August 2020 Reservations-still going?

[YawningDodo]

I was planning on going as of yesterday even, but I never felt very sure of my decision. I read a Facebook plea by an acquaintance who lives in Orlando, begging people to rethink coming down right now. That was probably the final thing that pushed me over the edge. Plus DD was pointing out how many shops, etc were closed in the live-streams. The short wait times are soooo tempting, but for us it will be better to go when we can feel a little more relaxed. I am so jealous of everyone there though, and if I lived in Central FL, I’d be there in a heartbeat.

This is where I'm starting to land for my own trip in September (I know this is an August thread but there's not really a September thread except for the "Happy Dance" one, which is a completely different tone). I'm supposed to meet up with a friend who lives in Florida for a day at Epcot mid-trip but at this point she's saying she wouldn't fly in if she were out of state and expects things to get worse, not better. If I were a local myself I'd visit in a heartbeat, but flying in from out of state is a much different calculation of accepted risk.

I've got until the end of August to cancel everything without having to pay a redeposit fee for the miles I used on my airfare and I keep saying I'm going to hold onto the reservation until then and wait and see, but planning this trip has turned into as much or more heartache as enjoyment since every time I pull up info in preparation for my visit I'm reminded of the reasons I shouldn't be going. What it's beginning to come down to for me is that even if I'm willing to accept the risk, I don't think I could justify it to the friends and coworkers I'd also subject to that risk when I return from the trip. I'm beginning to wonder if it's better to just rip off the bandaid now; I think if I do cancel I may keep my PTO request and reallocate some of the money I would have spent at Disney to make a very deliberate staycation: eat a bunch of takeout, do a big craft project, watch a ton of movies, that sort of thing. I may start planning for that this weekend even if I don't commit to cancelling the reservations yet just so I can shift my focus to something positive in my future that I for sure won't have to cancel.

 

[Selket]

Even my nurse friend, who is VERY cautious, said she was tempted to go to Disney with the low crowds. I went so far as to reprice my canceled trip this morning. Why is this so hard?!

I've wondered if Disney will slowly (or quickly) up the number of people they're letting into the park as the days go on. Perhaps the really low crowds/short waits will not be the same in August as they are now if that happens. The crowds look good everywhere except the Studios. I'm guessing Disney hasn't said what they plan to do about upping the attendance cap. I agree it's a tough choice - I think right now (or maybe August) will be better than the Fall and Winter however but the huge # of cases right now in Florida are sure making it a tough choice.

 

[pixiedaisy]

Increased park numbers is another concern. It’s just impossible to really know. I felt total regret today, but after talking to my parents who are 67 and 68, they were so relieved to hear I’d cancelled. That sealed the deal for me. We are also going to do a staycation, with lots of takeout, relaxing, and maybe a day trip or too. Our area isn’t a hot spot. It pained me to look at the increased costs for a future trip, but Disney will hopefully offer some discounts when we are ready to return. I wish everyone the best in their decision making!

I've wondered if Disney will slowly (or quickly) up the number of people they're letting into the park as the days go on. Perhaps the really low crowds/short waits will not be the same in August as they are now if that happens. The crowds look good everywhere except the Studios. I'm guessing Disney hasn't said what they plan to do about upping the attendance cap. I agree it's a tough choice - I think right now (or maybe August) will be better than the Fall and Winter however but the huge # of cases right now in Florida are sure making it a tough choice.

 

[Lucky'sMom]

I just canceled our July 28-Aug 5 trip. I'm too worried about everything involved and we aren't comfortable flying right now. We'll go in 2021. Sad, but relieved.

 

[Budzooka]

Same idea here. We just moved our late October trip up to July 31 - Aug 4.

We've had so much wiped out already this year (including a trip to Aulani), that we didn't want to take a chance on something happening with the October trip either. Besides, the plan was to do the Not-So-Scary Halloween, and that's gone too.

We had to cancel our Aulani trip earlier this month and have DVC points that will expire if not used by Nov 30. We did not already have park tickets, so we were planning to just visit Universal and stay on Disney property. But, jumped on board once WDW opened up 2020 ticket sales. Doing 1 day at Universal and 3 days at WDW.

To each their own, but not in the least bit concerned about our health. We will follow safety protocols and look forward to having a great time with very low crowds.

 

[maltdizzy]

Cancelled our trip. It’s weird to think we went from leaning toward going to learning toward cancelling to definitely cancelling within the lifetime of this thread. Not going to leave the state this summer (and probably not the rest of this year).

We do have a make-up trip scheduled for next summer though.

 

[wdwlver]

I canceled too 7/31-8/8 but because for us it’s too much of a lesser experience. For those who fear flying now, we’ve flown and honestly I’ve never felt safer. Plane pretty empty, airport too, just overall a good experience. YMMV of course.

 

[maryj11]

As of now my flip flop is set on going. I went to Walmart today and they were not cleaning carts, people were not wearing masks, and they were not social distancing. There were a few older people wearing masks including myself, but that was it. If I can make it through Walmart I can surely make it through Disney!

 

[YawningDodo]

This morning I'd decided. I was sure I was going to cancel, that that's the only responsible decision in my position. Now I can't stand the thought of giving up my reservation and I'm rationalizing that it'll be fine.

 

[Chirple]

I am new to this thread. We originally invited my cousin, his family, and my aunt to WDW during the later part of August. It would have been his daughters’ first trip, and we would have provided the accommodations with our DVC points.

After our May trip was canceled, we were looking forward to August, hoping that things would have leveled off all around. When cases started to increase in FL, my cousin and his mom decided to cancel. We then moved our reservation for the same dates to BLT TPV just to burn the points we allocated for May and some of the August points.

We were hoping that the quarantine in place for visitors from the tri-state area would be lifted. We were okay with the 14 day recommended quarantine for NJ residents upon our return because we both WFH full time, and neither of us had upcoming business travel. When the FL EO was extended to 9/5, we still held out a tiny bit of hope. Then we watched as FL seemed to become a free-for-all and did not extend the order to states where cases were rising. That’s when we pulled the plug.

We are now waiting to see if JetBlue cancels our existing flight (they already did it to our original booking) so we can get a full refund vs travel credit. If we didn’t have another DVC trip scheduled for November (and trying to remain optimistic for that one), we would be fine with the credit.

The mental break was what we needed more than anything. We are still taking our vacation days. I might just don my Minnie ears and have my husband take photos of me in local spots.

 

[hereforthechurros]

21 days to go and I still flip flop every hour. Some of it still depends on how/when the school year starts. If it starts on time and in the classroom my son wouldn’t have enough time to quarantine so we wouldn’t go.

I know it’s hard to imagine things in Florida getting worse but I’m sure it can. Really hoping their mask mandates and bar closures start to help though. We should be in Chicago with friends right now but canceled that trip and our flights last minute because we don’t feel safe.

 

[lcc2]

This is where I'm starting to land for my own trip in September (I know this is an August thread but there's not really a September thread except for the "Happy Dance" one, which is a completely different tone).

Here is the September one :
https://www.disboards.com/threads/september-crew-what-are-you-doing.3802963/

 

[YawningDodo]

Here is the September one :
https://www.disboards.com/threads/september-crew-what-are-you-doing.3802963/

Thank you!!

 

[lcc2]

Thank you!!

You're welcome!

 

[Rach73]

21 days to go and I still flip flop every hour. Some of it still depends on how/when the school year starts. If it starts on time and in the classroom my son wouldn’t have enough time to quarantine so we wouldn’t go.

I know it’s hard to imagine things in Florida getting worse but I’m sure it can. Really hoping their mask mandates and bar closures start to help though. We should be in Chicago with friends right now but canceled that trip and our flights last minute because we don’t feel safe.

Yep, us too still unsure. Found out yesterday my DD move in date for her dorm was pushed back. That makes me feel a little better about going because she will have a few weeks to quarantine at home before heading to college. Which is a whole other stress factor.
We were suppose to go to Chicago for her senior trip in June. She had a July trip to Disney with friends canceled. Our scheduled trip in Aug will actually be on her 18th Bday. I so want it to work.

 

[Herding_Cats]

ordered all of our magic bands last night (well....ordered them for the kiddo as a souvenier since DH and I both have MBs already that we had bought for this trip on our actual anniversary.) We have a 3-part split stay thanks to airlines moving stuff/cancelling flights on us, so I will have 3 boxes in the mail to intercept from our other kids.

 

[solstice621]

ordered all of our magic bands last night (well....ordered them for the kiddo as a souvenier since DH and I both have MBs already that we had bought for this trip on our actual anniversary.) We have a 3-part split stay thanks to airlines moving stuff/cancelling flights on us, so I will have 3 boxes in the mail to intercept from our other kids.

I ordered ours last night too! Made me feel a little normal doing so, and helped reinforce that I really want this trip to happen!

 

[aweehughes]

I ordered ours last night too! Made me feel a little normal doing so, and helped reinforce that I really want this trip to happen!

We are changing our minds by the hour at this point. Now that Southwest will extend our credits for two years up to the night before we leave we are just waiting and watching.

 

[duder92]

For those cancelling with less than 30 days, is Disney refunding all your money?

 

[aweehughes]

For those cancelling with less than 30 days, is Disney refunding all your money?

They will refund up to the day of check-in if you arrive before October 3, 2020. We are supposed to arrive on the 11th and can cancel on the 11th if we need to.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/experience-updates/resorts/#modifications
Rooms and Packages

To provide additional flexibility, we are waiving Disney-imposed change and cancellation fees up to the date of check-in for reservations with arrivals through October 3, 2020. If Guests need further assistance, they can reach us at the Disney Reservation Center through our online chat feature or by calling our reservation line.