Shh! Don't tell the kids because we're going without them! 11/10-11/15

[Sarahboo]

Hello DisFriends!

My name is Sarah, and my husband, Chris and I are planning a kid-free trip to WDW this November! We'll actually be in Florida one year after our amazing Tokyo trip and after the complete dumpster fire that is 2020, I really need the break.

I own a real estate brokerage, and Chris is a business analyst for a major company. We have 4 kids and a puppy. I'm also an elected official in my town (and up for re-election this year), plus Chris has a band (that he desperately misses performing with), so we are very busy and stressed out - desperately needing a little escape to a magical land.

Here we are somewhere in DisneySea:

Staying home will be our amazing, 20, 17, 16, and 12 year old kids, along with our puppy Gus (Captain Augustus Bernard Hound, but he just goes by Gus).

Isn't he the CUTEST DOG YOU'VE EVER SEEN? (The kids are cute too, but my dog!!)

When we went to Japan, we stayed for 15 days so we weren't in a Disney hotel because we had an AirBNB in Shibuya (and then again in Osaka). The last time we went to Disneyland we stayed off-site at the hotel where we met, so we haven't stayed on Disney property since we went for 15 nights with our kids during Hurricane Irma in 2017 when we stayed at Pop! This is our very first time staying in a Deluxe resort and we are SO EXCITED to stay at the Boardwalk Villas.

We weren't really planning on a trip this year, but our trip to Vegas over spring break was cancelled for COVID, then our trip to Cabo was cancelled for COVID. We did go on a road trip to pick up Gus, and we technically just spent a weekend at the coast because we were evacuated from the wildfires, but neither of them were really VACATIONS. It's still 53 days away, but I'm ready to pack my bags and GO!

 

[Sarahboo]

I'm not even sure how we ended up booking Disney. I was having a very stressful day at work and dreaming about how much travel we did last year. Right about then, Chris sent me a screenshot of the promotion, I checked Alaska Airlines, and when we realized we could stay in a Deluxe Resort for a (relatively) low rate, AND we could book two round-trip tickets from Portland for only 60K miles total and $22, we had reservations inside of 20 minutes. We aren't going to tell the kids before we go - though they'll inevitably wonder about the new lightsabers hanging on the wall, because we feel kind of guilty going without them. Kind of. But! We took them all to Mexico for Christmas last year and we're taking them to a lake house at the coast next weekend. It's just impossibly expensive to take a family of 6 anywhere because you always have to get a second room and 4 teenagers eat a LOT of food.

So, our very first adults only trip was born!

Our dream resort is Poly, but none seem to be available for the promotion, and I'm sure they would be out of our budget if they were available! Our second choice has always been BWV because of the excitement of the BW and the proximity to EPCOT. So, we booked the Yacht Club. It's not necessarily our aesthetic or vibe, but we loved the idea of being near EPCOT and the Skyliner. After two days, I saw a studio at BWV available for the same price, so we switched!

I'm sure BWV will be different than we always imagined because there's not much happening right now, but I still like the overall look at the location. Perhaps someday when street performers are back we'll get to stay there again.

We arrive to MCO at 5:30 PM on a Tuesday, then we'll get our luggage (RIP MagicalExpress Luggage Service) and head to ME. I'm hoping we get to BWV by 7:30 - does that seem reasonable? An hour to get from our plane to our luggage and get on a bus, then an hour from MCO to BWV?

Wednesday - DHS

Thursday - EPCOT

Friday - MK

Saturday - AK



Next up were ADRs!


I really hope more food options open before we go, but if not - hey - we're lucky to be going at all, so I'm not going to complain. One of the things I always loved about the BW location is the idea of hopping over to EPCOT for dinner - but without Park Hopping, that won't be happening either.

However, we did get some things I'm excited about:

Tuesday night - Ale and Compass (but would LOVE to eat at Flying Fish if they open between now and then).

Wednesday - Oga's Cantina for Lunch/Dinner/Drinks

Thursday - No reservations because we'll probably just grab Boardwalk Bakery for Breakfast and eat Food and Wine Festival food all day long.

Friday - Skipper Canteen for Lunch and The Edison for dinner

Saturday - Raglan Road Dinner (we love Nomad Lounge and will probably pop in there for a snack)

Sunday - Oga's Cantina mid-day and then we fly home. Sigh.



We also were lucky enough to book Savi's workshop for both of us to make lightsabers and I'm going to make a droid at the droid depot too. Chris also wants a droid, but he wants the DJ Rex.

(Aside: Chris and I are big ole nerds and we have a matching tattoo with a framed droid but I have R2-D2 and he has Rex).


Anyway, how many days? 52 days, 18 hours, 30 minutes and 40 seconds. But who's counting?

 

[DLo]

Following along. Looking forward to reading more.

 

[Sarahboo]

Following along. Looking forward to reading more.

Thanks for stopping by!




Well, not much has changed because.. there's not much to change. I'm pretty sure we're set on Boardwalk Villas now, but I do check resort rates now and again for reasons I don't understand. It's probably because I've always loved the fairly intensive planning involved in a Disney vacation. I like fiddling with dining reservations, but there's just no point in doing that because we're only there for a few days and we aren't even dining at a TS every day we're there.

Planning just seems a little anti-climactic and not very exciting this time around.

That being said, I'm kind of looking forward to all of the spontaneity the re-opening process will allow us. I don't have to plan every move during the day around when our next FP is scheduled? I can eat whenever I'm hungry without worrying about spoiling a meal or choosing not to eat because a ADR is just an hour away? That sounds kind of nice too. Anyone else feeling that way?



I do think I'll cancel our Raglan Road reservations. I was really looking forward to eating there, but I'm seeing and reading a lot fo reports of them not really taking social distancing seriously and I don't think we'll feel comfortable eating there. Instead we're talking about doing a Skyliner pub/snack crawl. We could just take the bus from AK to Pop or AoA and then stop off at Caribbean Beach and Riviera before taking it back to BWV. I think we'll feel safer doing that and we'll get to see the Riviera too!

 

[Sarahboo]

Ok, we've started talking about a Plan B now that DeSantis is lifting restrictions. It's really frustrating because our final payment is due October 11, but we don't want to go unless masks are required. I'm afraid that between the time our trip becomes non-refundable and the time we go, Disney might change restrictions. Then, we'll either be on a vacation where we're uncomfortable going to the parks, or we'll be out a few thousand dollars.

As a plan B, I think we'd go to an all-inclusive in Mexico with a swim up room, but I really just want Disney to keep the mask requirement in place.

I think we'll cancel both The Edison and Raglan Road, though. We trust Disney more than other companies. Instead of Raglan Road I think we'll take the bus from AK to Pop! or AoA and then do a Skyliner pub-crawl back to BWV. Instead of The Edison, we'll still go to Disney Springs, but we'll just get counter service and then bar hop a little (and shop, of course).

 

[kittylady1972]

How fun...we did an adults-only trip back in August, somewhat last minute, leaving our 20, 17 and16 year old kids at home and it was fabulous!

I am with you on the mask thing, but I truly don't think Disney will change their regulations on masks anytime soon. If so, we would be the same as you and cancel. We leave in about 4 weeks.

Love your plans so far though!

 

[CruellaNY]

Joining! We are just back from our 2nd post-COVID Disney trip and are going again Nov. 25-29

So, our very first adults only trip was born!

LOVE adults only trips! We have 4 boys aged 32 to 14. Since 2016 most of our trips have been adults only and so far all 3 of our 2020 trips have been but the 2 youngest will be with us in November. I miss them when they aren't with us but it makes the times they come even more special and since we've made so many DISboard friends we now almost always travel with at least one other couple when we go just adults!

I'm sure BWV will be different than we always imagined because there's not much happening right now, but I still like the overall look at the location. Perhaps someday when street performers are back we'll get to stay there again.

We enjoy the BW area. We stayed at BCV in July and it was such a different atmosphere than usual with no performers but beautiful nonetheless and you can't beat the location.

hat being said, I'm kind of looking forward to all of the spontaneity the re-opening process will allow us

YES! I was never really a fan of FP+ anyway but these last 2 trips I feel have been so relaxing with nothing to worry about and not needing to be on our phones as much. Pick your park, make a few dining decisions and you're free! Plus we normally don't book all our dining ahead of time and even when we do, we end up changing lots of it day of or day before and we've found that still easy to do

Ok, we've started talking about a Plan B now that DeSantis is lifting restrictions. It's really frustrating because our final payment is due October 11, but we don't want to go unless masks are required. I'm afraid that between the time our trip becomes non-refundable and the time we go, Disney might change restrictions.

Well I certainly have been advocating Mexico the last couple months to clients since they don't require any COVID testing to enter and it's gorgeous so the idea of an all inclusive there I think is great; however I honestly do not believe Disney will lift their mask rule at all for 2020. I also don't think they'll up capacity before your trip, again if at all for this year. But I certainly understand your concerns. I hope you end up doing Disney!

 

[jmb4118]

Following along, our trips over lap and I'm equally concerned about any restrictions being lifted. So far, I'm feeling like they won't make any changes at Disney. I doubt they could afford to become a super spreader site!

Also, your puppy is the cutest thing I have every seen

 

[Sarahboo]

How fun...we did an adults-only trip back in August, somewhat last minute, leaving our 20, 17 and16 year old kids at home and it was fabulous!

I am with you on the mask thing, but I truly don't think Disney will change their regulations on masks anytime soon. If so, we would be the same as you and cancel. We leave in about 4 weeks.

Love your plans so far though!

Fun! I'm so excited for our first Adults Only Trip. We did Disneyland alone together a couple of years ago, but it's not the same as staying on site for longer. I agree, the longer it goes from the new state guidelines the more I start to believe they'll keep their mask requirements.

 

[Sarahboo]

Joining! We are just back from our 2nd post-COVID Disney trip and are going again Nov. 25-29


LOVE adults only trips! We have 4 boys aged 32 to 14. Since 2016 most of our trips have been adults only and so far all 3 of our 2020 trips have been but the 2 youngest will be with us in November. I miss them when they aren't with us but it makes the times they come even more special and since we've made so many DISboard friends we now almost always travel with at least one other couple when we go just adults!

We enjoy the BW area. We stayed at BCV in July and it was such a different atmosphere than usual with no performers but beautiful nonetheless and you can't beat the location.

YES! I was never really a fan of FP+ anyway but these last 2 trips I feel have been so relaxing with nothing to worry about and not needing to be on our phones as much. Pick your park, make a few dining decisions and you're free! Plus we normally don't book all our dining ahead of time and even when we do, we end up changing lots of it day of or day before and we've found that still easy to do

Well I certainly have been advocating Mexico the last couple months to clients since they don't require any COVID testing to enter and it's gorgeous so the idea of an all inclusive there I think is great; however I honestly do not believe Disney will lift their mask rule at all for 2020. I also don't think they'll up capacity before your trip, again if at all for this year. But I certainly understand your concerns. I hope you end up doing Disney!

Oh, I love Mexico but we were just there last December. I miss Disneyworld, so we've decided to just make it happen and enjoy ourselves the best we can.

We always wanted to stay at BW, partly because of the performers and entertainers, so we know it won't be what we imagined, but we're still excited to stay there. I'm just afraid I'll never want to stay at a value or moderate resort again after this!

 

[Sarahboo]

Following along, our trips over lap and I'm equally concerned about any restrictions being lifted. So far, I'm feeling like they won't make any changes at Disney. I doubt they could afford to become a super spreader site!

Also, your puppy is the cutest thing I have every seen

Thank you! He is such a ball of joy (and also it's like having a baby again). I'm nervous about boarding him when we're at Disney because he's basically been my shadow since the day we picked him up. I'm afraid he's going to think I abandoned him. But we're boarding him at a facility that does training during the boarding so maybe he'll be a little less mischievous when we get home. Probably not, but a girl can dream.

Fun that we're overlapping! I'm starting to feel pretty confident that they'll keep the mask requirement which makes us feel a little better.

 

[Sarahboo]

Yesterday was our final payment date for our trip. I've been SO BUSY at work, I forgot to go to the bank and transfer money (long story: I bank at two separate banks, so I have to withdraw from one and take it to another). I called my travel agent all panicked, but I sorted it out. I just put some on a credit card but good lord, I was kind of freaking out. I asked if she thought Disney would give me a one day extension without even realizing today was Columbus Day. An extension wouldn't have mattered.

Whatever, we got it all sorted out and now I feel like the countdown is really on. I'm just so swamped at work, I'm afraid I'm going to have to work quite a bit on vacation, but that's just how my job works.

I like that they keep extending park hours, but I wish they would open a few more restaurants. I'd love for Flying Fish to open before we go, but I know they'll probably hold off on opening much more for awhile. I'm sure more will open for the holidays, but they laid so many people off - I can't imagine they plan on opening too much more.

 

[mnmrmustard]

Hello! Congrats on getting a no kids trip, my DW surprised me with one for my birthday back in 2011. We only have 2 kids (now both grown) but understand the $$ for getting them all cross country (we live down in the Rogue Valley) plus all of the other expenses.

So glad the fires are either out or at least under control and as of the last rain we have no more smoke down here - hope it is the same up there. We also recently took a trip to the coast (Coos Bay) to adopt a pup ourselves. Our new addition is Loki (front and center being held by our daughter), a 4yr old "Shorkie" who will give your Gus a run for the money on the cuteness factor:

Ironically the bigger pup in the picture being held by me is also a Gus (Agustus Caesar), our Havanese. And the third pup being held by my DW is Antony (as in Mark Antony), a miniature "party" poodle. We also had a Cleo (Cleopatra) and a Caesar, but sadly they are no longer with us. With the addition of Loki we're thinking we may lateral into Marvel-themed dog names as we move forward

I'm with you on the mask situation but am also confident that Disney will keep mask/social distancing precautions in place no matter what the state does. And I agree with your changes in relation to Raglan Road as I've heard the same thing. We too are doing a pub crawl of sorts for our December trip as we are celebrating our son's 21st birthday.

A big component of ours will be going around WS for the Festival of the Holidays. But we also want to hit the Boathouse and Edison if they aren't too crowded, plus Trader Sam's at the Poly if it is open. I look forward to hearing more on your plans as things change on the daily down in Orlando and am with you in hoping some more places to eat/drink open up!

Oh, and good luck with your re-election bid!

 

[CruellaNY]

I'm just afraid I'll never want to stay at a value or moderate resort again after this!

Ha yes that's the issue for sure!

I like that they keep extending park hours, but I wish they would open a few more restaurants. I'd love for Flying Fish to open before we go, but I know they'll probably hold off on opening much more for awhile

I'm happy they've extended hours, for our Thanksgiving trip as well, but I'm with you on more restaurants. Besides hopping the one thing we've felt the absence of on our 2 post-COVID trips are the array of dining options! We were thrilled last month when one of our faves, Narcoossee's, opened 2 days before our trip so we were able to eat there for DH's birthday I'd love FF and/or Citricos in time forThanksgiving!

I'm sure you're TA let you know final payments for the rest of 2020 aren't due until 7 days before travel so no need for the worry but it still feels good to have the trip paid off!