Walt Disney World in 2020
The most magical place on earth!
Almost all of us have fond memories of trips to Disney. So when my mom gifted my dad with a family vacation to Walt Disney World back in 2019; the whole family (my fiance included) was ecstatic! We all set up countdowns to the last week in March of 2020, when the trip was planned for, and not-so-patiently waited for our first time back to Disney in almost 10 years.
As you all know, that didn’t go according to plan. It’s 2020 - nothing has gone according to plan. Walt Disney World shut down in March and our trip was cancelled and pushed back to Halloweek 2020. Back in March, we all thought this would be plenty of time for things to come back to normal. None of us thought the pandemic would change things so drastically for so long. It honestly wasn’t even until a month before our trip that John and I were positive we’d be able to go at all. Would it be safe? It is Florida after all; and we were nervous about the airlines. Eventually after doing our research and making sure we’d be as protected for ourselves and others as we possibly could; we decided we’d go on the trip. And let me tell you, I am so happy we made that choice!
Left to Right: At Rapunzel’s Kingdom & Tower in Magic Kingdom, with the Millennium Falcon in Hollywood Studios, in front of the Tree of Life at Animal Kingdom, and being photobombed by my little sister at Epcot!
How Disney was Different:
There wasn’t a moment when I thought I was at risk or putting others there. Parks, Buses, RIdes, and Restaurants were all running at a much lesser capacity; and in order to get into any of the parks, you had to have already reserved a ticket (so they can ensure they’re not letting too many people in). Lines were set up and marked so that each party was more than 6ft apart in every direction, there were automatic hand sanitizer dispensers everywhere, and there were designated staff members walking around holding a sign instructing that everyone must wear proper masks covering mouth and nose at all times unless actively eating or drinking while stationary. These people firmly asked those incorrectly wearing (or not wearing) masks to mask up, and if they didn’t comply at the first warning, they were told to leave the park - and we witnessed people being escorted out! Our temperature was taken before entering every park, before going into Disney Springs (what used to be Downtown Disney), and upon entering every restaurant. Everything was regularly cleaned and wiped down- despite the lesser amount of people in parks, the wait lines for your favorite rides were just as long, because after every or every other go around, each station was thoroughly cleaned (which is something I absolutely did not mind waiting for!).
My mom, younger sister and I in our Halloween Costume of Donna and the Dynamos from Mamma Mia
My Final Thoughts on Vacationing in 2020:
Me, John, and my family all had an amazing time, and practically none of the magic was lost with these adjustments.
As someone who personally experienced a lot of guilt in the decision to go on this vacation: take one.
Yes, we’re still living in the midst of a global pandemic. But we can’t stop living our lives. We just have to live them differently - in a way where we’re not putting ourselves or others at risk. Disney was different (read: a lot more upper lip sweat) when you have to wear a mask the whole time; but that’s a change I was more than willing to make, as it kept me and those around me safer.
If you want to go on that vacation and have a safe way to do it: go! Please don’t ever feel bad about doing something that is right for you. You just might have to do it a little differently now.
xoxo, Sarah
