It has become clear to me now that each week I shall just be papping on about our upcoming holiday and doing big baby wah wahs about the fact that it might not happen.
I’m sure you came to that realisation more quickly than I did.
Just a few short weeks ago I was very bullishly saying that there was no way that stuff would be locked down at the end of August. At the time, that was five months away. Now, as we round the corner of four months away, my hope is receding more quickly than my hairline did.
As I said a couple of weeks ago it’s the uncertainty that I don’t deal well with. For someone who revels in planning eating choices 180 days in advance all this “up in the air” stuff doesn’t sit well.
Right now my thinking is this. I think there is a 60/40 chance that non-essential travel to the US will be allowed. I think the parks will be open to some extent and crucially restaurants will be open with social distancing restrictions.
The parks seem to be gearing up for some sort of June opening, but it may be for Florida residents initially, then US guests and finally international ones, and I have no clue as to how quickly or slowly those changes will come.
However, there are a million things to consider.
- Even if travel by plane is allowed, considering I seem to get a cold every time I fly, do I really want to have us stuck in a metal tube of people for eight hours?
- Even if the parks are open, they may not be for international visitors.
- If they are, capacity may be very reduced, wait times very high and generally the experience may not be a good one.
It turns out there were three things to consider. I suppose the other thing to consider more generally is that I and nobody else really has a clue what the state of play will be in four months time.
With each passing day and more importantly Trump press conference, the US may have been wiped out by one his medical recommendations long before we have to worry if the Olive Garden is open.
One scenario I have percolating is where flights are operational and that removes our option to get a refund or a free move to new dates and therefore we (concerns about infectious metal tubes aside) would still need to fly or lose the cash, but the parks, for one reason or another aren’t doable.
What would we do then? Well, we’d save a heap of cash on theme park tickets and staying on-site at Universal for a start. My thinking is that we’d probably do a trip similar to the one we did in (I think) 2011. It was a road trip of sorts, starting in the Keys, then Naples, Vero and ending up in Orlando. Another twist on this winding road is that Universal “could” be open to on-site guests and that would include us, so we might still be able to do that. Complex, innit?
Should we need to do a different, non-park based trip then I am, semi-consciously constructing an itinerary. It is very early days, but to break up the trip I am thinking multiple locations, in a higher standard of accommodation than we may usually enjoy due to the savings mentioned before. Maybe both coasts? I don’t think we would venture south…..(not in the Alan Partridge sense) for a couple of reasons –
- It’s a long drive for us all but especially Freddie
- Miami and the south of Florida seems to be suffering more than other parts right now.
Vero may be an option so if anyone reading this has DVC points this wish to rent, stand by your beds, and the other side of the state anywhere from Clearwater down to Siesta Key would be the other option.
You know what’s coming now don’t you? For those of you that have done more of this beach stuff than we have, let me have your thoughts and recommendations, please. It may of course not happen, either because we don’t go at all, or we go and the parks are viable. Just typing that range of options gives me anxiety. Oh, certainty where art thou?
The other serious consideration for the non-park version of a trip may seem silly but, if you’ve followed any of our trips over the years it shouldn’t be. The only thing that stops us returning from holiday looking like this….
is the fact that we do a lot of steps most days around the parks. Should our days be based around the beach instead then I really fear for my weight gain capabilities. For the sake of my wardrobe, health and the person sat next to me on the flight home, if it comes to it, there will need to be some serious exertion during the days to counter this. Just being in lockdown is doing nothing for my waistline other than expanding it so the struggle is always real for me in that regard.
Beach holidays are not my first choice. You may have spotted this over the years as we tend to go to WDW! However, Louise loves it, and after being locked down for so long just being able to be together would be lovely and as much as Tom might be bored quite quickly, with Freddie to play with even his tolerance for doing not a lot may be raised.
If the season is still going we could take in a baseball game. Are there any other sporting events we might consider?
We’ve had some of our most lovely times in Florida during “beachy times” so this option would not be the disaster my big baby whinging is perhaps indicating I think it might be. We are of course lucky to be able to take these trips and a holiday in this form would be lovely, relaxing and one which would create a whole load of lovely memories.
In all the struggles currently ongoing, this isn’t one worthy of however many words I have just wasted on it, but, I spend the rest of the week concerning myself with all the other stuff as my tweeting testifies, so on Sundays, on my blog, I allow myself some self-indulgence.
I’d love to hear your current thinking on your upcoming trip, especially if you’re due to go at a similar time to us and what plans you are formulating if the parks are not the option they usually are.
Stay safe and stay indoors….
Till the next time…..
Mkingdon's Blog 
We have flights booked for the end of July so are in a similar predicament. We are annual passholders at Disney so that might work in our favour but failing that we will do a beach holiday. I can recommend the Embassy Suites hotel at St. Augustine. We stayed there last year for a few days and loved it. If you’re willing to drive a bit further Amelia Island.
Thanks Laura. We’ve never been to St Augustine so I’ll take a look!
We are due to go mid October, up until last week I’ve been thinking there’s every chance that we’ll go. We’re not intending on doing any parks this time just a few days in Fort Lauderdale then up to a villa in Kissimmee for 10 nights, our intentions are to drive out to different places from there every other day. Lately though I’m not so confident that the flight will even be going. I hate the uncertainty too, I’m waiting until July when the balance is due on our villa before I start making any decisions. I do hope you’ll be able to come up with a plan you’re all happy with, I’m sure you will.
Have a look at Barefoot bay resort in Clearwater Craig. Its really nice and just over the road from the beach.
Thanks Lesley
Another vote here for st. Augustine really nice …might look at Amelia island not heard of that
We ‘go’ 5th September, booked a package with Virgin for the first time in years. My quandary is, do I pay the balance or do I just cancel it in my head already and lose the deposit?? I can also recommend St Augustine, we were there this time last year and loved it.
Were booked for 14th August but will be ringing the TA next week to see if we can keep the deposit on account for something next year. Not going to pay the balance of 4K as really can’t see it going ahead. Really gutted about it and can’t even look at anything Disney/Florida related as it makes me so sad 😭
Your post is a mirror of the conversation we had last night about what we do if the parks arent an option! Seeing as we havent visited a beach in Florida since I was 14 (too many years ago to mention), we have a lot to consider, so will follow this post with interest. I am keeping 🤞🤞 all is ok for you!
Thanks Jodi, for you too 🤞
Having had our March trip cancelled we too are pondering our next move. We are almost certain we will be giving all theme parks a miss for a year. Our beach destination is normally Anna Marie , we do a lot of walking there lots of huge nature reserves with plenty of room for social distancing. St Augustine is also lovely. But you are right so much to consider still it’s passing the time trying to unjumble it all.
Good luck with what ever decision you make , I look forward to reading about it.
Stay well
Dawn x
Thanks Dawn
I was hoping for a trip in the second half of August. Hadn’t booked flights yet but had booked the Boardwalk with my DVC points. We were planning on combining 10 days at disney with a week in Clearwater/St Pete’s/Sarasota area as we always fly into Tampa anyway but hadn’t got round to booking the accommodation. With 3 children under 6 at home full time at the moment and trying to home school the eldest whilst also dealing with the 4 year old and a terrible 2 year old I really need a holiday! But what will be will be and at the end of the day at least we are all healthy and well.
We stayed on Anna Marie Island last September for 3 nights and wished we had stayed longer. It was beautiful. We also stayed at Vero for 3 nights prior to that but much preferred Anna Marie Island.
Have a holiday booked with virgin departing June 1st haha. I think I have more chance of winning the lottery than that going ahead. My thought are go for a refund once they cancel it. Our park tickets are good until September 2021 will see what the situation is come January next year. If you do a beach holiday Anna Maria is great as us sanibel but the noseeums can be a problem. The sun dial beach resort there is lovely.
Hi Craig,
Our trip should have been 21st August for 2 weeks flying with AA but they have cancelled our flights already!
Sad we are not going but not looking to rebook as seems to be too uncertain at the minute.
I watched Tim Tracker the other day and they had received a questionnaire from universal asking opinions going forward on how to open the park, one suggestion being wearing a face mask all the time ! Can’t see that lasting in 90 degree heat and social distancing etc would seem to be a nightmare.
Fingers crossed it all calms down a bit before you go
Wow flights cancelled for August already. That suggests we won’t be going anywhere and will have to rearrange.
We only found out the flights were cancelled because my Dad checked online for our seats and the flight had disappeared !
A phone call to AA quickly ensued and they said ah yes we have cancelled your flight and you can have a refund ! They said we would have to rebook when things have calmed down which of course will mean more money. My Dad checked and there are no flights out of Manchester.
Hmm that seems a bit naughty.
We are booked for the 24 July for 3 weeks, and thinking the same as yourself Craig. Our biggest worry is that travel insurance won’t cover us, especially if we fall ill with CV-19 whilst over there. Also the worry over BA not cancelling the flights and that we have a non-refundable/moveable booking. Going to look at some of the options suggested above too. Good luck!
To you too Jo 🙏
Well we were supposed to be arriving in Tenerife today,cancelled by the tour operator a month ago and still waiting for the refund!
This time last year we were just back from Orlando and it seems so long ago.
Today as some kind of masochistic consolation I had a cycle ride around parts of south Ayrshire, passing Prestwick airport which is now a very expensive parking lot for idle aircraft. a few Ryanair and at least a half dozen Norwegian Airlines….a very sad sight, especially for me as an ex airline employee.
we’re pretty much resigned to the fact that we’ll not be needing our passports for quite a while.
Really hope you get something sorted.
We should have gone yesterday. I was originally going to look to move to later on in the year but we have now decided to wait until next April as it’s difficult to predict when everything will be open and also when we are able to travel. We also have my auntie coming with us and as she is just over 70, although perfectly fit and healthy I don’t know whether there will still be restrictions on older people going out never mind travelling ! The accommodation I have booked is available then and have allowed me to move my booking no problem. The car hire was also refunded to me within 2 days of them calling me to say they were cancelling my booking . Unfortunately Virgin would not let me hold my open tickets for flights for that long so I have had to request a refund. I have been told that will take 90 days from my date of departure to arrive. Just waiting for the flights for our new dates to be released now and then I can rebook. Really I am quite relieved that our travel was imminent and so we knew straight away that we would not be going. It must be hard for those with bookings later on In the year to try and decide what to do.
We should have been going May 21st to a Disney wedding , we had holiday with WDW flights with Tui, as the date came up for me to pay the full amount I decided we wouldnt be going as the bride to be canceled the wedding and rearranged it for October.I canceled with Disney got all my deposit back back in my accounnt in a week. Flights with Tui officially we are still flying so we have to go through that charade and wait for them to tell us it is canceled and give us our money back.Quite frankly I am just relieved to have got out of it and being over 70 with medical issues I dont think I would be able to get normal insurance and no covid ,I am not sure the wedding will go ahead in October so regretfully have given up the idea of Florida again.I feal sorry for people like yourselves who are supposed to be going in the summer months who dont know what is going to happen or they could be flying but nothing open.Good luck to everyone still worrying.