2021 - a realistic view

thedonkeycentrehalf

Earning My Ears
Joined
Mar 25, 2014
So, what I am about to say is probably not going to go down well but here goes anyway.

I know many posting on here are uber planners when it comes to a WDW visit. I've been the same in the past and used to be an active member on the old Magical Kingdoms site many years ago under a different name. We haven't been for a few years and are hoping to get out to WDW next year as it will be our Silver Wedding Anniversary (we spent part of our honeymoon in WDW).

However, when I come on here now, everyone is either trying to second guess Disney, Airlines, Governments, etc or blaming them for making changes. Sadly, our holidays are not a priority in the current world. The recent surge in COVID cases in Florida has shown how difficult it is to make future plans and I think most sensible people would be steering well clear of Florida right now. Anyway, given the searing heat at this time of year, would you want to be wearing a mask around a theme park for hours on end?

Virgin Atlantic today announced further financial restructuring to try and stay in business. Likewise, BA shut down their Gatwick operations. This affects loads of jobs (including those of several friends of mine) both directly and indirectly so don't moan about having to fly from Heathrow rather than Gatwick - it is better than having no flight at all. Heads up - those flight schedules are likely to change again and maybe the aircraft. If you've lost your beloved PE bubble seat because the 747s have been retired then it is a shame but in the grand scheme of things, is it really so bad?

Disney have had their theme park business shut down for months and people have been without work. Until the world returns to something like normal (which could be a long time yet), it is going to be hard for them to project how many rooms they will be allowed to open, theme park capacities etc in October next year. It makes sense to withdraw multiday hopper passes while they have restrictions on numbers. However, they are not stupid and know how valuable the British market is so it is highly unlikely they won't be trying to woo us back when the time is right.

If this means you can't get free dining then just look at the costs that were around for next year? When you break it down, it isn't really great value when you look at how prices have been increased and it is a way of keeping your spend inside WDW. With the ridiculous parking charges now, a Disney hotel (which has always been a premium product) has become very expensive so, given the time you actually spend in your resort, maybe other options will work out better. Maybe explore the wider community where there are loads of good quality restaurants who could also do with a financial boost and don't tell you when you can eat.

Apart from setting aside dates, there is hardly anything about a 2021 Disney holiday that you can be sure of at this time. Like all of you, I want to be able to get out there and enjoy a holiday without restrictions but there is no point getting wound up about something you can't influence so just sit back, look back at the photos of the good times, hope that this horrible pandemic either dies out or a vaccine is found and then, when the time is right, get back into planning mode for whatever your next visit looks like.

A lot of people have lost their jobs or even lives through this so, while you might not get a 2021 holiday and might miss out on any 50th Anniversary celebrations, things could be much worse. However, guess what - WDW has been there 50 years and will still be there in a few years time, so you'll get there eventually - it might just take a bit longer.
 


The weather looks pretty good and I've heard Cardiff's quite nice in places. :duck:

:rotfl2: not today looking outside - about 10 miles away currently and its definitely looking like rain! @Disney Frenhines I'm getting excited about going anywhere so agree I've lost some of the enthusiasm about planning for a further afield trip but its still nice to dream
 


I'm just happy to finally be able to travel more than 5 miles from home after four months of restrictions. Deciding whether to go to Cardiff or not today is a far higher priority than thinking about a trip to the world epicentre of a current pandemic anytime soon.
I've danced in the streets of Cardiff as part of Gwyl Ifan many times! A bit far to go for the day though...
 
I think that was a really good post. It's true things won't settle for a while. Disney will be chasing the local then domestic market. They opened more AP places because day tickets are not shifting. It's not a great sign of domestic demand although it's early days. (They also have done offers with huge discounts for locals and health workers)

With restrictions in place on travel and quarantine then it's going to be impossible for quite sometime.

Realistically Disney will have to increase prices and reduce capacity now for those who want this product.

Will we be the market for the park? I don't think so.

With lower crowds meaning you can do more in one day 14 day trips won't be needed. So our market will be for shorter trips. Where people want to have the same duration they will go to universal etc. So this could mean people staying off site more so less money for Disney.

I could be wrong but Disney is bleeding money at the moment and they won't want to give great offers to our market when access to the country is still limited.

If you need your Disney fix I'm afraid it may have to be DLP. I can see that becoming alot more English speaking friendly.. I find it interesting that the new slogan is in English upon entering the park. "It's time for magic".

In terms of Wales... It's beautiful. I went to uni in Cardiff and my best mates is in Snowdonia. Ok Newport is ummm.. but the national parks are incredibly awesome.
 
I have April 2021 flights booked, even if do decide to fly to Florida I’ll be amazed if WDW looks appealing enough by then. The pessimist/realist in me says WDW will be a complete basket for the majority of next year, let alone the rest of this year. Different for folks driving or flying down for a long weekend from the US etc, but the ‘usual’ 2 or 3 week vacation in WDW coming from from the UK, for me at least, simply wont be happening. I hope I am wrong but sadly doubt it
 
I have April 2021 flights booked, even if do decide to fly to Florida I’ll be amazed if WDW looks appealing enough by then. The pessimist/realist in me says WDW will be a complete basket for the majority of next year, let alone the rest of this year. Different for folks driving or flying down for a long weekend from the US etc, but the ‘usual’ 2 or 3 week vacation in WDW coming from from the UK, for me at least, simply wont be happening. I hope I am wrong but sadly doubt it
I hope you are wrong too but I did see some good vaciene news today. April I think is realistic. It maybe a different experience though. Going forward I think Disney will be targeting more onsite families, and not bothering with off-site.

Did you book with dreams or UK?
 
I hope you are wrong too but I did see some good vaciene news today. April I think is realistic. It maybe a different experience though. Going forward I think Disney will be targeting more onsite families, and not bothering with off-site.

Did you book with dreams or UK?
I booked WDW through UK for October and got back a a full deposit. I booked VA flights separately and changed them without any additional fee to April 2021. I’ve not booked any hotel yet, as I say, if I do still go to to Florida in April I doubt it will be too WDW. I always stay on site when I do go.

Ill either cancel again or perhaps do the beaches.
 
Our next planned trip is Aug 2022, and I'm not convinced things will be anything resembling normal by then.

One of my kids has a compromised immune system and I wouldn't even be contemplating this year. I'd be very doubtful about next year (for us, it may be OK for people not shielding), but it's just so up in the air about how ticketing will work and how that affects your plans.

I'm glad we have another year to wait and see how things play out.
 
Our next planned trip is Aug 2022, and I'm not convinced things will be anything resembling normal by then.

One of my kids has a compromised immune system and I wouldn't even be contemplating this year. I'd be very doubtful about next year (for us, it may be OK for people not shielding), but it's just so up in the air about how ticketing will work and how that affects your plans.

I'm glad we have another year to wait and see how things play out.
I really hope you get your trip in 2022! I think for your situation your really making the right decision. I hope it goes without a hitch and you have a memory your never forget. Will you be going on trips in the UK?
 
Just joined here but been a lurker for a while as trying to sort out a WDW trip for 2021. Last went in 2002 with eldest son with lovely in laws who paid for our hotel onsite and tickets/flights, so we were able to go with just our food money and spends.

Never been in a position to go again as we had 3 more children and various ups and downs with work, finances and health lol. Finally got to Disneyland Paris with our 3 youngest in summer 2019, was there first trip abroad and we had a great time. Decided we would save hard and get ourselves to WDW in 2021. Had intended to book April 2020 with the free dining, however the world then turned upside down.

We are thinking push back to 2022 now as its our silver wedding but like the other posters I don't believe things will be exactly as they were before.

A vaccine will be a good thing but not a silver bullit solve the issue in a few weeks kind of deal.
Having had a background many years ago in science I have read plenty of info and come to the following conclusions.
Firstly given the number of vaccines being worked on, many of which are already in stage 2 and stage 3 testing and based on early results its seems highly likely there will be a viable vaccine, perhaps a number. However it is also likely it will be simular to a flu vaccine in that it will only be around 60% effective and will have a limited effect, say 1-2 years.

That leads into the next really big issue, the manufacturing and distrubution of the vaccine. Its basically doubling or more of worldwide vaccine production and thats if its one shot, many being tested rely on a booster shot as well, so 14 billion shots in a world that only usually makes about 6-7 billion, and obviously vaccine production for existing diseases needs to continue. Then you have production of the glass vials and the needles etc etc.

What is likely sadly is that richer countries will buy up supplies and Covid will continue elsewhere in the world so there will be no vaccinate every human and eliminate Covid 19.

So we have to learn to live with it, treatments have and will improve. Some studies are looking at how our immune system responds to repeated exposure and are working on a theory that we get better at fighting coronaviruses the more we have to deal with them. Alongside some vaccinations the mortality rates will fall and tbh we will do what humans always do and adapt.

In the UK I think it will end up with those of us who get the free flu jab as we are high risk/front line also getting a Covid 19 shot, with ev1 else being able to buy one as they do now for flu. Although I do suspect there may be a first vaccine free for ev1 deal just to dampen things right down-it wont be 100% effective and some people won't take it, just like the flu jab, but it will vastly reduce the numbers.

In the USA who can say, given current costs of vaccinations over there it may get down to a money argument, but I can see Disney offering to pay for their staff to have it at least initially. We may also get to a stage where in order to travel you have to have a cert that confirms you have been vaccinated recently.

I think facemasks will be around for years and some may be more comfortable wearing them in busy places even when its only optional, higher hygene and some level of social distancing to reduce all disease spreading may well be a good thing that it also hung onto by many.

For now we are saving watching and waiting till spring next year and we will then decide if we want to book 2022 or not. OH says give it 10 years and we will go just the 2 of us as it will save a fortune lol.
 

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