Disney sad

[DawnM]

My husband's work sends him to Orlando for a week of training every year.   He didn't go last year and we haven't gone as a family in a few years since I started back to work full time.

this year, we decided that if DH's work sends him, we will all tag along.   I want to go back to Disneyworld.   We went to Disneyland 3 years ago, but haven't been to WDW in about 5 years.

I want online yesterday to price out tickets.   $3,300 for 5 days of tickets for the 6 of us.   Just tickets.   No food, no lodging, no transportation.

I can't justify that expense.   I just can't.   

I think Disney will be on hold for yet another year or two.

I think this trip we will be doing Universal instead.   Annual passes are $299 plus tax per person for seasonal tickets.   We can go for the week we are there and then go again and get our money's worth.

Just agree with me. 😪

[TexasProud]

I agree, but also not sure when you are going, but I hope you wait until pandemic is much more controlled. Right now there are no masks and no social distancing there and things are packed.  On the board I frequent, someone posted about how they were vaccinated, went and got it. ( Was taken down shortly thereafter, so who knows how many other stories are like that that I didn't see before they were censored.)

I am sorry, you cannot go. It is insanely expensive. And right now they don't have a lot of the shows and such.  I think Disney is really fun. I do. But please, please, keep your family safe.

[Katy]

I’m sorry. If it helps you’re not the only one.  Many of my friends from Florida have been posting Universal pictures but no Disney this year, even those with elementary aged kids who’ve already had Covid and RSV. 

[HomeAgain]

I'm sorry.

DH and I have decided not to go to Disney again until Chapek's gone.  Many of the decisions being made are not okay with us: cutting janitorial staff to part time to avoid paying benefits (the parks are getting visibly dirtier), removal of onsite perks, moving toward paid fast passes, no magical express...the list of things they're doing to turn it into a drag is endless at this point, not to mention the forever construction in the parks (I'm looking at you, 220!)  I don't want my memories of Disney sullied by their constant money grubbing and receiving less quality every time we go.

Between that, and Covid, we're done, I think.  At least until it's under new management.  So far, for the same 10 day Disney budget, we've planned:

-trip to Paris for a month
-3 weeks adventure trip to the Grand Tetons
-2 weeks in California, flying first class there and back.

And we're actually more excited planning things like this now.  Ds wants to go to Universal, so if we do CA next year we'll spend 2 days there.  But I grew up going to Disney every summer, have made periodic trips as an adult with my kids that have been wonderful, and I just can't justify it anymore.  It makes me a little sad, but it would make me sadder to go.

[Bootsie]

I have a friend who is constantly saying "Oh, you just have to go to Disney and Epcot--it is just like being in Italy..."  But, we have found that we can take our family to Italy cheaper than we can go to Epcot.  I am amazed at how much some people seem to pay to go to Disney year after year.  

[DawnM]

10 minutes ago, Bootsie said:

I have a friend who is constantly saying "Oh, you just have to go to Disney and Epcot--it is just like being in Italy..."  But, we have found that we can take our family to Italy cheaper than we can go to Epcot.  I am amazed at how much some people seem to pay to go to Disney year after year.  

When we homeschooled, and when they offered educational discounts for everyone in the family, we went a lot.   It was about $200-$250 per person for tickets and you could get 10 days in the parks and up to 10 passes to Disneyquest or the waterparks.   We would get a cheap condo for 2 weeks and just leisurely enjoy.   

Or we would get Aps and go multiple times per year, but APs were in the $300-$350 or so range.....now they aren't even offered.

 

[Lanny]

@DawnM   I agree with you.  Go to Universal Orlando!   You will have a great time there and you will save a huge amount of money.  We  went up to Orlando at the end of April 2016. We were there for 7 nights which allowed us 6 days. Like on a Cruise Ship...

The trip was for DD and she had always heard and read about WDW.  We spent the first day in Universal Orlando and then 4 days in WDW and then 1 day in Kennedy Space Center.

If we had the $ to do that trip again, we all agree that we would spend more time in Universal Orlando.

IMO if you can buy an annual pass for Universal Orlando for only $299 + tax that is a bargain.  I think on our trip 4+  years ago we paid approximately $150 USD per day for each ticket. Those were "Park Hopper" tickets, which we strongly recommend . We did much more Park Hopping than we had expected to do.

I remember almost immediately after we entered EPCOT my wife complained about the smell of Urine near the first attraction.

[DawnM]

14 minutes ago, Lanny said:

@DawnM   I agree with you.  Go to Universal Orlando!   You will have a great time there and you will save a huge amount of money.  We  went up to Orlando at the end of April 2016. We were there for 7 nights which allowed us 6 days. Like on a Cruise Ship...

The trip was for DD and she had always heard and read about WDW.  We spent the first day in Universal Orlando and then 4 days in WDW and then 1 day in Kennedy Space Center.

If we had the $ to do that trip again, we all agree that we would spend more time in Universal Orlando.

IMO if you can buy an annual pass for Universal Orlando for only $299 + tax that is a bargain.  I think on our trip 4+  years ago we paid approximately $150 USD per day for each ticket. Those were "Park Hopper" tickets, which we strongly recommend . We did much more Park Hopping than we had expected to do.

I remember almost immediately after we entered EPCOT my wife complained about the smell of Urine near the first attraction.

I much prefer Disney over Universal, but for the cost we just can't do it.

You paid $150 for one day per ticket for Universal?   I have never seen them that high, even for hoppers.

[sheryl]

We've gone twice when dd was growing up. Once in 2010 and another in 2014 (I think).  I don't remember ticket prices for 2010 but I "think" it shook out, in 2014, to be about $100/day for one person.  Each time we were there 5 days so that would have been $1,500 for the 3 of us.  BUT, we "may" have received a discount for buying a week instead of a 1 day or 3 day pass - I don't remember.  We did not go during homeschool weeks but in November as I'm not a fan of the extremem heat and in Nov it was still upper 70's, give or take.  Still warm but NOT blazing hot.   There were no crowds which appealed to us, even though there were still a lot of people.  Cooler temps and Kali River Rapids had NO one in line so dd and I rode it like 5 times in a row - such sweet memories!  🙂

[sheryl]

I will add that our "condo" was free as a part of a marketing presentation but worth it.   It actually was very nice.  So, it was food, souvenirs, gasoline, WDW pass $$.    

[TexasProud]

1 hour ago, Bootsie said:

I have a friend who is constantly saying "Oh, you just have to go to Disney and Epcot--it is just like being in Italy..."  But, we have found that we can take our family to Italy cheaper than we can go to Epcot.  I am amazed at how much some people seem to pay to go to Disney year after year.  

Yep

Also

https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/26/politics/florida-jerry-demings-covid-warning-amusement-parks/index.html

[PeterPan]

2 hours ago, DawnM said:

Just agree with me. 😪

Yes, I'm with you. I was pricing out Disney to hit for a few days before our cruise and they have gone NUTS. 

 

13 minutes ago, DawnM said:

You paid $150 for one day per ticket for Universal?   I have never seen them that high, even for hoppers.

Yeah, it was high when I priced it a month ago. If I stayed in their premium hotel one night to get us express pass (remember ds ASD2, line waiting is bad), with hoppers it was like $1000. Basically. I would have been cool going with the water park even, but they're closed during the months I was looking at, sigh. 

I guess check to see if their annual passes at Universal have gone up. Back when we did our Disney annual passes a few years ago, they were like $850. It was a lot at the time, but they're probably double that now, right? 

I *think* what the bloggers are saying is happening is that Disney is capping attendance in the parks, morphing the whole experience (paid fastpass??) and basically shifting their revenue model. And the bloggers are saying (not sure if this is true) that it's a distortion of Walt's original vision that the parks be affordable to average people. And frankly, most people consider themselves average, even when they make more than "average". 

As long as the parks are JAMMED FULL and filling to the capacity the execs want, I don't think they have any incentive to drop prices or change what they're doing. It may take a few years for this to even out. You have a lot of pent up demand, artificial money situations (checks being given to people, etc.) and it's just skewing things. 

I was looking at some dates, just some free time I was going to have, and I could cruise for 5-10 days for $75 TOTAL a day. To really exotic, snazzy destinations. Or I could budget $350 a day to be in Orlando. It was crazy, lol. 

[PeterPan]

51 minutes ago, Plum said:

Our friend said he can’t sign anyone in until next year. Too much built up interest. 

Ok, this explains it. That's what I thought was happening. You look at the pics of the bloggers and how the park reservations are filling up. There's a lot of pent up demand. They aren't even opening their new stuff (Tron, etc.) and still the crowds are filling. 

So they are saying some time next year? Well that's our big clue. I think things will balance out. And, fwiw, I don't think going to the parks now, with crowd levels nuts, would be the same as what I remembered and enjoyed. I think we just have to wait it out.

[DawnM]

The hardest part for me is that son #2 got accepted into the Disney College Program and he was all set to start May of 2020.   Well, we all know how that turned out.

He could have gotten us in at least 2 days for free.   Paying for another 2 days wouldn't have "hurt" so much.

[PeterPan]

2 hours ago, TexasProud said:

On the board I frequent, someone posted about how they were vaccinated, went and got it. ( Was taken down shortly thereafter, so who knows how many other stories are like that that I didn't see before they were censored.)

Total aside, but did they say what vaccine they had? We're probably going to have to be vax to cruise (months out) and it frustrates me that my choices right now are high side effects/high effectiveness or one shot (lower side effects?) with much less effectiveness. I can't fathom why I'd take risk for a 60% effective shot. So I'm holding out for Novovax, which I have a feeling is going to get slowed down by politics and economics. (Why approve another when you have a lot, why approve something people would want when it's more useful to foment political discord complaining people won't take the high side effects shots.) 

And yeah, that's my big concern, that I'd take a 60% effective shot and actually get sick on a cruise. At least Disney you're on your turf probably back home before you realize it. 

Well that's frustrating if things are so jam packed right now in the parks that people are getting sick. I'm not sure she could *prove* it happened there though. Could have been while transporting to/fro, from the hotel desk worker, anything.

[PeterPan]

1 hour ago, Bootsie said:

I have a friend who is constantly saying "Oh, you just have to go to Disney and Epcot--it is just like being in Italy..." 

That is so mind numbingly stupid. I mean, seriously??? Each country is a little block with shopping, food, and music. What in the world??? LOL That's like saying going to the Poly is like going to Hawaii because there's the music and sand. Oh my.

I think if it makes people happy to go and they have the money and will put up with the crowds, they should go. Are you saying she's trying to convince you to go and you've never gone? I mean, sure go to Epcot and Disney SOMEDAY. Epcot is a really skewed place anyway. They're trying to jazz it up with new rides, which will be cool. The entire world showcase thing is pretty odd in the age of streamed videos, youtube, etc. It's not really novel or informative, which means you're really there to drink, eat, relax. I don't drink and Epcot with autism is not relaxing, which means I'm there to eat. As in you paid $140 to walk in the door to pay more money to eat, lol. And after a while you figure out you can eat lots of places, not just at Disney, and get room service and lower stress too. 

Epcot has (or had?) a variety of seemingly spontaneous scheduled street performers that were tons of fun. Is that like being in Italy? They're cool, but Italy is more than that, lol. I haven't even been and I know that. That's like saying you've done Alaska if you've seen a sled dog show, mercy.  Nevermind the mountains to hike, the glaciers, fishing, picking blueberries in the brush, northern lights, whatever. 

To me the best part of Epcot was the things we *did together*. The detective adventure (which they've dropped??), finding the hidden rats and chipmunks during the themes, eating in the mexican restaurant. We've just had a lot of fun. I've got my rat keychain right here on my desk from the last Food Fest we went to, hehe. Good memories. But I don't pretend any of that is authentic travel to those places. It was just imaginative fun. 

Edited July 27, 2021 by PeterPan

[PeterPan]

3 hours ago, DawnM said:

I think this trip we will be doing Universal instead.   Annual passes are $299 plus tax per person for seasonal tickets.

Is that resident? Out of state start at $349. But still, I'm with you that it's a deal. Now it reflects that people don't go so many days. But I agree if you bought the passes one year and then went over and over, it would be fun.

Looks like you'd want to put one adult at the higher pass ($449) to get the food and parking discounts, etc. 

[HomeAgain]

3 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

That is so mind numbingly stupid. I mean, seriously??? Each country is a little block with shopping, food, and music. What in the world??? LOL That's like saying going to the Poly is like going to Hawaii because there's the music and sand. Oh my.

I think if it makes people happy to go and they have the money and will put up with the crowds, they should go. Are you saying she's trying to convince you to go and you've never gone? I mean, sure go to Epcot and Disney SOMEDAY. Epcot is a really skewed place anyway. They're trying to jazz it up with new rides, which will be cool. The entire world showcase thing is pretty odd in the age of streamed videos, youtube, etc. It's not really novel or informative, which means you're really there to drink, eat, relax. I don't drink and Epcot with autism is not relaxing, which means I'm there to eat. As in you paid $140 to walk in the door to pay more money to eat, lol. And after a while you figure out you can eat lots of places, not just at Disney, and get room service and lower stress too. 

Epcot has (or had?) a variety of seemingly spontaneous scheduled street performers that were tons of fun. Is that like being in Italy? They're cool, but Italy is more than that, lol. I haven't even been and I know that. That's like saying you've done Alaska if you've seen a sled dog show, mercy.  Nevermind the mountains to hike, the glaciers, fishing, picking blueberries in the brush, northern lights, whatever. 

To me the best part of Epcot was the things we *did together*. The detective adventure (which they've dropped??), finding the hidden rats and chipmunks during the themes, eating in the mexican restaurant. We've just had a lot of fun. I've got my rat keychain right here on my desk from the last Food Fest we went to, hehe. Good memories. But I don't pretend any of that is authentic travel to those places. It was just imaginative fun. 

This.

Actually, one of my favorite pictures in Epcot is when my family recreated a picture from St. Mark's Square with the replica tower in the Italy showcase.  It is NOT the same thing as going to Italy, lol, but it is a cute round the world sort of feeling and we enjoyed it for that.

 

[Dmmetler]

1 minute ago, PeterPan said:

Is that resident? Out of state start at $349. But still, I'm with you that it's a deal. Now it reflects that people don't go so many days. But I agree if you bought the passes one year and then went over and over, it would be fun.

Looks like you'd want to put one adult at the higher pass ($449) to get the food and parking discounts, etc. 

I think a lot of parks are doing cheap passes this year. L is going to college in Atlanta, and a season pass to Six Flags is $49, so we're planning to get them for all three of us, and figure we can go once when we're there to move into the dorm, and maybe once when they're doing the Christmas holiday stuff when we're picking up, and L can go any time there are kids going from campus.  And maybe make a trip in October for Halloween, too....

 

 

[PeterPan]

2 minutes ago, Dmmetler said:

a season pass to Six Flags is $49,

Wow!! I hadn't even priced the parks in our state. I should totally look. You may be onto something if the attendance is all skewed. I say that, and my coaster days may be over. I re-started my HBOT because even jogging on the treadmill was giving me problems, sigh. Not sure what this means for my park future. The nurse practitioner is saying to stick with stuff that is smooth, like ziplines, hahaha.

Edited July 27, 2021 by PeterPan

[DawnM]

5 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

Is that resident? Out of state start at $349. But still, I'm with you that it's a deal. Now it reflects that people don't go so many days. But I agree if you bought the passes one year and then went over and over, it would be fun.

Looks like you'd want to put one adult at the higher pass ($449) to get the food and parking discounts, etc. 

Yeah, I just looked, it is $349.   

we don't need to go in July and over Christmas for another $300.

[Bootsie]

9 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

That is so mind numbingly stupid. I mean, seriously??? Each country is a little block with shopping, food, and music. What in the world??? LOL That's like saying going to the Poly is like going to Hawaii because there's the music and sand. Oh my.

I think if it makes people happy to go and they have the money and will put up with the crowds, they should go. Are you saying she's trying to convince you to go and you've never gone? I mean, sure go to Epcot and Disney SOMEDAY. Epcot is a really skewed place anyway. They're trying to jazz it up with new rides, which will be cool. The entire world showcase thing is pretty odd in the age of streamed videos, youtube, etc. It's not really novel or informative, which means you're really there to drink, eat, relax. I don't drink and Epcot with autism is not relaxing, which means I'm there to eat. And after a while you figure out you can eat lots of places, not just at Disney, and get room service and lower stress too. 

Epcot has (or had?) a variety of seemingly spontaneous scheduled street performers that were tons of fun. Is that like being in Italy? They're cool, but Italy is more than that, lol. I haven't even been and I know that. That's like saying you've done Alaska if you've seen a sled dog show, mercy.  Nevermind the mountains to hike, the glaciers, fishing, picking blueberries in the brush, northern lights, whatever. 

To me the best part of Epcot was the things we *did together*. The detective adventure (which they've dropped??), finding the hidden rats and chipmunks during the themes, eating in the mexican restaurant. We've just had a lot of fun. I've got my rat keychain right here on my desk from the last Food Fest we went to, hehe. Good memories. But I don't pretend any of that is authentic travel to those places. It was just imaginative fun. 

And this is from the geography teacher at the elite middle school locally...  She is a bit spoiled and wants to show up and be entertained.  (If she actually went to Italy she may have to carry a suitcase up a set of stairs to a hotel room.)    

We have been a couple of times--the first time we went the week before DS turned 3 and got in free  (and off season), knowing it was the cheapest we would ever be able to go.  We went another time because we were in Orlando on a work-related trip.  It's OK for some mindless pleasure, but most is a bit artificial for my tastes.  If that is the kind of vacation I am looking for, I prefer a cruise.  If I want a vacation where I experience Italy, I prefer to go to Italy and experience the grocery store, life in an Italian apartment, having the kids play in an Italian playground, etc.  And I have always found a nice cruise or a trip to Italy to be cheaper than a vacation at Disney.

[ktgrok]

As someone who lives in Central Florida, please please please do not come here. It is bad. Really bad, regarding Covid. I know so many people, some hospitalized (from my old church) with Covid. Positivity rates are ranging from 15-20%. And going up and up and up each week. Hospitalizations are going up - rates doubled last week fom the week before, same with the week before that. 

No one is masking. No one is distancing. 

My neighbor works in a restaurant and worked sick for days before finding out he was positive. He is not unusual. 

You do not want to come here. 

[DawnM]

6 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

As someone who lives in Central Florida, please please please do not come here. It is bad. Really bad, regarding Covid. I know so many people, some hospitalized (from my old church) with Covid. Positivity rates are ranging from 15-20%. And going up and up and up each week. Hospitalizations are going up - rates doubled last week fom the week before, same with the week before that. 

No one is masking. No one is distancing. 

My neighbor works in a restaurant and worked sick for days before finding out he was positive. He is not unusual. 

You do not want to come here. 

UGH.   

[sangtarah]

19 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

As someone who lives in Central Florida, please please please do not come here. It is bad. Really bad, regarding Covid. I know so many people, some hospitalized (from my old church) with Covid. Positivity rates are ranging from 15-20%. And going up and up and up each week. Hospitalizations are going up - rates doubled last week fom the week before, same with the week before that. 

No one is masking. No one is distancing. 

My neighbor works in a restaurant and worked sick for days before finding out he was positive. He is not unusual. 

You do not want to come here. 

I repeat Dawn - UGH. 
 

I was hoping things would be heading in the right direction before we move. I was hoping that my little kids could get a vax before we move. I was hoping we could celebrate moving home with a Disney day in December. UGH 😣 

[ktgrok]

1 minute ago, sangtarah said:

I repeat Dawn - UGH. 
 

I was hoping things would be heading in the right direction before we move. I was hoping that my little kids could get a vax before we move. I was hoping we could celebrate moving home with a Disney day in December. UGH 😣 

Littles might be vaccinated by then...that's what I'm hoping for. I'm hoping that before Christmas we will all be fully vaccinated, and things might be better....but I'm not counting on it. 

I'll be more willing to do things, but a large percentage of Floridians are intent on learning the hard way or weeding themselves out, taking some of the rest of us with them. 

[Dmmetler]

1 hour ago, PeterPan said:

Wow!! I hadn't even priced the parks in our state. I should totally look. You may be onto something if the attendance is all skewed. I say that, and my coaster days may be over. I re-started my HBOT because even jogging on the treadmill was giving me problems, sigh. Not sure what this means for my park future. The nurse practitioner is saying to stick with stuff that is smooth, like ziplines, hahaha.

I figure that I'll leave the Coasters to L. Water slides and lazy rivers are more my speed....especially at this time of year, and the holiday celebrations and decorations are fun.  

[DawnM]

Well, that is interesting.   I was waiting to hear from DH as to which week his firm was having training in Orlando, it is usually either the last week of Oct or first week of Nov, although it has been the 2nd week of Nov once as well.

He had a meeting today and they said that as of right now, the training week will be virtual and no travel.   They said it could change but that is how it stands right now.

Sooooo.....maybe I will have another year to save up and maybe Disney will be better next year.

[hippymamato3]

Any reason why you'd have to do 5 days? You can have a pretty awesome time going just 1-2 days and spend some time at a beach the other days...

[DawnM]

22 minutes ago, hippymamato3 said:

Any reason why you'd have to do 5 days? You can have a pretty awesome time going just 1-2 days and spend some time at a beach the other days...

The beach is 2 hours away each way.   My husband's training is in Orlando, so we need to stay there.

1 or 2 days just doesn't seem that exciting, but maybe.   And I would be taking off the whole week from work for it.

Edited July 27, 2021 by DawnM

[ktgrok]

1 hour ago, Seasider too said:

Not surprised since FL made the national news last night, duking it out with MO for highest numbers of new case loads. 

We are not going to let anyone out Florida us! MO doesn't stand a chance! (wait..no....this isn't that kind of competition...sigh)

[ktgrok]

We're #1!

https://www.foxnews.com/health/florida-leads-us-covid-19-cases-hospitalizations-surge

[vonfirmath]

They just announced to my son's band that they are taking a band trip to disney next Spring break -- for $1300.!

 

I'm pretty sure I'm not willing to send my freshman son off to Disney for a week by himself -- but that's a lot of money and x2 is even more!

[ktgrok]

And specific to the Disney area - they are in "crisis mode". https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/26/politics/florida-jerry-demings-covid-warning-amusement-parks/index.html

[zimom]

I'll be another to add that my husband's coworker traveled to Disney a couple of weeks ago.  Parents vaccinated, children not.  The whole family came home with Covid.  

[Frances]

9 hours ago, PeterPan said:

Total aside, but did they say what vaccine they had? We're probably going to have to be vax to cruise (months out) and it frustrates me that my choices right now are high side effects/high effectiveness or one shot (lower side effects?) with much less effectiveness. I can't fathom why I'd take risk for a 60% effective shot. So I'm holding out for Novovax, which I have a feeling is going to get slowed down by politics and economics. (Why approve another when you have a lot, why approve something people would want when it's more useful to foment political discord complaining people won't take the high side effects shots.) 

You seriously believe the statement in parenthesis? Wow, just wow. I’m curious if that is the message being spread by news media on the right or if you came up with that one by yourself? I’m guessing the latter since it’s been showing up on various threads this week. Perhaps, just maybe, people are complaining about those able to vax who aren’t doing it because cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are rising again and new variants and mutations keep appearing? Or maybe people find it hard to comprehend the level of selfishness (especially among so called “Christians”) who won’t vax now for the greater good, but might vax later so they can go on yet another cruise.

Edited July 27, 2021 by Frances

[KSera]

1 hour ago, ZiMom said:

I'll be another to add that my husband's coworker traveled to Disney a couple of weeks ago.  Parents vaccinated, children not.  The whole family came home with Covid.  

Ugh. That seems to be the pattern I’m seeing as well. Unvaccinated kids get sick, then it spreads to vaccinated family because exposure load is so high when you’re living in the same house. I’m not nearly as concerned that I will catch Covid when out in public as that my unvaccinated child will and then I will eventually catch it from him. We just started going back to in person therapies, but I think we’re going to go back virtual again until this calms down, however long that takes. (As a related aside, what happened to all the people who were so concerned about kids’ needs and their mental health and their therapies back when we had stay at home orders, yet now so many of those same people aren’t willing to get vaccinated for the sake of the same kids being able to return to normality? It’s so sad and frustrating. My overwhelming feeling today is just utter sadness and defeat because I don’t see that anything is going to change. It could, but people are so ingrained in thinking this virus is some kind of political thing that they are making horrible decisions for themselves and everyone else based on that. The virus doesn’t give a d@m about politics. And the vaccine works for you no matter your politics. You can still keep exactly your same politics after being vaccinated. I just don’t understand 😭. 

[DawnM]

Believe it or not, you guys are making me feel better.   Now it isn't just about money.....

[Lanny]

8 hours ago, DawnM said:

I much prefer Disney over Universal, but for the cost we just can't do it.

You paid $150 for one day per ticket for Universal?   I have never seen them that high, even for hoppers.

I believe the approximately 150 USD (per day) that I mentioned was for a 4 day "Park Hopper" ticket at WDW. End of April 2016. I don't remember what we paid to go to Universal Orlando for one day,  but we wish that we had spent a lot more time in Universal Orlando and less time in WDW.  However, now that you have the young boy in your family I suspect that he would enjoy Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. We ended up spending a lot of time in Animal Kingdom.  I remember going on the Safari a few times and on a ride where we got wet.  And going to a Bird show (I can't remember what kind of Bird it was) and after the show I asked the man about  our now late Bird. 

[Mrs Tiggywinkle]

I’m at Disney right now. Honestly—I’d just wait until things are completely back to normal. It’s very different with no fast passes, it feels really sterile with everything so contactless, no housekeeping. No shows, no parades, no character meet and greets: For that amount of money, I’d want the full experience. If Covid safety is important to you, I wouldn’t come here now either. There’s absolutely no social distancing, crowds are elbow to elbow, and there’s barely a mask to be seen.    I’m okay with it, but if that’s a concern for you then I’d definitely wait.

(despite having a rental car screw up and then vomiting all over the poor Uber driver’s car, we’re having a great time.)

[kokotg]

We'd hoped to do a Disney trip as the kids' xmas present last year, but then of course that didn't happen, so we were hoping for this year instead. I'd almost talked myself into spending the money, but that was back when I was hopeful that numbers would stay good and that DS8 would be able to be vaccinated in the fall. Now there's just no way. My kids REALLY want to go see all the stuff that's new since we were there last 3 years ago (even my 20 year old can't stop talking about it), but...no. Another year. It sucks because we used to go every year in September, and I miss it and also feel a little sad that my youngest hasn't had the same experience (which is silly; we've traveled much more widely with him, just not to Disney nearly as much). And we definitely had a much smaller travel budget back then; the prices are out of control, but people keep paying them, so. 

[ktgrok]

A friend on facebook says her friends working in the central Florida hospitals are saying it is as bad as at our previous peak. 

[kristin0713]

9 hours ago, PeterPan said:

And the bloggers are saying (not sure if this is true) that it's a distortion of Walt's original vision that the parks be affordable to average people. And frankly, most people consider themselves average, even when they make more than "average". 

His vision was definitely to have a wholesome, family park that was affordable and enjoyable for all. It’s so sad that the reality is very different today. We are longing to go back, especially for all of the new Star Wars stuff that we have yet to experience. But it’s not happening now. 

[cintinative]

5 hours ago, ktgrok said:

We're #1!

https://www.foxnews.com/health/florida-leads-us-covid-19-cases-hospitalizations-surge

off-topic and a useless question, but they are still only reporting cases by the week with numbers that high? Sigh.

[PeterPan]

9 hours ago, DawnM said:

Well, that is interesting.   I was waiting to hear from DH as to which week his firm was having training in Orlando, it is usually either the last week of Oct or first week of Nov, although it has been the 2nd week of Nov once as well.

He had a meeting today and they said that as of right now, the training week will be virtual and no travel.   They said it could change but that is how it stands right now.

Sooooo.....maybe I will have another year to save up and maybe Disney will be better next year.

Well bummer! We've done the Christmas party. I was there during the Halloween stuff but the people I was with didn't want to go. A party would be a good way to go and have a more concrete cost, but from what the blogs are saying even the parties are getting changed. 

[PeterPan]

2 hours ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle said:

we’re having a great time.)

Yay!!!

2 hours ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle said:

No shows, no parades, no character meet and greets

Wouldn't break my ds' heart, lol. He'll do some shows, but he can't handle the parades and runs from meet n greets. Those crowd levels though are INSANE. What you're describing is what I thought I saw in the pictures. Nope, nope. I'm too used to us going at low crowd times and feeling like we owned it (early in the morning, doing a ride over and over). Like the others said, it would just ruin all our happy memories. We'll wait, sigh.

I'd go for a party though, definitely. 

[PeterPan]

7 hours ago, vonfirmath said:

They just announced to my son's band that they are taking a band trip to disney next Spring break -- for $1300.!

 

I'm pretty sure I'm not willing to send my freshman son off to Disney for a week by himself -- but that's a lot of money and x2 is even more!

Eh nothing will happen. If it's only that he's alone, just do it. I didn't lose my ds and he couldn't even say his name/rank/serial number. Your ds would be totally fine, lol.

But spring break, why in the world go at the busiest time?????? Nuts. He could have an annual pass for that much when they resume them. He could go for a good long time and have park hoppers. You could do that when things slow down. You could take your whole amily and do the parks for that $2600 and stay somewhere on the cheap.

[Mrs Tiggywinkle]

5 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

Yay!!!

Wouldn't break my ds' heart, lol. He'll do some shows, but he can't handle the parades and runs from meet n greets. Those crowd levels though are INSANE. What you're describing is what I thought I saw in the pictures. Nope, nope. I'm too used to us going at low crowd times and feeling like we owned it (early in the morning, doing a ride over and over). Like the others said, it would just ruin all our happy memories. We'll wait, sigh.

I'd go for a party though, definitely. 

I’ve been here before in the summer—it was before kids so more than 11 years ago. Even in July and August I don’t remember crowd levels being this much—but all the people eaters like shows and stuff are closed, so there is nothing to do but stand in line for rides. That might skew how it looks.  And no fast passes…but DD hasn’t been here before, so she has nothing to compare it to.  She’s having the time of her life. 

Edited July 28, 2021 by Mrs Tiggywinkle

[mommyoffive]

Masks to be required again at Walt Disney World (thepointsguy.com)

[ktgrok]

On 7/27/2021 at 6:23 PM, cintinative said:

off-topic and a useless question, but they are still only reporting cases by the week with numbers that high? Sigh.

Yup.

And at home tests are available at most pharmacies now, so I'm sure numbers are higher when you factor in people testing at home. 

Oh, also in "florida being florida" news, I was reading up about quarantine on the CDC website, and it gives examples of lengths of time, but says to check local/state guidance. 

I went to the Florida covid website, from department of health and looked for the "what to do if you are exposed" section. Y'all, it does NOT say to quarantine if exposed! It just says to watch for symptoms, and if you have two or more, get a test. 

So basically, if you have a known exposure, unless you get really sick, just go about your business with no interruptions. (there was no distinguishing vaccinated and unvaccinated). That's the state of Florida's advice on their "what if I am exposed" page. 

Florida.