Visiting Disney World During Coronavirus Outbreak
Should I cancel my Walt Disney World or Disneyland vacation due to coronavirus? With three Disney theme park complexes closed due to COVID-19, this is now a common question–both from the perspective of whether travel is safe and what the likelihood is that the Florida and California parks will close. (Updated March 9, 2020.)
I’ll preface all of this by stating the obvious: I’m not a scientist, pandemic expert, or even in any way knowledgable of public health. I hate going to the doctor, and am irrationally scared of needles. (Like a brave trooper, I get the flu shot anyway!) I’m a staunch advocate of specialized expertise over internet fear and rumor-mongering. Accordingly, this should not be viewed as a credible source of information regarding staying safe and healthy.
For all of that, we recommend consulting the World Health Organization’s basic protective measures against the new coronavirus (COVID-19) and advice for the public, the U.S. Department of State’s Alert Bulletin about the Current State of Novel Coronavirus, and Centers for Disease Control’s Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Situation Summary. The perspective this post will offer is how coronavirus might impact travel to Walt Disney World, and what you can do to be prepared…
Let’s start with the latest updates as of March 9, 2020. Currently, there are 18 positive cases of COVID-19 tied to Florida, including one in Central Florida. There have been 2 deaths in Florida due to coronavirus, both patients were in their 70s with underlying health conditions. It’s worth noting that just over 200 people have been tested in Florida, so those numbers could be underreported. (All per the Florida Department of Health).
At Walt Disney World, we’ve noticed a significant increase in hand sanitizer stations throughout the parks, plus at the entrances of every resort, and inside most restaurants. That’s definitely a good start. Beyond that, things mostly seem like business as usual at Walt Disney World. There have been no reductions in meet & greets, buffets, or queue changes as a result of coronavirus.
Conferences and special events are already being cancelled throughout Florida, including at Walt Disney World. Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings has stated that several major conferences have already canceled, which were expected to bring $154 million to the local economy.
This extends to Walt Disney World. Cancellations are up at the resorts that host large amounts of special event business. This is being felt hardest at Coronado Springs Resort, which is heavily dependent upon conventions. Other resorts likely to be impacted include the All Stars, Yacht Club, Contemporary, and potentially others. Keep an eye out for deals at all of these.
With that said, local officials and Visit Florida both have indicated that there has yet to be any impact on leisure travel. However, that could change as we approach the spring break season. Anecdotally, we’ve heard from several readers who intend upon cancelling or postponing trips, which is why we’ve lowered attendance projections for the next few months in our 2020 Walt Disney World Crowd Calendars.
Disney’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Pamela Hymel has released a coronavirus statement, indicating that the company is monitoring the situation in light of recent developments with the spread of the virus in Florida. Here’s what Disney released, which is intended to address guest questions about coronavirus:
As part of our commitment to the health and well-being of our cast, guests and the larger community, we are carefully monitoring this evolving situation and are in regular contact with health agencies for information and guidance. Our parks and resorts are welcoming guests as usual and we continue to implement preventive measures in line with the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other health agencies.
Our parks and resorts have high standards of cleanliness, which assists with illness prevention, and we have health and safety protocols in place, such as:
- Training for cast members, with ongoing reinforcement on a regular basis
- Defined cycles for frequent cleaning and disinfection of targeted areas
- Easy access to handwashing facilities and hand sanitizers
- Quick response to spills, trash and other situations
- End of day sanitation procedures for restroom, kitchen, and other facilities
- Frequent cleaning and “wash down” of outdoor locations, including walkways and queues
Additionally, our onsite health teams and leaders are communicating with our cast members about illness prevention, including the guidance of the CDC. The CDC recommends everyday preventive actions to help stop the spread of germs, such as staying home when sick, washing hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, following proper respiratory cough etiquette, avoiding close contact with people who are sick and avoiding touching eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
For our part, we’ve been closely monitoring coronavirus for over the last month-plus to see how it’d impact our potential trips abroad this spring. I’ve become obsessive, reading about a half-dozen articles per day. If I’ve gleaned one thing from those resources, it’s that the coronavirus situation continues to develop. Quite simply, there’s a lot of fluidity to this. The status of coronavirus today almost certainly won’t be the same next week.
At present, there no limitations or advisories for domestic travel within the United States. Nor, to my knowledge, have other countries issued bulletins or elevated risk levels for the US as a result of coronavirus. Public health experts are only advising proper precautions: frequently washing hands, avoiding touching unwashed hands to the face, maintaining social distancing from anyone who is coughing or sneezing, following good respiratory hygiene, and using hand sanitizer to reduce risk.
Public health experts also state that the biggest health risk for domestic travel right now is the flu. While some areas do have more reported coronavirus cases and preventative measures are being taken in some cities, no part of the United States is considered higher risk for coronavirus than any other. That could change if or when more sustained person-to-person spread in the community occurs.
When it comes to travel, the World Health Organization has indicated that an airplane cabin by itself isn’t more conducive to spreading infection, but proximity of passengers does matter. Flights by themselves aren’t considered higher risk, except that they are crowded situations. Consider, wiping down surfaces you are going to touch on airplanes or other public spaces, such as hotel rooms.
Paper surgical masks are effective at keeping you from spreading disease if you are sick, but not totally effective at blocking you from ingesting coronavirus. If you have a cough, consider wearing a mask out of common courtesy. Even before coronavirus this was incredibly common in Asian cultures, which is why it’s more common to see masks abroad. (But don’t hoard masks.)
When it comes to traveling during the coronavirus outbreak, some CYA advice you’ll commonly see is to purchase travel insurance with a “cancel for any reason” policy, and to use a travel agent. I don’t disagree with the latter part of this–they can deal with making cancellations or changing plans for you. In the case of Walt Disney World, that means waiting on hold for hours when call volume spikes. (As is always the case around hurricanes.)
In circumstances like this, I’m actually not a staunch advocate of travel insurance. If it’ll give you peace of mind, great. Go for it. Just be aware that if the situation deteriorates considerably and travel is interrupted within the United States, airlines will begin waiving change or cancellation fees (albeit usually with the caveat that you receive a credit for travel within a year, not a cash refund).
If the worst happens and Walt Disney World is forced to close, you’ll receive a full refund. (In that scenario, a lot of Walt Disney World’s hurricane policy would likely be applicable–read our Tips for Visiting Walt Disney World During Storm Season for more elaboration on all of this.) Other travel providers will likewise follow suit. Travel insurance with the option to cancel for any reason is best for those who want to cancel before travel businesses start closing or canceling.
One thing I would recommend if you haven’t already booked a Walt Disney World vacation for 2020, is to consider something that can be modified or offers free cancellation. Not just because of the above concerns, but because both approaches will allow you to apply discounts or rebook if better deals become available. (Again, travel agents/Authorized Disney Vacation Planners can help with this.)
With the nonstop news coverage of coronavirus, Walt Disney World’s hotel occupancy rate and attendance is bound to drop irrespective of any actual threat levels. In other posts, we belabor the point that WDW doesn’t offer deals out of corporate benevolence, but to fill hotel rooms. It’s possible, if not probable, that discounting will become more aggressive as coronavirus fears grow.
We normally are strong advocates of Priceline Express Deals, Airbnb vacation home rentals, and other third party deal hacks. However, this is one scenario where you might want to stick with options that are easier to cancel or modify. There are obviously no guarantees, but you could end up saving more money that way.
There’s also the possibility that Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and/or Disneyland Paris will close at some point. Shanghai Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland have each been closed for over one month, and likely will be for at least another. Tokyo Disney Resort is temporarily closed for 2 weeks, which is likely to be extended.
The difference with the Asian resorts is government involvement. Japan’s Prime Minister has “strongly encouraged” closures to curtail the spread of coronavirus but–more importantly–prevent Tokyo’s 2020 Summer Olympics from being cancelled. Oriental Land Company, the owner of Tokyo Disney Resort, acquiesced to these requests. The Shanghai and Hong Kong parks are both partially state owned or sponsored, meaning Disney also did not have the final say there.
Generally speaking, countries in Asia have employed more draconian quarantine measures. Culturally, it’s not as easy to see Americans being receptive to some of this. It’s also more difficult to envision the United States taking steps to stifle the economy or business interests.
This isn’t to say that Walt Disney World or Disneyland will or will not close. That could happen in the weeks or months to come as coronavirus spreads within the United States. Alternatively, if attendance plummets due to fear, closures of the parks or various resorts could become a business decision. We’re likely a while from that happening, though. (Disneyland Paris is a different story entirely.)
Or, nothing could happen at all. Walt Disney World and Disneyland could install more hand-sanitizing or hand-washing stations, in-room fliers and in-park signs about best practices, or even hand sanitizer bottles to hotel guests.
Recent precedent suggests these are the most likely scenarios, as variations of these things occurred during the peaks of H1N1 and the Zika virus. Coronavirus is obviously different than both of these pandemics, but best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. Neither Walt Disney World nor Disneyland closed during those outbreaks.
Planning a trip or visiting Walt Disney World or Disneyland in the near future ultimately comes down to comfort and your personal risk tolerance. Are you elderly, do you have a chronic medical condition, or are otherwise immunocompromised? Will you be nervous, stressed-out, or in a constant precautionary state that prevents you from enjoying your vacation?
Obviously, those are personal questions that only you can answer. We’d once again reiterate that there are currently no travel advisories or restrictions concerning domestic travel, and that it’s important to approach the decision rationally without being overcome by paranoia or hysteria. At the same time, traveling in a state of fear is not going to be fun, either.
My perspective is likely to be different than that of others. I have an incredibly high risk tolerance, and I’m not personally concerned about contracting coronavirus. On an individual level, it comes down to a risk assessment. This is something everyone is doing on a daily basis, and we all take measured risks–driving in a car, taking a flight, riding a bicycle, playing a sport, swimming, drinking alcohol, and so on.
Often, analysis is shaped by worries of catastrophic consequences, even when seemingly mundane everyday activities pose greater actual risk. For instance, you might now fear sinking on the Jungle Cruise, when overdosing on awesomeness while watching Country Bear Jamboree is an exponentially greater risk. And yet, one we all eagerly take multiple times per trip. (“Don’t be afraid your life will end; be afraid that it will never begin.” ~Big Al, probably.)
(UPDATE: After reading more about the importance of collective and individual measures to flatten the epidemic curve, I’m now reevaluating future plans.)
This isn’t to minimize coronavirus. By most reasonable accounts of public health experts, it poses a serious threat and likely will significantly impact daily life in the United States at some point. Dr. Nancy Messonnier, Director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, has warned that if person-to-person spread picks up, further measures might need to be taken, including school and workplace closures, voluntary home quarantines, implementing cleaning measures, and other things.
Ultimately, our recommendation is to trust public health experts and agencies, and make appropriate changes to your daily life and travel plans only if or when necessary. Unless the fear of coronavirus will ruin your vacations, there’s really no reason to act preemptively. To the contrary, you might be able to take advantage of deals or lower crowds if you simply follow pertinent official recommendations and don’t give in to hysteria by canceling your Walt Disney World, Disneyland, or other vacation plans.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
Do you plan on cancelling or postponing travel plans to Walt Disney World, Disneyland, or beyond as a result of coronavirus? Will you continue monitoring the situation and potentially cancel? Alternatively, will you book a trip because of coronavirus if prices or attendance drops? Do you agree or disagree with our advice? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Good observation about conferences causing cancellations. Several companies (mine included) are now putting out bans on non-essential travel and I’m sure they wouldn’t want to risk their employees health and safety at a work event with a large gathering of people who may or may not have the virus.
However, I am more concerned about the large group of children traveling from Washington state given the lax approach to cleanliness children generally have. I’m surprised they’re still allowing that event to occur.
Advice needed: My sister and I are in our late 30’s and 40’s and our parents took us to WDW every year when we were kids so we do an annual trip just us two. We have a blast! We act like big kids and it’s awesome. We’re Canadian born Chinese and haven’t been to China. In fact we don’t even speak Chinese. We’re booked April 18 – May 3rd and booked in to stay at Universal and visiting both WDW and Universal. I’m worried not only about Corona but also about us facing discrimination…do you think we would experience unpleasantness from others? Should we cancel? Any thoughts are appreciated.
Hi Jennifer,
My two pennies worth is that you shouldn’t make decisions based on the opinions of people commenting on this blog. There are some extreme opinions both ways, before we reach the main issue that you have raised,
Hi Rose,
I understand your opinion however my aim was to get insights from others on the ground, which I have. We use reviews and others opinions every day to determine travel and other types of purchase decisions, so I don’t see this being any different. Ultimately, it’s about making informed decisions and getting as much info and insights as possible to help us choose a path one way or another. Thanks for commenting!
FWIW, we just returned from WDW two days ago and I am a US citizen but originally from Taiwan. I did not feel any sense of being discriminated against while we were there. Cast members were congenial as expected and service was fine. As far as interactions with other guests at the resorts or in the parks, I don’t think we experienced anything that wouldn’t be typical in any crowded amusement park. Most people were friendly, and you occasionally encounter someone rude, but it did not appear racially motivated.
Thanks GK for commenting back. That’s helpful and appreciated 🙂 It’s good to know how it was while you were there. Sounds like the WDW we love!
Sadly, encountering racism is definitely a legitimate concern. Not active discrimination from Disney, but comments from other guests certainly are possible.
I know it’s obviously easier said than done, but just remember that individuals who would make racist comments are the same types of people drinking bleach to “cure” coronavirus. They’re morons acting out of fear, whose opinions should not matter to anyone ever.
@Tom Bricker – Totally agree and I know. Obviously we’re hoping for the best and usually at Disney it’s a place where people are usually happy and friendly. I just commented to see what others’ experiences on the ground may have been and I’m glad I did as I’m happy with what I’ve read back so far! We’re going to go and unless Covid-19 becomes a bigger issue in Orlando we’re going to pack the bags and get ready for some fun in the sun at the parks and ensure we’ve got our supplies of sanitizer, etc. Thanks for the article! It was the first article I could find specific to WDW Trip planning and Covid-19 concerns. Super helpful and as can be seen by the amount of conversation both positive and negative it’s been on a lot of people’s minds. Especially since it’s not a cheap trip, usually involves a lot of planning and bigger groups including children and family. Thanks again!
Just back from 7 days in WDW. From the best restaurant in the place to counter service, to crowds in every park and Springs. We saw and heard nothing discriminatory or racist. People of all ethnicities were present in the usual proximity in lines, parks and restaurants. None we saw were being avoided or commented on. Of course there is always the one Moron or two who will be the exception but IMO if you decide to go at this point you have no worries.
Thanks Jack for commenting back. That’s helpful and appreciated 🙂 Looking forward to our trip and glad you had a good one!
@Jack
You wouldn’t fly to Seattle . . . So how do you feel about 150 kids and adults coming from Seattle right into Disneyworld and surrounding parks at the same time next week? Does that increase the potential of being affected? (Not to mention whomever may be on the various flights).
Go with your gut. If it feels wrong, it probably is. I’ve been questioning Disneyland and the school district where I live. Disney isn’t going to do the right thing for the health of people, they will do what’s right for their bottom line. It’s a corporation, not a family. Southern Nevada school districts just cancelled all international and out of state trips. Smart.
Thank you Ashley for this heads up! We were going to Disney at the same time your group from Washington is going. We already were questioning if the large Disney crowd was worth the rick. Since I’m a nurse from Rochester NY and have to return to my hospital to work after my vacation, we are cancelling our WDW trip and losing ticket and hotel money about $2000 for the 2 days we would have gone. A huge disappointment for my boys. People stay home if your sick! Washington we feel for you! New York City is another place to avoid!
Were those kids hanging out in a nursing home (where most of the Seattle area infections originated)?
Our upcoming trip is for one week from April 26th to May 3rd. We’re a family of three, my husband and I, who are in our fifties, but healthy…. and our 11 year old daughter. Our situation is different because we rented points, so not sure we would get a refund if we cancelled. A lot can happen in a little over a month and a half…. so we haven’t made a decision yet. If we were leaving tomorrow, we would go, definitely. It’s just not a thing yet, but like I said…. this virus started in China in January…. and look at them now. So we are carefully monitoring what’s happening. At the end of the day, having to cancel a vacation is a first world problem, as my family and I are aware of the suffering of the people of China and are praying for them. I would say, that unless things got bad here, we will go…. but only time will tell. Thank you for addressing this issue.
I would also like to thank you for addressing this issue Tom. We have a similar dynamic to this family. We have used 300 DVC points to stay at the DLP hotel from March 22-27 on our way to Italy. We have cancelled the Italy part. Everything is closed, so won’t be much fun there. If Disney would allow us to recover the points and cancel Paris too, we would, but would choose to go to WDW instead. My fears are not in catching the virus, but in potential inconvenience in traveling to Europe at this time. My other fear is that we get to Paris and then they decide to close DLP….time will tell I guess. One thing for sure, I’m angry with my beloved DVC for not being more flexible in this instance. Points are forfeit inside 30 days. All that to say that I think you should go!
Fran
Ahhhh, remember when Legionnaires Disease made hotel/travel trips cautionary? Stats on that were 15 out of every 100 that would get, would die. It’s actually can still be a concern with bacteria in a/c systems. There will always be a health issue because of populations, germs, travel, overall cleanliness habits. How many had food borne deaths with say, lettuce? Use your smarts. Read up on how to keep ahead of the issue(always good to update your knowledge instead of assuming). Make your own decisions…don’t hand over that freedom. It’s not Disney’s role to decide what’s best for you and your family. It’s not going anywhere…it will be there another 50 years at least. Parades are all planned out!
This statistical analysis of Corona Virus will be my last post on the subject. Here’s how one analyzes it from an engineering perspective.
First, due to the unrelaibility of the Chinese data, and I’ve lived and worked in that country for years, you toss it out and consider only data that can be verified. As of three hours ago. not counting China, there were 17,648 verified cases in the entire world. Tossing China’s 1.6 billion people out of the equation that leaves a worldwide infection rate among the remaining 6 billion of 0.000000006%. Outside of China there have been 343 deaths among those 17,648. Most of these have been in Italy and South Korea. The mortality rate is thus about 1.9%, however there is no reliable data as to the number of actual recovered cases. Many doctors, mine included, feel that the actual mortality rate is less than 1% but I cannot verify that with data. And yes, though small, that is a higher rate than the garden variety flu. If there is a comforting fact it is that the fatalities among children is nil. The greatest problem seems to be among older adults like me. Most of these have contributing secondary conditions. The world wide mortality rate is 0.0000003 percent. The number of deaths in the US is 12, all but three of which, I believe, are in a Seattle nursing home.
All that said, would I travel to Seattle? Or certain parts of Italy or South Korea? Nope. Mother didn’t raise any complete idiots. As for Disney I believe there are now three cases of this virus in Florida. The infection percentage is something like 1.428 to the minus 7 percent. There have been no deaths.
Draw any conclusions from this data that you wish. My sole purpose in this and any other posts I have made on this thread is to encourage people to make intelligent travel decisions based on facts, not hype and fear. I have done my best to present facts and encourage thinking people to make their own decisions. Life should be fun. Disney and other places in our beautiful country are to be enjoyed. By all means if you are worried about your vacation then just dont go. But please, use facts to make an intelligent and rational decision based on YOUR family and YOUR desires, not someone else’s fears or dictates.
Ciao! And God Bless Us All.
Jack
Forgot two things:
The infection rate in the US is presently 0.0000006944 percent based on the present population estimate of legal residents. The mortality rate is some number my scientific calculator doesn’t have enough zeroes to the right of the decimal to present.
Amen!
Great analysis Jack,
I assume since that was your second to last and last posts you won’t be name dropping top end hotels and restaurants that you are currently frequenting in response to this. As an engineer you should know that this information is irrelevant and should be thrown out.
When anthropologists finally come to pick through the bones of the greatest outbreak since the Spanish flu, they may come to release that one man and his hubris contributed greatly to the fall of the spread of COVID-19 in the USA, I am not talking about Trump either,
Jack, once again, your hypocrisy is on full display!
In other posts you complain about others “cherry picking” their information sources, then you proceed to COMPLETELY DISREGARD the Chinese data (and several other countries) in completing your analysis! By definition, you are “cherry picking” your data sources, as you only include those sources which support your argument!
In addition , the calculations you use to illustrate your “engineering perspective” could be completed by the average middle schooler! You should be ashamed of yourself, you’ve been belittling others for over a week while touting your own credentials, and then you provide this simplistic analysis?! I’m beginning to seriously doubt your professed credentials…
Also, I couldn’t help but notice that you’ve posted several times since this “last post” on the subject – what a hypocrite!
Don’t rely on Jack’s “cherry picked” analysis to make decisions regarding the health of you and your loved ones – the WHO announced a 3.4% fatality rate for coronavirus, that’s 34x more deadly than the flu.
You could believe the WHO, or you could believe a “2x engineer, paramedic, former fighter pilot” (all likely all fraudulent!)
The only thing Jack has proven thus far is his own hypocrisy.
Don’t be like Jack…
Multiple perspectives are great, and I can respect the range of opinions on this topic. However, I am getting fed up by a handful of people attempting to dominate the discourse.
If you’ve already commented on this topic several times, you’ve made whatever point you had to make. You’re not adding any fresh perspective or changing minds by replying ad nauseam. Please move along.
Lock the thread Tom.
I think he is referring to you Jack.
I understand but you’re also not taking into account that many still ask the same or close to the same, repetitive questions and don’t read thru. Human nature for blogs, comments and posts. So that’s why so many rewrite the same answers back because it’s the same questions popping up. Strong suggestion: leave the Disney connect link/number and let them question all they want the ones in charge because most can’t seem to make a decision for their lives on the whole subject. Peace out!
Jack is a chemical and mechanical Engineer with degrees in education, Chemistry and Physics who is 74 years old and was, for 11 years, a volunteer paramedic in Morris county NJ. I have had my own one man consulting engineering business since 1981. I’m not pushing travel to anywhere, I’m just saying weigh the risks and make your own, informed and intelligent decision for yourself and your family and don’t be panicked or influenced by emotional people trying to make decisions for you.
We just bought tickets for Orlando last Monday $360 roundrip from Sfo with nonstop. If the park doesn’t close, we are planning to go (me and 2 kids 9 & 11). I haven’t book hotel & park tickets as prices might dropped more but I see very good deals now that is the reason we are going in June. My only concern is the park closing as I won’t get a refund on the flights.
Park/WDW I would bet my house on, will not close. Even hurricanes they don’t kick people out of hotels. They may limit hours but they do that for different reasons often. And maybe the economy hotels on property will offer some deals but you’re most likely not going to get a better deal with the high end ones because they can always find people for those without offering deals. And honestly, summer months bring usually their best deals because of the heat…and school is out, even for FL residents used to it all. Airlines have more competition to deal and “closed in contact”. Face it…parks are wide open on most attractions.
We’re apparently still planning on attending (sadly). Coming from Washington with two full teams of cheer girls and parents to attend the World Cheer event at ESPN March 13-17. Absent any decisions from Disney – teams are coming. I personally think this is a bad idea – having 100’s of kids and parents travel from WA State to Florida for 5 days amidst a complete breakout in WA! I just don’t think hand sanitizer is going to prevent this type of transmission – especially when one may not have symptoms for two weeks. Imagine everything everyone will touch that is not sanitized. All the bars on rides, handrails, handles, counters, etc. and the things that are touched outside the resort that are not sanitized. Unfortunately, I don’t have a voice as to the decision of carrying out events that Disney is hosting
I agree, this is a horrible idea. Disney is not acting responsibly by allowing this, nor are your schools if they are letting the kids make the trip. Personally, I would not allow my child on this adventure. Not only are the kids risking infection, they can pass it on to anyone they encounter during travel and upon return that may have weakened immune systems.
Unfortunately it isn’t a school group – they are select teams. I actually think the CDC is to blame. Everyone is following their recommendations and guidelines and if they are not implementing Strong advisory cautions then no one knows how to react. The CDC could restrict non essential travel (Ie recreational) to limit travel and exposure (especially for Washingtonians) This is an excellent article explaining the importance of limiting exposure that my boss sent out – encouraging us (even healthy) employees to work from home to lessen the curve.
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/preparing-for-coronavirus-to-strike-the-u-s/
450 people died last year falling out of bed
Well better tell all the parents to pack probiotics in their kids suitcases.. LOL
@ Ashley…I read that one yesterday, it is a good one. And your right, the CDC and our President should be doing more to prepare and warn us. Recreational travel should be halted. Check out this article too…great for us to read how they are feeling in retrospect in China about how they spread it all around because of lack of government information and warnings.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-virus-survivors-tale-of-crossing-china-in-the-early-days-of-outbreak-11581245096
Are you serious!! This is a terrible and very risky idea! Thank for posting this, makes cancelling my plans an easy decision now.
Ashley, are they going to Disneyworld or Disneyland? If they are from the infected area in Washington State they absolutely should cancel and not be so slefish as to possibly affect others but if they are from a completely different area then I see no reason they should not go. I live in RI, smallest state and we have 3 cases, all from a school trip to Italy. They are from the other end of the state so I am not worried about contracting it myself. This was last week and so far no new cases.
We are not traveling till early June but have no plans on canceling. We did make a decision to drive instead of flying, but this was done before the coronavirus escalation and more so due to someone always getting sick before or after our flights. As the meme says “I didn’t survive drinking Everclear in my younger years to die of a virus named after a beer.”
I contemplated a lot , went through some rational assessments ( and paranoia) and finally decided to go the WDW with my wife and toddler. We visited Magic kingdom and Animal Kingdom on March 1 & 2. The deciding factor for me wasnt the travel plan ( we were travelling from ohio ). We decided to go considering the virus isnt really that dangerious for young kids and with the awareness that we needed to literally sanitize ourselves every chance we get. I was walking around with Hand Sanitizing Wipes and Sanizters in my pocket and backpack and cleaned our hands before and after every ride , character greeting and meal. I wont lie there were a lot of nervous moments , especially during the fireworks when we were in a crowd of what seemed like a million people. Other than that the Parks seemed pretty safe to me as long as you maintained distance from people and sanity. The only other nervous moment i had was in the plane ( but that was just me being paranoid). In general i wiped the airplane seat , rental car seat , ride seat in the park and anything else i could think of. Was all of this worth it ? I will report back in 2 weeks time 🙂 . Stay safe everyone.
PS : Little controversial but i did give my child a lot of tablet /phone time in public places to ensure they keep their hands to themselves and out of their mouths as much as possible.
Very rational approach
Our family traveled via plane for our first ever visit to Disney World back in February when all this was just beginning. I wiped down everything on the plane and the seats that we waited in at the airport terminal. I required the children to wear masks in the airport and on the plane when they weren’t eating. I wiped down all surfaces in the hotel and brought plenty of hand sanitizing items with us which we used diligently throughout the day everyday. None of us got sick. If our trip were scheduled for now, I would most likely simply follow the steps I took above and possibly use hand sanitizer more often than we did. I doubt I would cancel plans unless we had some kind of immunodeficiency. I really appreciate all of the info from this blog and in my opinion the only thing I can see Disney doing at their U.S parks would be to have cast members wander up and down ride lines with hand sanitizer. Just remember, you have to rub the hand sanitizer into your hands between fingers and on the backs of your hands until it is dry. And when using disinfectant wipes the surface must air dry. Good health to all and enjoy your families no matter where you vacation!
Your children will love in fear
We canceled our trip to Disney world. We were supposed to arrive yesterday for my daughters 6th bday. We actually told her what’s going on m, and asked if she still wanted to go or wait until this dies down, she said she’d rather wait. Didn’t shed a tear and had a great birthday. So proud of her. Disney will put profits ahead of people, period. Only when a confirmed case is on their doorstep will they close. By then thousands will have a come and gone a spread it around the world and it won’t be able to be traced back to them. All PR.
I’m glad you were able to cancel your trip if you felt uncomfortable. Hopefully you suffered no financial penalties. As for Disney, of course there will be a case there. Given the amount of people that pass through their gates and the flu-like characteristics of this virus it is surely inevitable. The thing is anyone’s level of concern with the disease needs to be respected. You have to do what you feel is best for you. As for me, wife and I just came back from a week in Disney and I’d go back tomorrow, but again, that’s me.
We will reschedule our trip from Toronto to Orlando to next year due to coronavirus concerns. While I know I’ll be fine, I’m going with my 2 young kids, my wife and my 70+ year old parents. They are very worried about the air travel, local facilities and medical supplies available in the US, as it appears there are a lot of people still waiting to be tested at this point. My kids are sad for not meeting Mickey this year and I’m sad that I still haven’t visited Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge.
WHO (World Health Organization) has upgraded the death rate to 3.4 % https://www.livescience.com/coronavirus-updates.html
They are also changing the demographic to include children.
Florida now has 3 cases as of yesterday.
A vaccine to be tested in clinical trials will take AT LEAST 1 year. Most likely once they actually find a vaccine and mass produce it it will be 2 years to our hands.
Stay Home. Let the dust settle and spend that money on a backyard pool.
H1N1 vaccine took exactly 6 months
Have loved your site for several years and despite being seasoned travellers to the US and Disney we do look to you for both advice information and tips and are eternally grateful
Although we have flights in place and a week at Universal booked our final date to make our final payment to Disney is in a couple of weeks. we are happy to travel over as we usually do but after booking and if the Corona Virus causes major disruption and closure of either our Disney hotel or Parks what seems to be the thoughts on Disneys attitude to either a refund or a change of dates when the problems subside.
I am not a fan of travel insurance as far as cancellation is concerned as Insurance Companies simply refer you to your Carrier and Travel Company which is in our Case Disney via a UK Booking.
Is there a feeling that Disney will make a statement regarding this sort of situation arising. I appreciate that they have a policy on the threat of a Hurricane but that is more of a short term tactic
Thanks as always
“Is there a feeling that Disney will make a statement regarding this sort of situation arising. I appreciate that they have a policy on the threat of a Hurricane but that is more of a short term tactic”
My suspicion–not based on any fact or rumor–is that Walt Disney World will avoid public comment beyond something like ‘we are closely monitoring the situation and consulting public health experts.’
Releasing a cancellation policy or issuing statements beyond that will bring this front-of-mind for more guests (and potential guests) and cause more cancellations. They will likely handle cancellations and refunds per normal policies (or on a case by case basis beyond that) for as long as possible.
We’re flying to Florida from the UK in 2 weeks. I’m keeping an eye on the situation in case of closures, but I’m not concerned about contracting COVID-19. There has been such a huge over-reaction to it, IMO. It makes you wonder what the MSM is trying to distract us from.
Its not necessarily you contracting it, its who you can spread it to during your travels and upon return. Think of anyone in your life that may have weakened immune systems due to underlying issues. They will not recover as easily or at all.
But Holly and her family do not have the virus and thus cannot spread it. Also, their chances of getting it, taking normal precautions as one would for any communicable virus, are very low. Don’t spoil someone’s vacation because YOU are afraid. Never can tell what might happen. Look at those poor people who went to sleep in Tennessee and died in a tornado they never knew was coming. Of course, you could always live underground. . . .
What worries me are the Washington state families and students coming to Orlando airport and Disney World. It’s possible they don’t have symptoms yet but are carriers of the Corona or may display symptoms later on.
We’re going to Disneyland this week. I’m reading articles like yours and others to be informed but we’re not concerned enough to alter our plans at this point. I must say, I’m glad we’re driving and not getting on a plane. We’ll have sanitizer and wipes with us to use as we get on rides. We’ll remind our teenage kids not to touch their faces with their hands. Other than that, I agree that the common flu is a bigger concern than corona virus for us at the moment. Hopefully this topic and a forecast of possible rain will keep crowds down
Good for you! Take reasonable precautions and have a great time!
Jack, would you please stop trying to convince people to ignore this disease! It is very dangerous and if your not concerned about getting sick and dying, you and anyone else going to the parks could make this disease spread like wildfire and kill many!
As always, great info!
That photo of Spaceship Earth is incredible! Don’t know if you took it, but it’s just gorgeous. Nice job.
Regrettably, we decided to reschedule our long weekend trip coming up this weekend. While I’m reasonably sure it would be fine, we were taking the daughter of a family friend along with ours and it doesn’t seem to be worth the risk, however small. The parks are so busy and it’s such and international crowd it makes me a bit nervous – especially when kids seem incapable of keeping their hands out of their mouth and touching everything.
I feel for those who plan these trips so far in advance and have the liability of airfare, car rentals, and elaborate plans. We live in FL so it’s disappointing but not the end of the world. BTW – Disney was VERY accommodating about letting us reschedule the entire trip (now in late June), not so much on loosing the first night’s stay if we didn’t (Grand Floridian on short notice so it was $$).
Duke, sorry you had to reschedule, but you made the right decision given the circumstances.
I agree with you 100% about Disney customer service, they are amazing! 🙂
If people are on the fence, the need to give Disney a call and discuss their options, we have always found them very accommodating.
Good idea to reschedule, especially with the large Washington state group coming through the next week. I am doing the same. I do not think we can enjoy the trip as much if we are worried about possibly getting infected and then passing it on to our loved ones when we return. Symptoms take a while to exhibit or sometimes they are so minor that people don’t even realize they are carriers of the corona.