience.

Surprisingly, EPCOT was one of the best parks for us this trip. I was worried because of all of the eating and drinking, but Sunday in EPCOT did not seem crowded. We split our time between WS and future world. We did WS during the day and then went to the rides in the evening to try and avoid the evening WS crowds, so I can’t speak to how those Bwbere since we left WS before then. We walked on Soarin, which was posted at 40 minutes. We would have waited about 20 minutes for TT but it closed due to weather. A couple of stores were closed and it’s not the full festival of holidays, but we found it to be worth the trip!

I would recommend keeping an eye on the availability calendars to determine how many people will be there. I knew my HS day would be at or near capacity because reservations were booked.

I will also.add that we don't plan to share photos on social media so that way we don't have to deal with negative comments. We will share with our families who all know and support our trip. We have spent a lot of time thinking and deciding whether to take it so it wasn't a lightly made choice but my husband (a radiology tech) and I both feel comfortable going.

I chose to do the same. I thought very long and hard about this trip and did not take going lightly. I know I was as safe as possible and took the proper precautions but have friends who would highly disapprove. Everyone has different comfort levels right now, so I chose to not post. It actually forced me to stay off my phone and be more in the moment!

 

[JJ2017]

So....at dinner last night hubby says, let’s do Epcot on NYE! I didn’t think he’d want any parks so I quickly got two more tickets and booked. I’m half thinking that due to capacity restrictions this might be the least crowded NYE at Epcot, right? I have to learn how to manage the day and especially if we should drive or uber/car service somewhere else.

 

[Lilias]

Thanks for the EE reports, everyone! The Disney part of our trip is next week, and husband is wanting me to cancel because of how poorly the Universal part is going. 75% mask compliance here, zero enforcement, and they're filling every row on rides. I usually love riding the mummy and gringotts but instead I was anxious the whole time... There was a family on Hagrid's that wouldn't wear masks on the ride, and they were allowed to have ride photos after and didn't get in any sort of trouble.

Anyway, EE is another favorite of mine, but I guess I'll be skipping it hopefully that's the only one...

 

[GPC0321]

We'll be at MCO (Hyatt) in 8 days and WDW in 9 days! I'm starting to stalk the extended forecast now and while I know it'll change, I'm liking it so far! Fingers crossed it doesn't change too much (highs in the mid 70's, lows in upper-50's to 60, very slight chances of rain).

Like others have mentioned, this trip has been a long time coming for me and my mom, and this has been a particularly stressful year (like it has for everyone). My mom is high risk as she'll be turning 78 while we're at WDW, but even when my dad said he wouldn't be going because he doesn't feel comfortable, Mom said she absolutely wanted to go. We rented DVC points for the trip 11 months ago and they're non-refundable, so I was going regardless of my parents' decision.

We are big believers in being extremely careful during this time (everywhere, not just WDW). We always wear masks in public, try to social distance, and wash/sanitize our hands often. We've even gotten face shields for the flights to and from just as an extra layer of protection.

The news makes me feel guilty too, but I feel like it is probably safer than trips to Walmart and the grocery store, and the meetings I've gone to for work with colleagues who refuse to wear a mask.

My mom works for the hospital (in a clerical role) and has been told that she's in group 1b to get the vaccine. It'd be awesome if that could happen before we leave for WDW, but I'm not sure if it will. Either way, we're going, we're being careful, and we're going to have a great time. We're just trying to stay healthy UNTIL next weekend (we leave Sunday) because this trip is SO NEEDED for both of us.

 

[corn princess]

I rode EE on Wednesday and can second that report. I rode it twice and there were people in every row. That was the only attraction without plexiglass that did not skip a row. All of the others in every park skipped 1-3 rows, depending on the attraction.


Surprisingly, EPCOT was one of the best parks for us this trip. I was worried because of all of the eating and drinking, but Sunday in EPCOT did not seem crowded. We split our time between WS and future world. We did WS during the day and then went to the rides in the evening to try and avoid the evening WS crowds, so I can’t speak to how those Bwbere since we left WS before then. We walked on Soarin, which was posted at 40 minutes. We would have waited about 20 minutes for TT but it closed due to weather. A couple of stores were closed and it’s not the full festival of holidays, but we found it to be worth the trip!

I would recommend keeping an eye on the availability calendars to determine how many people will be there. I knew my HS day would be at or near capacity because reservations were booked.


I chose to do the same. I thought very long and hard about this trip and did not take going lightly. I know I was as safe as possible and took the proper precautions but have friends who would highly disapprove. Everyone has different comfort levels right now, so I chose to not post. It actually forced me to stay off my phone and be more in the moment!

I'm actually kind of looking forward to not worrying about posting pictures but simply being in the moment

 

[karmacats]

Thanks for the EE reports, everyone! The Disney part of our trip is next week, and husband is wanting me to cancel because of how poorly the Universal part is going. 75% mask compliance here, zero enforcement, and they're filling every row on rides. I usually love riding the mummy and gringotts but instead I was anxious the whole time... There was a family on Hagrid's that wouldn't wear masks on the ride, and they were allowed to have ride photos after and didn't get in any sort of trouble.

Fwiw, I've been at the universal Orlando informer meetup the last 2 nights, and despite the low crowds felt way more uncomfortable than at disney last week. Seems like universal is doing zero enforcement other than giving everyone hand sanitizer before rides. There were noses and unmasked people everywhere, and very few people distancing properly. We tried to eat in the simpsons food court tonight and it was jam packed, so we ended up leaving and eating outside. I was shocked. I should have taken a pic, but didn't think of it at the time.

In contrast, I've mostly felt very safe at disney. We are back to disney next week and I'm glad. We loved the universal meet up and would do it again for sure, but not til after covid.

I also did not plan to post about my trip on social media but i have a few friends who wanted reports and it was easier for them to just check my fb posts so i ended up posting. So far, a ton of likes, and no travel shaming; I'm sure there are plenty who disapprove but they are keeping quiet.

 

[Ferrentinos]

Just popping in to see if anyone planning to go over Christmas is having second thoughts. We are scheduled to leave on December 19, staying until the 24th. I'm getting nervous with all of the COVID rates going up everywhere. I've been looking forward to this for months, but it seems like things have really changed in the last couple of weeks.

We are also set to be there the same time frame as you - we arrive the 18th and leave the 24th - this is our 5th rescheduled trip since the shut down and I am hopeful that we will fly down on Friday. We are doing so much to keep ourselves healthy and have even gotten ourselves tested to be sure we are carrying the virus before traveling. We are ready to pull the plug if we have to this week - but I am optimistic that we will be in our happy place in 5 short days!!

 

[PoohsFan1]

Fwiw, I've been at the universal Orlando informer meetup the last 2 nights, and despite the low crowds felt way more uncomfortable than at disney last week. Seems like universal is doing zero enforcement other than giving everyone hand sanitizer before rides. There were noses and unmasked people everywhere, and very few people distancing properly. We tried to eat in the simpsons food court tonight and it was jam packed, so we ended up leaving and eating outside. I was shocked. I should have taken a pic, but didn't think of it at the time.

In contrast, I've mostly felt very safe at disney. We are back to disney next week and I'm glad. We loved the universal meet up and would do it again for sure, but not til after covid.

I also did not plan to post about my trip on social media but i have a few friends who wanted reports and it was easier for them to just check my fb posts so i ended up posting. So far, a ton of likes, and no travel shaming; I'm sure there are plenty who disapprove but they are keeping quiet.

Thank you for the update on Universal Studios. We are leaving in 11 days and will be going to both WDW and Universal this trip. It has been over 10 years since the last time we were at Universal. I have been looking at pictures and watching Youtube videos and I know what you mean about US/IOA crowds and how they were wearing their masks. It will be interesting, yet I know we will still have a good time. We just have to be aware of our surroundings.

 

[Lilias]

My husband is still wanting me to cancel Disney this coming week, but we rented DVC points so we're kinda stuck. I really hope Disney is a better experience, like @karmacats said. We were at the Orlando informer meetup this weekend and wow, what a way to start a vacation. Still shocked at the rampant noncompliance. I will not be returning to UO until after the pandemic. We'll see if the same is true for Disney!

And of course our first park of the week is Hollywood studios, ahahaha

 

[ashnicole]

And of course our first park of the week is Hollywood studios, ahahaha

I was nervous for HS because I had heard it was one of the worst parks due to the bottleneck areas and crowds in those areas. It was our second park of the trip (after EPCOT) and we also did not RD (we got to HS about 2 hours after park opening). That being said, while we felt safe at all of the parks, HS was one of the parks we felt safest at. We were able to find a table very quickly after picking up our mobile order and we were able to find open spaces to walk in. This was the one park we had to kindly ask one family to keep their distance, but I feel that would have happened regardless of what park or line they were in.

 

[karmacats]

MK felt most crowded to us last week (and was our first park), followed by HS and EP, but i actually think i felt safest at HS because world showcase at EP had a decent number of folks we had to dodge so they didn't get too close. At HS it seemed like everyone was on their best behavior. I guess no one wants to get kicked out before doing Rise. all 3 disney parks felt leaps and bounds safer to me than universal.

We go back to all 4 disney parks starting tomorrow - AK, HS, EP, and MK mon-thurs. I'll try to post some thoughts, as it's likelier to be more crowded than last week since we're closer to the holidays.

 

[Lilias]

I just realized HS opens at 9 tomorrow, so we want to shoot for being at the park at 8, which means we have to leave our hotel (we check out of universal Tuesday) at 7:30! Lol that's gonna be hard after staying up so late the last two nights at the Meetup!

I'm assuming parks are still opening an hour early?

 

[ashnicole]

MK felt most crowded to us last week (and was our first park), followed by HS and EP, but i actually think i felt safest at HS because world showcase at EP had a decent number of folks we had to dodge so they didn't get too close. At HS it seemed like everyone was on their best behavior. I guess no one wants to get kicked out before doing Rise.

I second this. We did world showcase during the day and there seemed to be less people than in the evening. It was difficult to find a place to sit and eat, so we had to walk from Mexico to Norway to find a bench to sit on. But the lines for the food booths on Sunday afternoon/evening were shorter than I anticipated.
We found MK was most crowded in the middle of the day and during meal times. We chose that time to wait in a longer line or take pictures.

 

[Lilias]

Disney is so much better than Universal, you guys were right!!

 

[dgagnon519]

Has anyone seen deals on rental cars? We just booked flights last night and will now need a rental car for 5.

We got a good deal from dollar rental located at the Orlando Airport.

 

[dgagnon519]

We are heading down for 3 nights, 12/19 - 12-22.