Thanks for sharing this. What you described was what I was feeling a couple of months ago and almost cancelled my trip that we just returned from. (We went 10/16-10/23) Last trip to DW was 2016.
First-We are from Idaho, so concerns on flight cancellations and such were a worry for us.
Second-We decided to invite two of my daughter's friends to go with us, so there was that added responsibility and expense. They covered airfare and park tickets and we covered the rest including food.
Third-Concerns on what would happen if anyone got Covid and one or more couldn't return was a stressful thought.
Fourth-Masks suck to wear and I'm tired of it, but that's the rule and it wasn't that bad in the end. It was still hot when we went, so the masks don't help in some of the queue's, but it was tolerable.
We had a BLAST! I tried Genie for one day and found it to be not important enough to pay for again. Like another mentioned, wait times were low. So, waits weren't bad at all and I stressed myself out when considering the expense of Genie+ for no reason in the end. There are other discussions on here about Genie+ which I agree with on when it might be good to have and when it's not worth it. Based on when you're going, it looks promising to not stress about having it.
In the end, we just simply needed Disney with everything that's been going on and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I'm a planner and I found myself just enjoying the vibe that's Disney. We ate cart food mostly and brought snacks such as jerky, protein bars, trail mix, etc, in and we didn't find that we spent a fortune on food.
We stayed off property and I hated the place that I picked(The Grove). I mean I hated that place. I wish I'd spent a little more and stayed on property, but with six of us(my family plus the two guests) it was hard to find something that would accommodate that many, so I had to go off property. There's something about being in the bubble that I'm willing to pay for. I don't like renting a car and paying for parking, getting in traffic, etc. Yes, it costs more, but the experience is worth something to me. Enough so that I've already requested a David's DVC Rental for my wife's birthday next October. Yes, I'm more than 11 months out, so have to wait, but I'm ready to look forward to the next trip.
In the end, there's no place like Disney. Yes, I do like to eat at the restaurants, but I'm not rich and won't pay for many of them. Turkey legs, Churro's, popcorn, etc. are great Disney Food, as well, and don't break the bank and I didn't have to leave the park. Plus, we were there during the Food and Wine Fest which allowed us to have all kinds of options for $5 each.
I'd say go! Enjoy being at Disney and relax as that's what I ended up needing more than anything and, like I said, that's coming from a planner. I found myself sitting down occasionally and enjoying the environment. You can't beat it anywhere else.
Again, thanks for sharing and I think I was worked up like you were. I didn't know how much food was going to cost me along with everything else, but we made good and economical choices and you'll do the same and have fun.
only the ones you deem superior get the stamp of approval.
