****Official Thanksgiving 2020 Thread****

[Stefne]

Per the Disney earnings call today - we get to be the test cases with heavily sold hotel rooms for the Thanksgiving week kick-off to the holiday seasonand the increased 35% park capacity... my recently found comfort is quickly disappearing

I already feel like I’m on a rollercoaster... why go the WDW?!?!

Rising cases everywhere, worse than March and now this news.... we might be canceling again!

I was disappointed with the increased capacity news as well. We are probably going to go ahead and make the best of it though, because a rescheduled trip for us now would be during Christmas week (which I imagine will be even worse than Thanksgiving). Our only available option after Christmas week would be all the way out to next summer, as our kids' spring break has already been cancelled due to starting school so late this year. I'm almost wishing we would have just kept our summer trip when the parks were a ghost town.

 

[soniam]

Ugh! As long as we don't seem sick before leaving, we will be going. Our DVC rental is non-refundable. Not thrilled about the increase in capacity. Luckily, we are flexible. Oh well, glad we pulled son to back home after his school had about 10 positive tests in the first week of real in-person school. We are working from home too. So, hopefully we won't infect anyone if we get sick. We will be self-quarantining again for 14 days once we return.

 

[Sydnerella]

Chicago just issued a stay at home advisory - not where we are from but as they say, Stuff is getting real! Our governor just recommended that all 18-35 year olds be tested! (we are from Minneapolis)

Ahhhhh!

 

[ambula603]

I am hoping for the best and trying to get excited! Our district just went virtual starting next week but I went ahead and pulled my daughters at the end of this week after seeing lots of people get quarantined from exposure. That was my biggest fear and so far we have managed to stay away from any positive cases. Our town isn't terrible, but the numbers are going up around us. To be honest - I wish we were going TODAY but I didn't know we would be virtual when we booked it and 2 days off of school/work were better than 5.

We had kept the trip a secret from the girls until yesterday and they flipped out when we told them! That made me excited. I keep telling myself that any Disney is better than no Disney and we have been wearing masks and social distancing for months now and have remained safe. I do pray I don't bring it home so we will self-quarantine when we return.

Either way, this will be a MEMORY! This time next week we will be flying toward HOME!

 

[soniam]

Anyone looking for a Chef Mickey's @ 7:50am on Monday, 11/23?

 

[soniam]

Anyone need park reservations for this upcoming weeks? I am going to cancel the following:
Thursday, 11/19, Epcot 2 slots
Friday, 11/20, DHS 2 slots

 

[Sydnerella]

Anyone need park reservations for this upcoming weeks? I am going to cancel the following:
Thursday, 11/19, Epcot 2 slots
Friday, 11/20, DHS 2 slots

Are you canceling your trip by chance? We are supposed to be leaving MN Friday and we are feeling very worried about the trip and strongly considering canceling.

 

[soniam]

Are you canceling your trip by chance? We are supposed to be leaving MN Friday and we are feeling very worried about the trip and strongly considering canceling.

No. I was always coming in on Thursday before Thanksgiving, because I wanted some park time before the Destination D convention. That was cancelled though. We weren't sure if my son and husband were going to fly with me on Thursday or arrive Friday night. They decided to just arrive Friday night. I had already made park reservations for all of us just in case. I don't think we will cancel, unless we get sick, since we have a non-refundable DVC rental.

 

[lynzi2004]

Are you canceling your trip by chance? We are supposed to be leaving MN Friday and we are feeling very worried about the trip and strongly considering canceling.

We are strongly considering cancelling! We were there in August without kids and had a good enough trip we decided to bring the kids over Thanksgiving. BUT, we could see even in August where the line situation could get out of control quickly and with the increased attendance we are worried what we might find. We haven’t pulled the plug yet, but even if we go it we might go down to a 2-3 day ticket instead of 5. I’m not sure about standing in 45 min line after 45 min line with 3 kids, day after day. I will say that I would only be canceling due to increased crowds/wait times, not bc of Disney’s safety protocols...we felt those were very good!

 

[Van Houten]

We are strongly considering cancelling! We were there in August without kids and had a good enough trip we decided to bring the kids over Thanksgiving. BUT, we could see even in August where the line situation could get out of control quickly and with the increased attendance we are worried what we might find. We haven’t pulled the plug yet, but even if we go it we might go down to a 2-3 day ticket instead of 5. I’m not sure about standing in 45 min line after 45 min line with 3 kids, day after day. I will say that I would only be canceling due to increased crowds/wait times, not bc of Disney’s safety protocols...we felt those were very good!

I have the same concern - it's more about standing in lines with kids and lack of FastPass. This is something Disney can address, as they can scale up ride throughput to meet demand, and keep the lines below acceptable threshold (30 min) at 35% guest density; the question is, will they? It would require bringing in the same number of cast members to the parks as they would normally do on a Thanksgiving week - which means, this is dependent on corporate priorities: additional upfront cost / better image vs. squeezing as much as they can now and losing attendance in longer term.

 

[sparkle78]

Ok let’s get excited, we’re going to Disney ! We leave a week from tomorrow.
Warmer weather than home
No dishes or laundry to do while there
Christmas decorations
Good food
Cons: staying at Rivera for first time and not our beautifully decorated Wilderness Lodge
No fireworks or late nights in magic kingdom, but maybe we can go mini golf or enjoy the hotel pool and glass of wine in the evenings instead
Happy early Thanksgiving

 

[4My3KGirls]

Well, its official, our Thanksgiving Trip was officially cancelled over the weekend. We were schedule to arrive on Sunday, 11/22, but it looks like our Spring Break 2020 trip will now be part of the July 2021 Happy Dance. This is the second time we will have pulled the plug on this trip one week from departure and reset the clock to 8 months!
I love planning Disney trips, but planning the same trip 4 times (Original 3/22-3/28 dates, 11/22-11/28 with 180 day dining window, 11/22-11/28 with 60 day dining window, and now July 4-9, 2021.
Shoutout to all the Disney Travel Company reps I have talked to over the past year during all of this and to Disney for allowing maximum flexibility for package changes during this time.
Here's to hoping by July we might have a more "normal" Disney experience with fireworks, parades, and more.
For those still going for Thanksgiving, have a great trip and stay safe!

 

[MrsBooch]

Hello Thanksgiving People!

Just wanted to check in on you guys - who is still going to WDW for Thanksgiving??

We are still going as of now - leaving in 6 days!

We have a three resort split stay - originally two but three because I had to change our flight by one day, and had to tack on a day at a different resort.

We will be doing Beach Club for the first day (this was our tack on day due to flight change) I got a Cabana for the day so we can have our own space and enjoy the pool all day and I found a Beaches and Cream dinner reservation (this is also our first time eating at that restaurant)

Then Wilderness Lodge for 4 days - Thanksgiving dinner at Whispering Canyon which is really convenient for rolling ourselves back to our room after we eat all of the skillets.

Then Riviera for three days - closing out the trip with Epcot Festival of the Holidays and a Birthday dinner at Topolino's Terrace - also a first time for us.

All of that being said - we aren't blind to the numbers etc. and it has been said many times that people feel safer at WDW than in their towns etc - we are weighing the fact that the parks and airlines have been consistently maintaining more stringent requirements of mask wearing, cleaning cycles and social distancing against that which we see in our own town - which is mediocre at best.
If they are open, and doing it safely, we are weighing our risks and we are choosing to go. We will do our best to maintain safety while there, follow rules and our own logical reasoning regarding social distancing. When we get home we are quarantining for two weeks (even though it isn't "required") and our son will NOT go back to school until that time has passed. We won't go grocery shopping, we will order everything, not see my mom etc - and be safe upon return.

Alternatively - if we cancel and stay home as we have been doing since March - WDW will continue to remain open and operate safely - but numbers will continue to go up because people like my SIL say that wearing a mask is infringing on her "constitutional rights" and she refuses to "cancel" Thanksgiving and she will have her whole family over along with their significant others, children etc, and they are all going to be indoors, without masks on of course. And then her kids, and their kids, will go back to school after thanksgiving and be around other kids who's families stayed home. And they'll keep going to Costco and their local pub because "they don't live in fear"....and there you go.

I would rather have had a Disney trip than not within that scenario because the Disney trip and what we do when we get home (in my opinion) isn't what is causing a spike in numbers.

 

[soniam]

We are still going. I fly out Thursday morning. Can’t wait. Hope these 3 days working goes quickly.

 

[MrsBooch]

We are still going. I fly out Thursday morning. Can’t wait. Hope these 3 days working goes quickly.

you know that this will be the longest 3 days ever!!

what are you MOST looking forward to/What is the first thing you'll do when you get there?

for me:
1. I'm most looking forward to changing into our swimsuits and just being near/in a pool in warm weather - IT'S GETTING COLD UP HERE.
2. The first thing we are doing - even though we checked in online, we're getting our buttons from the front desk! Two Birthdays and an Anniversary

 

[ambula603]

We are going! We fly out Friday morning and hit Epcot that afternoon. We packed this weekend and now I am READY! We are doing virtual school this week and getting ahead so we don't have to work while we are there. Trying to busy myself and not watch the news. Looking forward to the Disney bubble in that regard (I don't watch anything but the Disney home screen in the resort, it's my FAVORITE!)

I am most looking forward to:
Staying at Boardwalk for the first time
Seeing the new castle colors and projections
Eating at Liberty Tree Tavern
Star Wars Galaxy's Edge (all new since we have last visited and we have been watching a movie every night to learn about it - none of us had seen SW before!)
Mickey and Minnies Runaway Railway (again, new to us)
Horseback riding at Fort Wilderness (a surprise for my 9-year-old daughter)
Coordinating masks with our outfits (Can't believe this is a reality but might as well have fun with it!)
FAMILY TIME away from the real world!

 

[MrsBooch]

We are going! We fly out Friday morning and hit Epcot that afternoon. We packed this weekend and now I am READY! We are doing virtual school this week and getting ahead so we don't have to work while we are there. Trying to busy myself and not watch the news. Looking forward to the Disney bubble in that regard (I don't watch anything but the Disney home screen in the resort, it's my FAVORITE!)

I am most looking forward to:
Staying at Boardwalk for the first time
Seeing the new castle colors and projections
Eating at Liberty Tree Tavern
Star Wars Galaxy's Edge (all new since we have last visited and we have been watching a movie every night to learn about it - none of us had seen SW before!)
Mickey and Minnies Runaway Railway (again, new to us)
Horseback riding at Fort Wilderness (a surprise for my 9-year-old daughter)
Coordinating masks with our outfits (Can't believe this is a reality but might as well have fun with it!)
FAMILY TIME away from the real world!

That all sounds AMAZING!

Are you doing Liberty Tree Tavern for Thanksgiving? Jealous!
I'm also very excited for Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway - it looks like a fun for all ages type of ride.

You HAVE to please report back about the Horseback riding!! I would LOVE to do that with DS but he's still too young. What a wonderful treat for your daughter!
I hope you guys have the best time!!

 

[soniam]

you know that this will be the longest 3 days ever!!

what are you MOST looking forward to/What is the first thing you'll do when you get there?

for me:
1. I'm most looking forward to changing into our swimsuits and just being near/in a pool in warm weather - IT'S GETTING COLD UP HERE.
2. The first thing we are doing - even though we checked in online, we're getting our buttons from the front desk! Two Birthdays and an Anniversary

You know it. Luckily, I am working from home and can stay on mute during meetings when people say stupid stuff. My patience for work is very thin right now.

I am looking forward to the holiday decorations, having a couple of days by myself to spend quality time with my camera, and meeting some friends for dinner who are moving to Orlando. That’s just the first 2 days. Also looking forward to finally eating at Jaleo.

 

[MrsBooch]

You know it. Luckily, I am working from home and can stay on mute during meetings when people say stupid stuff. My patience for work is very thin right now.

I am looking forward to the holiday decorations, having a couple of days by myself to spend quality time with my camera, and meeting some friends for dinner who are moving to Orlando. That’s just the first 2 days. Also looking forward to finally eating at Jaleo.

the mute button is my friend these days - i feel you on the thin patience.

People are something else...

 

[Stefne]

We are still going. We will be getting up bright and early Thursday morning and starting the long 13 hour journey. We are most looking forward to all things Star Wars, as our last trip was in the summer of 2019 right before Galaxy's Edge opened; Stormalong Bay, as we have never stayed at Beach/Yacht Club before; Mickey Minnie's Runaway Railroad; Thanksgiving dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern; and the Epcot holiday festival. This is our first trip during the holidays and we are so excited to see all of the beautiful decorations everywhere.