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!
I’m not too concerned. I’ll def follow all the guidance being put out (thanks for all of the links above). I only live about an hour away and am going to go to Epcot tomorrow for Flower & Garden and Hollywood Studios Thursday to try out Mickey’s Runaway Railway. Hopefully all of this might lower the crowd levels but I’m not gonna hold my breath on that one – it IS Spring Break, after all.
Not cancelling WDW for week of March 16. Things are not that bad yet. I am cancelling going to Italy April 15 because it is an issue there. Part of this decision is that I am driving to WDW so I am avoiding flying. I am planning to replacement trip for April as I don’t want to fly even domestic right now.
Ok, I don’t care who is a “troll” or who is a “boomer” or what other name posters here wish to call each other. BUT, “RJ” needs to go back and correct his 3.4% stat figure, as that research physician corrected his interview by texting out that he misspoke in the interview on that number…he was over tired and got the stats wrong. Look it up RJ! No one on here needs to quote any stats or “experts”…common sense health issues. Wash your hands. Don’t go if your feelings are guiding you. Disney and Universal will be there. This won’t be the first time we see a Coronavirus and it’s versions. Now that said…run to get your toilet paper! LOL
Kelley, you are incorrect, and anyone with a calculator can prove it – no “experts” needed!
Visit the COVID-19 tracking project led by Johns Hopkins University: https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6
As of right now:
Total confirmed cases = 118,252
Total deaths = 4,262
4,262/118,252 = 0.0360
That’s actually a 3.6% mortality rate, that’s 36x more deadly than the flu (0.01% mortality rate).
It has GROWN since the WHO’s announcement last week – the mortality rate has NOT reduced with more testing!
If you don’t believe me, Google it – the consensus is that the WHO was accurate at the time with 3.4% and that number is even higher now.
Visit the Worldometer Coronavirus stats page:
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-age-sex-demographics/
This shows that the mortality rate increases for those age:
60-69 (3.6%)
70-79 (8%)
80+ (14.8%)
The numbers are even worse for those with pre-existing medical conditions:
Cardiovascular disease (10.5%)
Diabetes (7.3%)
Chronic respiratory disease like asthma,COPD, sleep apnea (6.3%) Hypertension (6.0%)
Cancer (5.6%)
If you don’t fall into one of the above categories, odds are you know someone who does and you can carry the virus back to them and infect them without any symptoms over the incubation period (14 days, but some outliers are as high as 27 days).
Florida has had 15 confirmed cases, and 2 of them have died.
This number will rapidly increase when the many teams traveling from WA to compete at WDW arrive soon (read earlier posts) and more testing comes online.
As for your “run to get your toilet paper” comment, you don’t need to belittle others like Jack, but it’s what people often resort to when they can’t win an argument. 🙂
I wouldn’t say I’m incorrect. Can’t. Not until the virus is over and done will stats be proven on percentages. Those still on WHO site are estimates given uncertainties but based on this unknown virus and it’s formations. Especially in world numbers, of countries with various health programs and abilities of care. Post figures and percentages for simply America now and then run waving your hands “the sky is falling!”
Kelley, you ARE incorrect, you stated that the physician misspoke, he did not, the 3.4% mortality rate was accurate at the time and was never retracted – see link below.
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/03/who-says-coronavirus-death-rate-is-3point4percent-globally-higher-than-previously-thought.html
You are changing your argument now because I provided the numbers to support my argument, while you have only provided “emotion” (something you accuse others of doing).
While I agree that the WHO numbers are not perfect, they are the best that we have right now and you don’t get to disregard them wholesale just because you “feel” like it.
To answer your question, the USA mortality rate for COVID-19 is at 2.7% as of this post, so 27x more deadly than the flu.
Florida is up to 28 confirmed cases, CA has 157 and the numbers are growing rapidly – now is not a good time to visit Disney parks.
Hi, we are a party of 7 from the UK due to visit DisneyWorld in June 2020. I’m less concerned about contracting the virus ourselves but appreciate it’s not risk free to us and others if we do! What is of more concern is if we find WDW was closed during our vacation or we are placed in quarantine before being allowed home. Neither the holiday company or insurance is able to cover either liability. Seems like postponing the trip until the dust settles maybe our best option currently. Only have 1 week before paying the large balance so any views appreciated to help make the best decision possible in these unusual circumstances?
We are a party of 7 from Canada scheduled for mid-May and our concerns are very similar to what you expressed. In that case, we have had many long discussions at home as to what we want to do and I feel we have settled on what is best for us, postponing our family vacation until there is more knowledge of the virus strain itself, correct case numbers and widespread containment of the spread. Though our family takes as many precautions as we can to not pick up viruses of any kind, half our party is under 6 and possibly contracting, then spreading to the more vulnerable is just not what we’re looking to do. (Nor being quarantined outside of our own country [extreme but not impossible]) Since WDW isn’t going anywhere and we’ve waited this long to take our first family trip here, waiting a bit extra will only build more excitement…and maybe secure a few better dining plans second time around 🙂
I think they need to shut down buffets. All cruiseline buffets and any buffet for that matter should either be shut down and go menu style for a while, OR have attendants at each station that wear gloves and serve you from the buffet. You can sanitize as you come in, but that doesn’t stop you from coughing or sneezing into your hand, then going up to a buffet and using the serving spoons!
I have been following your posts regarding the Coronavirus and WDW closures however I was wondering if you have heard anything about Universal Studios closures. Thank you
Stephanie Russo
Thank you for all of the advice and trip information, its always very thoughtful! I am due to go 1 week from today, too late to cancel and am hoping that Disney does not close. We planned our trip months ago and are very excited. That said we are going to do all the preventative measures possible to make sure we dont get sick! We are so excited!!
Brenna I dont think much will change here in a week. Magic Kingsmdom is packed full.
For now I’m doing the wait and see regarding our Memorial Day trip. We are at the beginning of a wave. Spring break will bring the swell, but we may find that better living conditions, nutrition and medical care reduces the mortality rate. And an effective vaccine might be developed soon. I’m not overly hopeful, and am starting to plan a backup trip for later in the year. My husband has asthma plus heart damage from a bad cough (cold? flu?) seven years ago, so we do need to be cautious.
We are in the same position, and although we haven’t cancelled yet, we are not hopeful that the situation will improve enough with warmer weather in order to make the trip.
After all, the virus is still going strong in places like Singapore, where it has been 90F (32C) on average. Also, Italy is fairly warm during this time of year, yet the entire country is on lockdown – looking at Italy is likely a glimpse into the USA’s future in 3-4 weeks from now.
Since you have special health considerations, it’s very important that you do your research in order to fully understand the risks you may be taking, since cardiovascular disease was present in over 40% of those hospitalized for COVID-19:
https://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/articles/2020/02/13/12/42/acc-clinical-bulletin-focuses-on-cardiac-implications-of-coronavirus-2019-ncov
Also, the Worldometer Coronavirus Statistics breaks out some of the risk factors based on age, gender, and pre-existing condition:
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-age-sex-demographics/
Good luck to you and yours in making your decision!
A maintenance worker at Disneyland Paris has tested positive for coronavirus,
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2020/mar/09/coronavirus-live-updates-outbreak-italy-lockdown-quarantine-uk-usa-america-australia-recession-fears-update-latest-news
Yesterday 3/8, was our 3 week count down. Lots of emotions and concerns mixed with facts and fiction since our 4 week Excitement!
This is ongoing and I deeply appreciate your calm wisdom and facts on Florida’s situation.
This is our 50th wedding trip plus celebrating 2 birthdays, mine 70 and my husbands 70th plus.
So, I’m grateful for this newsletter and you all looking out for us Disney kids at heart.
Harriette, congratulations to you and your husband on your 50th and birthday celebrations! 🙂
If you do decide to make the trip to Disney while COVID-19 is still spreading, please be sure to take plenty of precautions!
The data shows that people in your age group have an increased risk of mortality if you contract COVID-19 (age 70-79 have an 8% mortality rate, more than double the average of 3.4%).
An 8% mortality rate puts it on par with many surgical procedures, so it is a big risk to take on for a celebration, but to each their own!
Be sure to see the website below if you have any pre-existing health conditions, as they also increase the mortality risk (in addition to the posted rates by age category).
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-age-sex-demographics/
We are due to go the day after Easter and still planning on going as of now. We are not in a high-risk group and will practice common sense protocols like washing hands, wiping down surfaces, etc.
All the commons sense practical wisdom. Wash your hands…heck do it twice(since Disney faucets seem to never get even warm), and perhaps smartly take some wipes for your hotel room(at the least). But don’t touch face, which also means wash before you eat and after(that includes drinking and snacking!). But face it…it’s a virus, it will spread. No nationwide emergency was called for swine flu until 1K deaths here. And reality is, you are in contact with people daily even at home that you have no clue if they take these precautions and at Disney…they are going to go overboard because people are legal suit happy.
My family had to cancel a trip to Italy for the end of March/beginning of April for obvious reasons, so we decided to put our refunds toward a trip to Disney World. We still plan to go unless they close, and fortunately we’re within reasonable driving distance. Maybe we’ll actually get to ride Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway if fear keeps others from coming. 🙂
I am a physician and it is common sense … there is a virus outbreak, we are seeing community spread, Spring Break will lead to an increase in spread. Crowded places bring a larger risk of infection. Seemingly healthy people can carry the virus back into their communities and bring it into contact with more vulnerable groups …
This is not rocket science … Traveling will put you and your family at a bigger risk! Are you willing to take this risk? Are you willing to self isolate so you won’t infect your community if needed? Science is pretty clear … yes … traveling and spending time at crowded places will increase your risk to encounter the virus and … spread it … FL with tons of spring break visitors WILL see more virus cases … common sense people …
Approximately 20 thousand people have died of the “normal” flu this year in the US despite the fact that we have a vaccine for it. As a physician, what precautions do you recommend we take to ameliorate that risk? The same as for this Corona virus that has killed approximately 100 people here so far and may spread as well? Do you recommend that, in general, we just not travel domestically and avoid all crowded venues in the winter
Sorry, my bad. Not 100 deaths. 25 US deaths and approximately 525 infections as of this morning.
If you look at statistics for seasonal flu and coronavirus fatality , even basic primary school maths tells you that corona virus is up to 50 times deadlier on average ( divide number of death by number of those who catch it). Remember to divide ( primary school )
About 50 million Americans have preexisting conditions, if I’m correct . For those with pre existing conditions , the fatality rates is said to be 5 times higher . You do the maths. Same for elderly . This means it is a death sentence for those ppl . It can be mild for you but you can pass it to family members , colleagues and friends who are at risk .
Novel coronavirus is a new virus . We don’t have anti bodies against it , we still don’t know many facts about it . Comparing it with flu is as wrong as it gets .
I have a PhD in statistics and know nothing about medicine. But common sense says the virus needs human hosts to survive and move from one point to other . Close proximity creates that environment for the virus . Also it involves touching public surfaces – specially places full of children who tend to touch everything and touch their mouth. They are not as good as adults in keeping distance. It can spread by an exponential ratio ( 2.5-5 ) . Do the maths . You don’t need a PhD , just common sense .
Experts (medical experts , epidemiologists) pls correct me if I’m wrong ?
And I see a physician tells us their valued expert opinion here , don’t be an anti intellectual science denier and accept expert opinion.
It is not right to express uninformed opinion that can hurt human lives . We have a duty of cure towards each other .
Oh yeah. Here’s a statistic for you as well. The infection rate in the country is 1.9 persons per million. And as for children, I guess you missed the part where there is next to a zero infection rate in kids. The people who need to be worried are those over 70, especially if they have other medical conditions,and, of course, those who have such conditions regardless of age.
Finally. when I was recently at WDW I happened on and actually spoke with a PhD microbiologist with a specialty in infectious diseases. He was quite enlightening about the genesis of this virus. And being a Chem E as well as having been a paramedic in NJ for 11 yrs, I actually understood him. He also said that soap and water, hand washing, is your best friend. He wasn’t all that concerned and neither is my personal physician. Rasonably so, but not in panic mode. I do my homework.
I honestly don’t care what you or others choose to do. Go to Disney or stay home. It’s your and their decision and I can appreciate whatever decision they choose to make. What does upset me is people who constantly sow the seeds of unreasonable and mindless panic among us because they place themselves in a morally superior position from which they attempt to dictate to those of us whom they consider beneath them in both morality and intelligence. Unfortionately in the case of this virus, critical and rational thought seems to be taking an unfortunate back seat to the constant drumbeat of apocalypse.
Don’t listen to Jack, he is a troll and a hypocrite who is willfully blind to the facts.
He’s been posting here for over a week belittling anyone who disagrees with him while writing emotional rants which accuse others of being too emotional.
Either Jack is an expert (as a 2x engineer, paramedic, ejecting out of a plane, or some other baloney) or he “knows an expert” who shares his view. Meanwhile, he simultaneously rejects the viewpoints of any other experts who disagree with him.
He is willfully blind to the fact that pleasure travel has been fueling the outbreak (like unnecessary trips to Disney), because he recently returned from the parks himself.
He can’t stand the fact that each news report reveals how wrong he has been:
The WHO confirms 3.4% fatality rate, 34x MORE DEADLY than the flu…
The American Hospital Association announced that they don’t have enough hospital beds to care for projected number of COVID-19 patients…
14 cases in Florida now…
Don’t be like Jack…
Most health experts are saying that mortality rates of the Coronavirus will decrease as more people are tested. There haven’t been enough people tested here to get an accurate percentage for a mortality rate. Many people have most likely already had Coronavirus recently or have it now and don’t realize it. It usually presents itself with mild cold or flu symptoms, so that’s what people assume it is Most people don’t go to the dr.’s office or the hospital with those symptoms, and therefore aren’t diagnosed, even if the Coronavirus test was available. Only the severely ill, elderly, and immunocompromised have been tested in most circumstances. It’s fear-mongering and inaccurate to call this a death sentence for anyone, Lily.
Karen, while I have also read that some believe that the mortality rates will decrease from last week’s stated 3.4%, what we’ve witnessed so far is that the mortality rate is INCREASING despite increased testing (3.6% as of today).
“Only the severely ill, elderly, and immunocompromised have been tested in most circumstances. It’s fear-mongering and inaccurate to call this a death sentence for anyone, Lily.”
Your above statement is incorrect, many people who are not typically considered “high risk” now fall into that category for COVID-19 because it is 34x more lethal than they typical flu (36x as of today).
For example, people with asthma are not classified as being “severely ill”, yet they are at an elevated risk of death from COVID-19. The same for those with diabetes, yet they are considered a high risk group as well.
Anyone deciding to increase their exposure should at least understand the risks by reading up on the available data:
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-age-sex-demographics/
Thank you for your thoughtful, informative article. We have two teenagers with their hearts set on going this Friday for three days and it is extremely hard to tell teenagers not to risk. We wish the theme parks would close. Particularly since Spring Breaks will begin. That is the responsible leadership action (just like concerts, conferences, other big events are being cancelled) to slow down the inevitable community spread and give medical protocols time to prepare/avoid overwhelming hospitals. Save lives.
“We wish the theme parks would close”.
That sums up how panic alone can create a global recession. Scary.
If it bothers you or you or yours are in a high-risk group just don’t go. let others make their own decisions
Kathryn, you’re right, it is time for Disney to close the parks for the safety of the public.
We are in the midst of a global pandemic that is more deadly than the Spanish Flu and it’s growing at an exponential rate.
At this point, the parks are only still open because they are putting profits above everyone’s health.
Walt Disney barely survived the Spanish Flu himself, and I can assure you that he is rolling in his grave.
My 2020 visit to WDW was in February. So I personally wont have to make that decision. I have to say..I would have to think twice especially at Spring Break with the increased crowds.
Many Disney World bathrooms still have hand-crank paper towel dispensers. From people who barely wash, that may spread COVID-19 and plenty of other viruses.
that’s why you should ALWAYS use your elbow to push the paper towel dispenser, and always use a paper towels to open the exit door back up, never rely on the person in front of you having washed their hands thoroughly enough. at least they still have paper towels, i HATE air blowers, all those have proven time and again to do is blow bacteria and germs all over the place. they are not sanitary and needs to be done away with.
First of all, you are just the best! I was hoping you’d have something helpful to say on the matter and you totally posted about it!
I have been wanting to go back to Disney for years and kept delaying the trip because of the cost. Now it finally looked like we could go the first week of May and I was so excited. I haven’t been able to book anything yet but I’m going to try to do so cautiously, keeping watch on the situation and not booking things that can be cancelled with too much penalty. Thank you as always for your helpful perspective!
I honestly don’t understand why people are so worried about COVID-19. Unless you’re elderly or have a compromised immune system even if you get it recovery doesn’t seem nearly as bad as the flu.
I feel that something like this comes up every few years and never seems to amount to much. Swine flu, H1N1, SARS and not long ago everyone was worried about Ebola. Only companies that make hand sanitizer are benefiting from this unwarranted panic
My understanding is that the concern also lies with healthy, young people, carrying it to older people- i.e., young children spreading it to grandparents. So while it may not affect you personally, you could easily infect lots of other people while it goes through your system. It’s difficult to contain it if there is widespread contact (i.e., in large group settings). All that being said, we are monitoring and watching for right now, but not making any significant changes at this time. I do agree with other readers that Disney is not a necessary trip, so if it continues to worsen, we may need to change our plans accordingly.
Chris, as of today, COVID-19 is 36x more deadly than the flu, so your statement that it “doesn’t seem nearly as bad as the flu” is incorrect.
According to Dr. Fauci (head of USA COVID-19 task force) while 80% who contract it experience mild symptoms, 20% require hospitalization.
The American Hospital Association has stated publicly that we do not have enough hospital beds available (by a wide margin) to treat everyone infected with COVID-19:
https://www.statnews.com/2020/03/10/simple-math-alarming-answers-covid-19/
Anyone who doesn’t understand why people are so worried about COVID-19 needs to read up on the subject, this is a unique threat which will test the USA health care system and the population. “Don’t panic” does not equal “Be complacent”
Now is the time to get to know the enemy and learn how best to fight it.
We were scheduled to go to Disney at Spring Break but we canceled the trip. It is heartbreaking but is not worth the risk.
At this time there is no way my family is getting on a plane unless it is a necessity. A trip to Disney is not a necessity. We will go when things get better.
†I agree with u completely! We live in Ohio, my daughter and grandkids moved to Texas 1 yrs ago. We have everything booked for 3/19 thru 3/22. I only wanted to make some memories. They r 9 & 11 and r growing too fast and I’m missing alot. My husband and I are 60 and over but good health (I just quit smoking after 35 yrs). My son is 34 and is a quadriplegic since he was 23. I have really considered carefully and have decided that it’s not worth the risk to my son. If he ever even caught the flu or a respiratory infection, it could be life threatening because his diaphram doesn’t work well so he can’t cough well. Pneumonia and respirators are not worth the risk. All of these people who r saying they r willing to take the chance because they r healthy and no cases from Disney aren’t realizing that this is a developing situation. It seems to pass person to person quicker than flu, has a longer incubation period in which u r still contagious without feeling sick and I haven’t heard what treatments they r giving to the sick. Is it responding to antibiotics??? Are they just making people as comfortable as possible and waiting to see? My son and I always get flu shot. That is no guarantee u won’t catch the flu but at least u know u have at least a small amount of protection. We are NOT getting information we need to know. I feel like government is downplaying to save face that we were not prepared and still aren’t. Scientists think it might already be mutating. I REALLY don’t think it’s a good idea to test fate and mingle with hundreds of people when we know so little about this virus. It’s not large predators that will take us down, it’s the microscopic bugs we can’t see and r unknown, new and deadly to humans. Nature has a way of evening things out when she feels necessary. We as a species r very new to the earth and I fear will not inhabit much longer. If u just get a small effect from this, great but u r passing and putting others at risk. Until we have a treatment or vaccine we should not be nonchalant about this. Just sayin.
We cancelled our trip for the fall. In the end, it’s just not worth it to us to take the risk. Disney (and Florida) will be there next year when it is safer to go.
“Is it responding to antibiotics???“
Hi Carol,
Sorry you are having to cancel your trip.
Just wanted to point out that antibiotics don’t work against viruses, only bacteria.
You do what you need to do but I would think one living in the US has more chances of getting killed by a gun than a virus. Just sayin.
There is a risk every day of your life when you walk out the door. Medical professionals, police officers, EMS workers are at risk every day. Teachers and so on and so on. Too much watching The Walking Dead.