Trip in 2021 worth it for us?

[lincolnryan]

Here's our dilemma, we had a trip tentatively planned in 2018, but had to cancel. We planned a trip for 2020, but obviously cancelled. Here we are in 2021 and have the opportunity to go in, what I would consider to be a relatively slow time (mid-April). At that point, my wife and I will be fully vaccinated due to our professions.

Our kids are 12 (twins), and 10. They are on the shyer side, so never been really that into characters. Lack of dining options is not a big deal to us either because we were going to avoid sit down meals when we went in 2020 anyways. The only thing they said they will miss is the fireworks. The thing they get most excited about are the rides, pools, etc.. They said they would rather have shorter lines and some things closed vs. long lines and everything opened.

I want to take my kids 1 more time while they are still relatively young, but feel like my window may be closing. At this rate, I feel like things won't be back to normal for quite a long time and, when they do get back to normal, things will be VERY crowded at the parks.

What are your thoughts on this? We are a family that hates crowds, so avoiding those is a big deal for us.

 

[Giss Neric]

Here's our dilemma, we had a trip tentatively planned in 2018, but had to cancel. We planned a trip for 2020, but obviously cancelled. Here we are in 2021 and have the opportunity to go in, what I would consider to be a relatively slow time (mid-April). At that point, my wife and I will be fully vaccinated due to our professions.

Our kids are 12 (twins), and 10. They are on the shyer side, so never been really that into characters. Lack of dining options is not a big deal to us either because we were going to avoid sit down meals when we went in 2020 anyways. The only thing they said they will miss is the fireworks. The thing they get most excited about are the rides, pools, etc.. They said they would rather have shorter lines and some things closed vs. long lines and everything opened.

I want to take my kids 1 more time while they are still relatively young, but feel like my window may be closing. At this rate, I feel like things won't be back to normal for quite a long time and, when they do get back to normal, things will be VERY crowded at the parks.

What are your thoughts on this? We are a family that hates crowds, so avoiding those is a big deal for us.

I say go for it. You already stated that characters, dining and fireworks are not really a priority for you so that's already solved. Rides were the main agenda of our trip last year and we were not disappointed.

In terms of crowds, not sure how the crowds will be in April but if it's going to be the same as it is currently then it will still be crowded and long wait times at certain times of the day but not all day. It's still way more manageable and tolerable as compared to the normal pre-covid times.

 

[Weather_Lady]

One other consideration you might need to add to the mix: what are your state's restrictions on travel (unless you live in Florida)? The extra days you might have to quarantine when you return, and/or testing you might have to obtain, might complicate your plans a little.

(In the interest of full disclosure, my family has a Universal/WDW trip booked for August. DH and I will be fully vaccinated by then, and despite our home state's inconvenient quarantine and testing restrictions for out-of-state travel, and the likelihood of unbearable heat and humidity, and hurricane season, and not everything being open, and no guarantee of any new attractions or restaurants - at WDW anyway - we've become so stir crazy during the past year that we still felt the balance tipped in favor of going! YMMV.)

 

[eliza61nyc]

I got my second shot yesterday but my kids currently are not vaccinated. My next trip will be in September and I cannot wait.
Now for us just the opportunity to GO on a vacation is enough to get us excited. Like you guys, the fireworks will be missed although I have heard that fantasmic will be back in some form.
We have absolutely no plans on cancelling

 

[Dranth]

I can’t speak to how it is there now but we went at the end of October last year and despite all the missing entertainment, limited hours, masks and a mini heat wave it was one of the best trips I have had there.

People not crowding into your space, lines moving at a regular pace was great. The dining, while limited, was handled well with mobile ordering and best of all, just being with family on an actual vacation was an amazing feeling. Looking back, it wasn’t the smartest move but I’m still glad we went.

The only thing I truly was uncomfortable with was the main pool at the various resorts we visited. In each case it was too crowded for my taste but the quiet pools were great.

 

[JIMINYCR]

Go and enjoy. From what you describe, most of the missing things wont affect your enjoyment and there will still be enough there to make the trip special. It is important to enjoy as much life and time with your kids while you can. Disney will at some point get back to the crazy, crowded vacation destination it once was. When? We cant say, so you should go now while the park numbers are still limited and park going is manageable. Yes, Disney is different, but the joy, the fun and memorable times you will have is all about you and how you interact with your family. Your presence with each other is what counts. Disney can still bring you the magic you are looking for. And at 12 & 10 you still have lots of time to get back and experience a different Disney when things return. Once people start to feel confident about traveling and vacationing, I'm sure theres going to be special deals coming out and travel agencies pushing Disney trips, to fill the parks to the max.

 

[lincolnryan]

One other consideration you might need to add to the mix: what are your state's restrictions on travel (unless you live in Florida)? The extra days you might have to quarantine when you return, and/or testing you might have to obtain, might complicate your plans a little.

(In the interest of full disclosure, my family has a Universal/WDW trip booked for August. DH and I will be fully vaccinated by then, and despite our home state's inconvenient quarantine and testing restrictions for out-of-state travel, and the likelihood of unbearable heat and humidity, and hurricane season, and not everything being open, and no guarantee of any new attractions or restaurants - at WDW anyway - we've become so stir crazy during the past year that we still felt the balance tipped in favor of going! YMMV.)

Certain counties in the state have travel restrictions, but not ours. Our numbers have come down pretty rapidly and it seems like vaccinations are going fairly smoothly, I expect within the next couple months that things will be even better, which is why I kind of want to stay ahead of the curve a bit. I think once the general population gets their 2 shots, I would assume more and more people will start to look to travel.

 

[lincolnryan]

I can’t speak to how it is there now but we went at the end of October last year and despite all the missing entertainment, limited hours, masks and a mini heat wave it was one of the best trips I have had there.

People not crowding into your space, lines moving at a regular pace was great. The dining, while limited, was handled well with mobile ordering and best of all, just being with family on an actual vacation was an amazing feeling. Looking back, it wasn’t the smartest move but I’m still glad we went.

The only thing I truly was uncomfortable with was the main pool at the various resorts we visited. In each case it was too crowded for my taste but the quiet pools were great.

From the photos I've seen from friends that have gone in the last month, the pools looked OK but who knows. The pools are the only area where I'd be a little nervous because it's all unmasked, but we'll have to see. One of my kids is a big pool/waterpark kid and I know he'll want to spend a fair amount of time there.

I can't stand crowds, but I think I hated FP even more than I should. I played the game, but I didn't like it because I feel like it just stressed me out. I personally would rather just go ride to ride without having reservations. If it's a wait, we're all waiting.

 

[SaltyD]

I say go for it! It's a family vacation and as long as you're not going solely for the character experiences, or for the other Disney touches that aren't currently around due to covid, you will still be able to enjoy your time there and make memories. Even if there are crowds, it won't be as crowded as pre-covid and with some good planning you can work your way around the crowds. If 2020 showed us anything, it's to not wait until the time is "perfect" because you never know what might change at a moment's notice.

 

[lincolnryan]

Go and enjoy. From what you describe, most of the missing things wont affect your enjoyment and there will still be enough there to make the trip special. It is important to enjoy as much life and time with your kids while you can. Disney will at some point get back to the crazy, crowded vacation destination it once was. When? We cant say, so you should go now while the park numbers are still limited and park going is manageable. Yes, Disney is different, but the joy, the fun and memorable times you will have is all about you and how you interact with your family. Your presence with each other is what counts. Disney can still bring you the magic you are looking for. And at 12 & 10 you still have lots of time to get back and experience a different Disney when things return. Once people start to feel confident about traveling and vacationing, I'm sure theres going to be special deals coming out and travel agencies pushing Disney trips, to fill the parks to the max.

I'm not as worried about my kids wanting to go back, I think my wife will be on the fence. She thinks, rightfully so, that there are plenty of vacations to go on and doesn't want repeats. It probably doesn't help that she gets motion sickness so her ride choices are a bit limited these days. Maybe I just need to get her to move to FL so we can just take day trips!

 

[Bullseye1967]

We just got back from a month+ in Central FL and we found the crowd levels and wait times to be great! As others have stated the social distancing gives you space and we rarely felt like people were right on top of us. Dining takes a bit of planning since they seem to open and close the counter service places at odd times. Sometimes with very short notice. We saw a place we had planned to eat would no longer be open weekdays. If you are flexible you will do great!! We found the CMs to be wonderful and had some great interactions. Just be careful with your dates as Spring Break/Easter can have some much busier days.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Since you are vaccinated...and assuming Florida gets its $&!¥ more together...I think you should go.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

As others have said...GO!!! My wife & I went there in early December for our second "Disneymoon"...with the mask situation, I really didn't think the trip would be enjoyable...man, was I wrong!!! The weather was cool for FL, but as far as the precautions were concerned, being from NJ, we felt safer on property than we do going to our local supermarket, Loews, Depot, etc. There's hand sanitizer dispensers at the entrance and exit of every attraction, we only saw 2 CM's having to ask tweens to pull their masks over their noses. Everyone was very well behaved. While there's no fireworks or parades, the cavalcades go by multiple times per day at each park, and while there are no m & g's, I was actually surprised at the enjoyment we had. The lines appear to be longer, but that's because everyone is so spread out. Attractions with just a few "diehards" i.e. COP, Tiki, CBJ, etc. were busy and crowded...Let's put it this way...if NJ Governor Murphy would have seen the crowds and people actually enjoying themselves RESPONSIBLY, his head would have exploded! And no, we didn't self quarantine when we returned, no one at either airport asked anything and we felt 100% safe!

As far at the meals go, we had 1 "sit-down" meal 6 out of the 7 days, and ate around the world on the other. We usually get, and we've always been pro DDP, but when I'm wrong, I admit it, and we actually saved money paying OOP. Overall, I think your family will enjoy it!! We're going back (the 4 of us) in mid May, and we CAN'T WAIT!! It exceeded all of my expectations!

 

[BASS]

Time goes so fast. I'd go. If you wait, your 12 y/o will soon think either Disney is not cool or you're not cool anymore to travel with!

 

[fishbisquit]

We had a WDW trip planned and booked last May. Then we pushed it to Oct and then had to cancel that also. We now have it booked again for this May. We are assuming we will still have to wear masks at WDW in May. Some of the canceled events like parades and fireworks do not bother us at all. The masks wearing and the constant reminder of seeing people in masks is what will bother us the most. It's almost enough for us to consider pushing it back again. However the major point that has us really leaning towards keeping our trip "a go" for this May is that crowds should not be an issue and hopefully lines won't be bad. If you can put up with the changes and masks, when will you ever get a chance to go to WDW with 30-40% less people?

 

[KellBelle]

I would totally go! We went in early December 2020 and had a blast! It was more crowded than we were expecting, so I would prepare for a bit of crowds and take it as a win if it ends up being less people than you expected. We had a few table service meals and a couple of them were seating parties closer than I would have liked, but we still enjoyed all of the meals. Quick service can be a challenge, some of the restaurants had pick up windows a couple of hours after our mobile order time, so keep that in mind. Those couple of things aside, it was a great time and I wish I was there now!

 

[Djsfantasi]

We’re in our 60s and cancelled a trip last Sept. Now, we’re going in late April. I’m used to a couple of trips each year and my gf hasn’t been in 35 years.

We’ll be vaccinated by then. I won’t miss parades (didn’t enjoy them anyway), nor m&g s (she’s not thrilled with characters).

My major concern are the flights. Being crammed into an aluminum cigar tube for 6 hours is worrisome.

I hate that there are no FPs, but I’m hoping the park attendance restrictions will make up for that.

 

[ELG13]

We had pretty much the same situation as you. Cancelled two trips, I'm fully vaccinated, kids ds that don't get crazy about meet and greets and generally enjoy the rides, pools, etc. We went last month and it was AMAZING. we are going again in April. For us it was nice not having the crazy crowds. We enjoy the fireworks, from a distance, sometimes, but wasn't a big deal to us. The dining options were more than enought gh for us, even though a few favorites are still closed. It made usbtey some new places that are now new favorites lol. The trade off was totally worth it to us with low crowds. We walked on every ride (yes, even peter pan) except for mine train. I don't expect April to be as spectacular but I would say if it's even half as awesome, it would be worth it.

 

[lincolnryan]

We’re in our 60s and cancelled a trip last Sept. Now, we’re going in late April. I’m used to a couple of trips each year and my gf hasn’t been in 35 years.

We’ll be vaccinated by then. I won’t miss parades (didn’t enjoy them anyway), nor m&g s (she’s not thrilled with characters).

My major concern are the flights. Being crammed into an aluminum cigar tube for 6 hours is worrisome.

I hate that there are no FPs, but I’m hoping the park attendance restrictions will make up for that.

I was a little worried as well. We have been cautious, not going to indoor restaurants since this all began. The idea of going on a plane and then going to WDW was a little much for me, but I am comfortable with it now. Case counts are down, more vaccine doses by then, and it seems the airplanes recirculate their air so much that it's not as much of an issue. Still though, I hear ya!

 

[CaptainAmerica]

If you think you might only go one more time with your kids (ever) then I'd say skip this year and go in 2022. I say the same thing to people with babies. Yes, I think Disney with babies (or during COVID) is "worth it" if you're going to go other times and get a fuller experience, but if it's closer to a once-in-a-lifetime thing, it's not the ideal time to go and I would wait.