Really quick trip report in case anyone is wondering how the resorts are operating right now.
We did 3 nights Old Key West, 2 nights Vero Beach, 2 nights Saratoga Springs (refurbed room!). We visited Universal Studios instead of Disney World because (a) they'd suspended park ticket sales and we didn't think we could get a reservation, and (b) by the time it was clear we could, we decided it was a great time to try Universal anyway. I'll post about Universal on the Universal thread, just wanted to update on resorts overall:
(1) Masks are enforced in all public areas. Even just walking from a car to the room everyone wore masks.
(2) Restaurants are very limited capacity with ample distance between tables. We mostly ate on patios.
(3) Pool areas require masks until you sit down but once you're seated, you don't need to wear a mask. Chairs are spaced. There were few enough people in pools that it was easy to keep distance, and there are distance markers in lines for slides.
We didn't use any public transportation because we rented a car.
Overall we felt very safe and it was a great trip -- I was worried it would seem like this weird post-apocalyptic ghost town but it was actually very lovely to have such low crowds, cast members who seemed excited and grateful we were there, and a break from the constant Covid news cycle. Ironically, traveling to the literal epicenter at the epidemic was a great escape from all of the *news* about the epicenter of the epidemic. Florida seemed pretty normal! (I'll also note that the crazy hotbed in Florida is in Miami / South Florida, not Orlando. Orlando isn't exactly Covid-free but it's a big state and that definitely factored into our decision to go ahead with the trip.). We did not visit *any* public areas outside of the parks and resorts other than the airport, and masks were enforced there.
Vero Beach was the trickiest for masks because with mostly being in the pool and beach it was hard to remember to put it back on for areas outside of the pool and beach. But you weren't allowed in restaurants or stores without a mask. Again, low crowds made it easy to keep distance but there was definitely less mask wearing here than at WDW.
I was really quite worried about masks + kids + heat but it ended up being pretty manageable. The lack of crowds and waiting in lines made up for it.
We did 3 nights Old Key West, 2 nights Vero Beach, 2 nights Saratoga Springs (refurbed room!). We visited Universal Studios instead of Disney World because (a) they'd suspended park ticket sales and we didn't think we could get a reservation, and (b) by the time it was clear we could, we decided it was a great time to try Universal anyway. I'll post about Universal on the Universal thread, just wanted to update on resorts overall:
(1) Masks are enforced in all public areas. Even just walking from a car to the room everyone wore masks.
(2) Restaurants are very limited capacity with ample distance between tables. We mostly ate on patios.
(3) Pool areas require masks until you sit down but once you're seated, you don't need to wear a mask. Chairs are spaced. There were few enough people in pools that it was easy to keep distance, and there are distance markers in lines for slides.
We didn't use any public transportation because we rented a car.
Overall we felt very safe and it was a great trip -- I was worried it would seem like this weird post-apocalyptic ghost town but it was actually very lovely to have such low crowds, cast members who seemed excited and grateful we were there, and a break from the constant Covid news cycle. Ironically, traveling to the literal epicenter at the epidemic was a great escape from all of the *news* about the epicenter of the epidemic. Florida seemed pretty normal! (I'll also note that the crazy hotbed in Florida is in Miami / South Florida, not Orlando. Orlando isn't exactly Covid-free but it's a big state and that definitely factored into our decision to go ahead with the trip.). We did not visit *any* public areas outside of the parks and resorts other than the airport, and masks were enforced there.
Vero Beach was the trickiest for masks because with mostly being in the pool and beach it was hard to remember to put it back on for areas outside of the pool and beach. But you weren't allowed in restaurants or stores without a mask. Again, low crowds made it easy to keep distance but there was definitely less mask wearing here than at WDW.
I was really quite worried about masks + kids + heat but it ended up being pretty manageable. The lack of crowds and waiting in lines made up for it.
