August 2021 - will I be going ?

[Plague]

We received an email from Virgin holidays they are now offering unlimited free date moves up until April 2023. i don't get the feeling they are expecting to be running the Florida route this year.

We have moved ours to 2022

The variants are certainly making life even more interesting. I have a horrible feeling that we are heading for each country or part of the world having their own strain, with appropriate vaccines. Thus none will want random travellers fetching and bringing someone else's variant back.
Travel might be allowed, but the quarantine on getting to your destination and again on return would be horrible.

Since Fauci and Disney have pretty much mandated masks into 2022 (I'd guess at least through next winter) I've pretty much given up hope of going this autumn, even if travel is possible.
But I retain a small candle in the window, cos you never know

 

[Thegoatfeeder]

I'm trying to remain positive, the US seem to be making good strides with their vaccination push as are the UK, and as I said earlier, both governments will want some travel routes reopened when possible at least for economic factors.

As other have said though, it's the variants that seem to be the major issue, I guess until we know how well the current vaccines deal with the Brazilian variant we'll remain in the dark.

I am worried though about losing a lot of DVC points if my September trip has to be cancelled though, still, I suppose I shouldn't complain, first world problems and all that!

 

[Ruttangel]

Last week I was at 40% chance Aug trip going ahead, now about 25% due to variants. If borders open but require testing on days 1,7,14 and possibly quarantining afterwards....then that would be me out as well.

 

[pickers1982]

I change daily (we are due December) after I period of its never going to happen I'm not positive for December. August touch and go. May wake up tomorrow and think the opposite however!!!!!!

Hopefully the vaccine will change things quickly. Hell if we can't go when vaccine rate is high when will you be able to go!

 

[Plague]

Hell if we can't go when vaccine rate is high when will you be able to go!

Probably once we have a 'flu' situation with Covid.
That is we are trotting out tweaked vaccines each year for the current strain(s) and the death rate is at acceptable levels.

 

[Ruttangel]

Sigh, another UK variant has emerged, it’s going to keep happening so we just gotta hope the vaccines don’t need modifying.

 

[Plague]

Sigh, another UK variant has emerged, it’s going to keep happening

Yes, as long as there are high infection rates there are fertile 'breeding grounds'. This is why it is such a bad idea when places like Texas decide that it's OK to let it all rip (today's news). It's like saying "We've disabled half the enemy's tanks, we can go home now."

And then there is the rest of the world with their own 'breeding' programmes. I don't think the phrase "Global Pandemic" has really sunk in yet in respect of international travel.

This is a very adaptive virus, unlike smallpox, measles and some others. One vaccination pp isn't going to be a universal panacea.

 

[Lyricallie]

We've booked a room and tickets for end of September (just before the madness of the 50th). I keep swaying back and forwards with whether it will happen. I'm in Scotland and we have been much stricter (however we often fly from Manchester so who even knows). My fiance and I have been working from home since March, so I think we could quarantine and work from home if we had to. I would not want to quarantine in a hotel for extra cost though. Luckily we can change for £50 up until July, so I'll probably decide then. I think our final day to change is the day before our wedding so I hopefully I'll remember haha.

 

[alyssa888]

Regarding vaccines I did read about some research being done into a vaccine that actually targets a part of the virus which mutates less than the current spike protein being targeted. In effect this would be a vaccine that has some buildt in resistance to varients. Obviously we may still need repeat vaccines if the immune response only lasts a certain period though.

There is still research going on both on the existing vaccines and how well they work, and how well immunity lasts as well as new vaccines. Treatments for Covid19 have improved and will continue to improve, alongside which the younger generation will grow up with immune systems that have likely been exposed to the disease and overall with improving immune responses from exposure-via vaccines or direct contact will over time reduce the impact of Covid 19. Once levels are around the levels of mortality and hospitalisation that we have for flu (sadly often 10s of thousands a year just in the uk and aound 600k in the world) Covid19 will then become one of the endemic diseases we just live with. However this could take a number of years tbh.

There is no way governments will wait for that so I think there will be travel corridors and passports but holding off booking our trip, keep saving and see what transpires.

I wouldn't bank on any trips in 2021 but who knows?

 

[Ruttangel]

Latest news......

“On 12 April, Government will publish a global travel taskforce report, it will weigh up not only the "extraordinary" UK vaccination rollout but also other countries' vaccine programmes.”

looks like we will all be going to Israel then

 

[jackieleanne]

Latest news......

“On 12 April, Government will publish a global travel taskforce report, it will weigh up not only the "extraordinary" UK vaccination rollout but also other countries' vaccine programmes.”

looks like we will all be going to Israel then

On the back of this Biden has now stated that all american adults will be offered the vaccine by May. I think August and the second half of the year could be likely. I imagine Biden would also be looking at vaccines in other countries and cases etc.

Edited to add he's also said that he hopes for things to be back to normal by July.

 

[Ruttangel]

On the back of this Biden has now stated that all american adults will be offered the vaccine by May. I think August and the second half of the year could be likely. I imagine Biden would also be looking at vaccines in other countries and cases etc.

Edited to add he's also said that he hopes for things to be back to normal by July.

I think he was referring to small gatherings on 4th July but still good news

It seems like we are still a way off normal travel arrangement, ie no testing/quarantining/mask wearing/social distancing. May 2022 would be my guess for that.

Being able to travel in August is very likely but what conditions will it come with, that’s why Im not sure whether to move my holiday to Aug 2022.

 

[Thegoatfeeder]

I find it somewhat comforting that France have recently added the UK to their 'safe' list even though this variant is about, meaning explanation for travel will not be required.

What that means for the US though, who knows? It does seem though that the UK and the US are leading the way (albeit behind Israel) in terms of the vaccination programme. Therefore if the US government does look at a staggered opening of the borders, I can see the UK being high up on their list since a large proportion of our population will have been offered a vaccine by July/August.

What that looks like I guess will be a vaccine passport, testing and masks, social distancing still required etc, I don't see Disney massively changing their operating practises any time soon. But I am slightly hopeful again that some form of travel will be allowed by Summer to the US, however what that means for kids I am not sure since as far as I understand they aren't being vaccinated right now and therefore won't have a vaccine passport.

It's all just guesswork, but seems realistic to me at least, or maybe its just wishful thinking on my part!

 

[jackieleanne]

Oh yes absolutely don't think it's going to be back to normal in the extent that they won't require either the vaccine passport or testing in place, but I don't think the ban will be in place after summer.

In terms of Disney I've heard rumours that they had a corp package for Harmoneous from Oct/Nov and I think they could be somewhat back to normal all be it without masks and probably still with the booking system in place by Sep/Oct capacity will certainly be more than it is right now that's for sure.

I think if you can do so without penalty I perhaps would move the date to next year, an then you would also get the new things that had been put in for the 50th.

I'm so desperate to get back our honeymoon trip got cancelled for the second time. Probably won't go this year, but that being said depending what happens I may end up booking something last minute towards the end of the year.

 

[Ninabeano]

From what I have read there are no incidences of anyone contracting COVID at WDW. Yes the borders will need to be open before we travel but I haven't given up hope of our September trip happening yet.

My main issue is that when I booked the flight with TUI I mistakenly read the European info re cancellations and amendments. My fault entirely. But the UK T&C means that we will lose £3500 if we cancel and there are no amendments at all. So if the flight is going then so will we!

I struggle with masks so I would expect to spend more time at the pool rather than in the parks but I am sure we will still have a great time if we are allowed to travel.

 

[tinkerbell1991]

I realise this isn't definite or a fact yet but still wanting people from outside the US to know that there is hope international travel could resume by mid-May

 

[jackieleanne]

I realise this isn't definite or a fact yet but still wanting people from outside the US to know that there is hope international travel could resume by mid-May
View attachment 563500

That would line up with Virgin having flights back on from then and also with the UK restrictions set to end then too.

 

[Thegoatfeeder]

That would line up with Virgin having flights back on from then and also with the UK restrictions set to end then too.

I swear every day I swing between thinking my August/September trip will happen to thinking it definitely won’t. Yesterday with the vaccine delays I thought it was definitely off, but now, I’m thinking maybe it’s back on again!

 

[Thegoatfeeder]

I realise this isn't definite or a fact yet but still wanting people from outside the US to know that there is hope international travel could resume by mid-May
View attachment 563500

For anyone interested, the CNBC version of this story is here, mid May for the UK seems possible through pre departure testing:

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/18/bid...g-covid-travel-restrictions-sources-say-.html

 

[Ruttangel]

Oh no!!! “Summer holidays extremely unlikely!”
comes from a scientific advisor, I’m still waiting til 12th April before giving up completely.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-56467813