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!
At Walt Disney World, many of the same rules of thumb apply. Weekdays when school is in session are generally the cheapest times to visit. “The cheapest upcoming time to go to Walt Disney World is Aug. 23 through Sept. 12, 2020,” Testa said. Tickets cost around $103 per night for a 4-day pass, and Disney’s hotel rack rates range between $133 to $162 a night plus tax at its lowest-cost resorts, which is the lowest price of the year.
We are slated to go to WDW the week of May 16th… have the travel insurance and the flights are set. I’m just going to hold off as long as I can and then assess the situation at that time. Right now, sadly, I’m guessing we’ll be canceling. Thoughts?
Contemplate this. By instituting the draconian measures they are, our idiot politicians on both sides of the aisle are largely causing the same disruptions they are supposedly trying to avoid.
So now Disneyland is CLOSED until the end of March. Do you suspect Disney World will follow suit?
Oops, I have my own answer. Disney World closes on March 15th.
Well almost. From what I’ve read the Disney World hotels, restaurants and retail will stay open. If true, does that mean that Disney Springs stays open too? Well maybe that’s OK, ’cause I don’t know about you all, but I feel so much more safe now that almost all of our state leaders have pretty much agreed that gatherings of 250 and under are the magic group infection safety number. Yep. The safety cutoff infection figure is any group below 250. What, pray tell, happened to the very recent contention that one infected person could pass Corona on to granny and grandpa and maybe kill off the whole neighborhood when they came back from a ball game? Never mind. It just doesn’t pay to ask too many questions, does it?
Facts:
According to Senator John Barrasso ( A republican Senator and also a Doctor ) 80% of the population that will be exposed will have mild symptoms 15 to 20 % of those will have severe complications or die.
A study awaiting peer review from scientists at Princeton University, the University of California-Los Angeles and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) posted online Wednesday indicated that the COVID-19 virus could remain viable in the air “up to 3 hours post aerosolization,” while remaining alive on plastic and other surfaces for up to three days.
Just checked with a virologist, person I’ve known since college, graduated from Perdue and spent many years at Mass. General. Should have called them earlier. According to this doctor, although the virus can stay alive on metal and other surfaces for up to three days (Spritz test), there are presently no documented cases of viral transfer/ infection in the field from inanimate objects to humans.
How on earth would scientists be able to tell whether any of the thousands of cases in the United States to date, or more around the world, were transmitted from inanimate objects to humans? Of course, it’s possible that some of them were. There is absolutely no way to know.
I only telling you what a PhD with 45 plus years experience in medicine and virology had to say. Whether or not you choose to believe it is up to you.
Anna, a documented case would require irrefutable evidence that contact with an infected inanimate object was the only way a person could have acquired the virus vs contact with an infected person. The object would have to be acquired and tested and thorough questioning as to contact with persons having the virus would be done as well.
For example, Patient A tests positive for the virus. Patient A states they touched a handrail in Airport B where a known virus patient has been. Patient A also states they were on a bus with Person C who sat near them and sneezed or coughed. Person C is a known virus patient. Handrail is swabbed and tests negative. Nobody else in the airport has tested positive for the virus. Therefore, the possibility that Patient A contracted the virus from the handrail cannot be documented but exposure to Person C is evidence that is how the disease was transmitted.
Now if Patient A had not been on the bus or had contact with any other infected person perhaps the handrail WAS the cause but once again, evidence of contamination would have to be found, if not on the handrail then elsewhere on another inanimate object. So far this has not been the case. Documentation requires proof.
We’ve saved for 15 years to travel to USA from South Africa in June.. and are monitoring the situation.. Out travel insurance will only refund if flight restrictions are put in place.. If we simply cancel from fears we lose all our money and will not be able to do this trip ever again. We’re waiting til June to see what happens..
JoC you are absolutely correct. The uK is NOT included in the travel ban which is what I meant to tell Millennial. I need to proofread better. Thanks for the correction and my apologies!
Wait. The travel ban does kind of effect U.K. travel. President and policy stated that each traveler would be approved based on screening from U.K. travelers history. I say, knowing my nephew/&wife are USA citizens but work as lawyer/nurse in U.K. currently BUT they have traveled a lot(passport will show dates) already this year with being in the Czech Republic, Spain and even a week in South Korea a month ago. Am understanding there would a check on their health and no immediate jumping on a plane. Whatever…it’s just a slowing process between countries.
Kelley, best verifiable information I have shows 590 total UK cases with ten deaths. Spain is having a rough go. 3,059 infected with 86 deaths. Czechs show no data. S. Korea 7,869 total infections with 66 deaths. Total new deaths worldwide in approximately the past 24 hours = 139.
Yeah, Jack, I’m not worried about them(both just 30 yrs. old)…though they don’t do the “tourist thing” they usually “go in with friends” that are from those countries(which to me, maybe just as dicey, knowing they explored many food/markets taste testing. And his mom(my sister) is a ICU nurse of 40 years experience…so she seems not to be worried about it as a health thing for them. It’s more that…if they think they are just going to be able to jump on a flight…don’t think it will be that easy. But thanks!
If it helps anyone concerned…many CPG(Consumer Product Goods) here in the USA have closed/suspended corporate employees from coming to work. Mondeléz(Nabisco), as example. No need to have corporate people in, to add to cleaning issues, etc. when those details need to stay plant wide to keep supply chain in the country moving/products. I know hubby has been excused from travel for at least the last three weeks. Cutting down on anyone needing to interview too for jobs(think grads coming up). It’s all a preventative cycle.
What doesn’t surprise me(saddens me more so)…proof how dirty some countries are with their hygiene. Check them off for any future travel too. ;p
Brings back memories Kelley. I remember eating and drinking from food carts in rural China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Guatemala and drinking in village bars. . . . .Lived, vacationed and worked in 65 countries and every state in the US but Alaska. Never thought much about what I might be exposing myself to, just did it. Maybe that was a good thing. Not sick much even at my age. AS for dirty. . . . I’ve seen some really gross things, even in Beijing.
In any case, I hope your relatives have an easy time of their travels. Looks like most airlines are actually making an effort to clean their equipment rather than see how many cycles one aircraft can perform in 24hrs. I guess a once a day wipe down is better than none. If you knew what I’ve found in seatback pockets. . . . . BTW even though the virus can apparently live for up to three days on some surfaces, best information shows no verifiable transfer from inanimate objects to humans. Doesn’t mean one shouldn’t take the usual precautions with hand washing etc. but that, at least, seems to be working.
Thanks, Jack! I figure most in the USA will be fine. Just big inconveniences in our lives that we are so not used to. Selfish concerns probably but I do feel for those thinking they’ve lost money(think they will end up fine there)…Disney can always be rescheduled. Sadly for those families with the elderly deaths…they need more prayers and the elderly, need to protected. We forget them too often as it is. (P.S. I’m 60…and the flu for me in December was much worse…steriods and antibiotics plus UGH! staying in bed for two weeks by doctor. Otherwise, I’m never sick…this year just has many bugs!)
Stay healthy! ALL of you! WASH YOUR HANDS and stay home except for basics.
3/22/20 – Worldwide out of 7.6 billion people 24 virus-related deaths since last night. Do the math.
Millennial, having listned to President Trump’s statement last night, the UK is apparently included in the European travel ban.
As for the US mortality rate, once again, for those who are math challenged, you’ve apparently accepted the common seasonal flu mortality rate as 0.1%. Ten times 0.1 is? I won’t keep you in suspense, it’s 1%. Watching and reading CDC briefings and considering the input of several virologists, it has been generally acknowledged that the 3.4% mortality figure people have recently fixated on for this virus is far too high.
If one takes reasonable personal precautions one actually protects not only themselves but others too. As I’ve said before, do what you feel is right for you and yours. If that means staying home by all means do so. Just don’t let others who insist the world is coming to an end (Hyperbole folks!) do your thinking for you. Panic engendered by those who do prompts hysteria like that which got a broken jaw for an Asian woman in NYC yesterday when she was sucker punched on the street by a hysterical woman who screamed that she should be wearing a mask. Or people drinking bleach. Or hoarding toilet paper.
I still believe that we all have brains, logic and are capable of reason and critical thinking. I sincerely hope that calm, reason and logic come to the forefront as this situation moves forward.
Jack you need to listen again – Trump specifically excluded the UK!!!
That isn’t to say the UK won’t be included in the future but at the moment it isn’t. For someone who is so quick to criticise others and their information you need to check your own facts.
The focus on the global mortality rate for COVID-19 is bad enough at 3.6%, but few (if any) are talking about the lasting residual effects of contracting the virus.
Most people alive today are unaccustomed to the thought of a transient illness which can cause life-long damage, but many who survive the coronavirus are coming away with lung scarring and cardiovascular damage which is so severe that it will limit their activities for the rest of their lives.
An Italian doctor outlines these risks in the article below, and if things do not change drastically in the USA, we will be in their position in 1-2 months from now.
https://www.newsweek.com/young-unafraid-coronavirus-pandemic-good-you-now-stop-killing-people-opinion-1491797
I wish the nasty comments could end. We are all in this together.
No one is saying it isn’t serious. Has there been an astronomical spread in the US states besides California and Washington state?
How is it so contageous yet some family members get it and others do not?
RJ I understand this is very serious but at the same time there is a difference between vigilance and complete panic.
There was a big disruption on a United flight bc someone sneezed. Absolutely absurd how bad the fear from media has been instilled. People sneeze all the time. People cough too and it does not mean the person has Coronavirus. We are coming up on allergy season soon. God forbid you have allergies. People need to get a grip and stop freaking out. It helps nothing.
If they are THAT worried about someone sneezing they should not be on a plane.
Besides stopping the entire world and quarantining every soul on the planet how do you propose we stop the spread RJ?
All I can say is the way people are behaving and hoarding if it ever came down to survival you can see you cannot count on anyone but yourself bc everyone is out for themselves!!
Amen! Big difference in Tom having opened the subject on his Blog and just giving updates he has from Disney organization. Then it spins into “experts” wanting to scare and fluster people that simply want to hear others’ personal opinions on what they might do…go or not. All are personal decisions and some just can’t decide knowing they planned long and saved. Then you get the “little Mary Sunshines” lecturing them on the sky is falling. No one knows for certain and that’s life … on any given day. It’s not like Tom is pushing people to go and yet some feel the need to push that it’s a horrible idea. Everyone needs to decide on their own and there are much smarter stats and experts out there that people can research, instead of reading a blog of personal opinions. Talk to your family members. Check healthcare physicians that know your family(instead of RJ with his worries for himself). And make a decision. Disney will be there.
It is reasonable to discuss the affects of the new virus beyond just lethality. One had to question why anyone would use this particular blog for that purpose. There aren’t enough resources for these online blogs to rigorously police all the posting. So it’s ashame to see this sort of abuse of the forum. I came to this site for the first time today to get some possible guidance on the likelihood the parks in FL will close down or significabtly reduce hours because it looks like a good opportunity. I endorse that we are all in this together; I am grateful I don’t have any decision responsibility for this sort of stuff.
I understand your reasoning but I would still like to see a color-coded calendar. Just stuff it full of caveats. We could also benefit from daily attendance alerts vis-a-vis coronavirus, if you begin to see signs people are bailing out of March-April visits to Disney. Perhaps this site is not best equipped for that. Would be cool to poll ticketholders to see if their FastPass+ availability has mysteriously increased or if they have cancelled a trip. Yesterday I tried to get Nav’i River Journey for 2nd week of April (5 people) and it was not available. Today however there was one time slot available. It’s not unusual for availability to fluctuate like that; however, Nav’i is the 2nd most popular ride in AK. So I begin to wonder….
Tom, I appreciate your post and logic as usual. Just a word about the cautions for coronavirus: most of the recommendations to minimize travel are not about reducing risk to yourself and family if you are healthy, but also to avoid becoming a virus vector for more vulnerable, non-traveling individuals.
I am tempted to take a last minute trip with my family – I saw flash DVC rentals for the Polynesian at $249/night and heard the crowds are down! Sounds great to me. But I also want to be responsible to the strangers around me who are susceptible to getting sick.
Everyone should make their own decisions. Just make sure you are considering others in your calculations too.
Thanks for this–the comments section has gone off the rails and I’ve mostly been ignoring them but happened to catch yours.
I’ve read about flattening the epidemic curve since originally publishing this and just went back and updated the post accordingly.
That sir is a very noble gesture. Thank you for reminding us.
Rob we came home after a half day at Animal Kingdom Tuesday. Crowds did not seem down at all to us!
We will continue monitoring during this month for our reservations which are toward the end of April, 2020. We trust Disney will keep us updated to any changes we need to make toward cancellations if necessary. The 5 of us include 2 children and one elderly person. Our thanks!
They just announced Disneyland is closing this Saturday because of coronavirus.
I was really hoping more testing would have been done by now and we’d see a trend that the virus wasn’t taking off in the warmer climate of Orlando. But Florida is just getting the tests. And it seems like the people in charge of guidance and who does and doesn’t get the test are very worried about causing businesses to lose money. I’m postponing my trip the week of 3/23 to a much later date. Even assuming noone in my family has an underlying condition that we don’t know about and we’re all healthy enough to fight it off, I don’t want to spend days or weeks struggling to breath or risk being in the ICU. And if I gave it to my mother who is in her 70s and she had to be hospitalized I’d never forgive myself.
Jen truer words could not be told. I just returned from Disneyworld with my 4 foster kids in December. My grown son offered to fly me and the babies to Disney again in June. A day later we all decided not to go. I’m in Canada they are in NJ we aren’t going anywhere until they call off this pandemic. Also how would one feel if your kids brought it back to their schools. Let them figure out how to control and inoculate. I, my family, our communities and my sanity don’t need to take this trip at this time.
Something else to note – while we were in Disney in December my 3 year old got ill. While the care was exceptional at the emergency clinic and Turner Drugs went above and beyond to get her mediation the cost was huge.
Canada just announced that all school children leaving the country during March break will have a mandatory 2 week quarantine.
Where are you getting your information from on the mandatory quarantine in Canada, Maria? I teach school in Canada, and this is not true, to my knowledge, as of March 11.
Must have gotten it ftom.an internet site. We all know that if you read it on the internet it’s got to be true!
https://sd79.bc.ca/covid-19-updated-travel-info-for-family-and-staff/
It depends on the Level of country traveled to (the list is subject to updating).
I couldn’t agree more. we are due to go at Easter but for the sake of the people around us here, we are cancelling. I couldn’t live with myself if we inadvertently affected someone who died.
I am not sure how anyone can come up with a percentage on how many who have Coronavirus die since so many either do not have symptoms or have such slight symptoms they do not seek medical help.
There is no real way to get the true percentages.
Having said this, I do not think it is something to make light of because it is very scary to those with pulmonary or cardiac conditions. Also thosecwith any illness that compromises their immune system.
I feel bad for those who are concerned and they have every right to be.
Nancy, while it’s true that many cases go undiagnosed, that doesn’t mean that we should disregard the best available data.
It is available to anyone through the websites below:
https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-age-sex-demographics/
As for your comment about those at risk, many are surprised to learn that asthma, diabetes, or even sleep apnea can place individuals at a high mortality risk for COVID-19.
Even if you are not in the high risk category, most people know someone who is and could unknowingly carry this virus back to them.
I agree, we all have every right to be concerned, we are in uncharted territory.
Who diedand left you in charge of people’s lives? As of this morning there were 1,010 cases of Corona and 31 deaths in the USA. In other words. Your chances of actually contracting the disease are infinitessimal and yiur chances of dying from it even less yet you insist on trying to panic people. Think of it this way. If you are in a plane crash you stand a pretty high chance of dying or at least being very badly injured, maybe even 100 percent, BUT your chances of being in a plane crash are next to nothing. So, you still fly, don’t you?
Once again, millions of people in the USA get the flu every year. Between twenty and eighty thousand people die from it versus 31 so far from Corona AND we have a vaccine for the flu. Does that make you feel better? I’m sure it’s quite a comfort to the 20 thousand who have died from the flu this year. The cautions for older people and those with underlying medical conditions are the same for both diseases AND the common flu kills kids in just about the same numbers as seniors, Corona seems to hardly affect them at all, yet we don’t panic and hide because of flu and Corona has us reall upset.
Once again, I’m not telling anyone what to do or promoting trips to anywhere. I am merely suggesting that you make your travel decisions based on your evaluations of the situation and intelligence and not be influenced by Chicken Little and friends. RJ quotes statistics, statistics that are somewhat questionable. Remember what Mark Twain said about statistics? “There are lies, damn lies, and statistics.”
Just make your own decisions based on the needs of your own families and your comfort level. If you don’t want to go anywhere, don’t. But if you’re that worried about exposure, consider this. Have you eaten at a fast food restaurant recently or used a drive thru? Handled money? Picked up your mail? Gone to a grocery store and used the checkout? The checkout belt? Any of these things and more will expose you to Corona, flu, the common cold and many other possible diseases. You aren’t afraid of these diseases because you’re used to them being around. Corona is new and the media hype is intense. Think about it. 1010 cases and 31 deaths vs millions of infections and 20k deaths. Use your heads. Make your own decisions based on your needs, but above all, use your heads and don’t be panicked into or away from anything.
Jack, how many times will you repeat the same old tired and ineffective arguments? By the way, you stated several posts ago that it was your “last post on the subject”, yet here you are…
Today’s numbers (as of this posting):
confirmed cases = 124,578
total deaths = 4,584
global mortality rate = 3.6%
The flu is 0.01% by comparison, which means the current mortality rate for COVID-19 is 36x higher than the flu.
The WHO announced that we are in the midst of a global
pandemic today, and the entire country of Italy is on lockdown – THIS IS NOT THE FLU!
If 3.6% of people who boarded a plane did not survive, the air travel system would come to a screeching halt.
A pleasure trip to a place like WDW IS NOT equivalent to the daily risks people take buying groceries, getting the mail, etc. because a trip to WDW IS NOT NECESSARY for anyone’s daily life!
Also, visitors to WDW will encounter travelers from all over the world, which poses an exponentially higher exposure risk vs. staying in one’s own community.
You say that the statistics I provide are “questionable”, but all the data I’ve linked is from reputable sources.
Meanwhile you have provided no evidence to support your arguments except for a fundamentally flawed, cherry picked statistical analysis of your own creation, and endless rants which are nothing more than “Jack’s opinion”.
WHERE ARE YOUR FACTS, JACK?
Put up or shut up…
To be fair to Jack, he has offered to pay, unconditionally, for a meal at Jiko for Mrs Millennial and myself.
So with Trump’s ban on Europeans flying to the US, but not those from the UK, I am faced with a new challenge to flying from the UK to claim my prize. (I have a UK passport)
I fly from Paris to London on 10th of April. Then more than a week later on 19th of April we fly from the UK to LA via Toronto.
Is Trumps travel ban a ban if flights from Europe, a ban on Europeans flying, or a ban on those who have been in a European country in a specific period entering the US?
Before you point out that Jiko’s is not in LA, I will deal with that small wrinkle one we have landed in the US.
Community Spread will dictate When, and Not If WDW Will Be Forced to Close!
Accept this Fact as an Eventuality.
Truth.
I am going in mid-April for the half marathon and 10K. As for quarantine in Disney for two weeks – my idea of most relaxing vacation extension ever. You are where you are meant to be when you are meant to be there, so you might as well live it up -YOLO..
I think however one feels, they need to do what is best for them.
I would never try to make someone feel bad for canceling nor would I try to tell someone they are wrong for traveling.
While I felt pretty safe AT THIS TIME going to Disney Im not sure Id feel the same next month.
There are a lot of unknowns. Today at Animal Kingdom I saw workers cleaning benches, railings, even garbage containers.
I felt for the most part Disney is really doing more by putting up hand sanitizer stands and cleaning regularly.
I will say I did not see this as much at Magic Kingdom. Hand sanitizers were empty in some spots and saw much less workers cleaning.
There was hardly any workers around to help give directions etc. They had a couple small kiosks with one person to help people. My opinion? Epcot and Animal Kingdom has it all over Magic Kingdom with being on top of this outbreak, cleanliness, amount of workers to help you, etc.
Magic Kingdom seems to have lost some of it’s magic. Big noticeable difference.
Disney Greed Has Replaced Much of the Magic of Past Experience, Its Igers Legacy, Sad but True. AsFar as May Visits, my bet is Florida will be in Quarantine Lockdown!
LOL…yes. We did the end of February half marathon and 10K(aren’t they just half marathons?)…with 17K participants…and hubby and I are just fine. Virus has been around the world since December…so surely with all those “worldly travels” at least one of them was there in the crowd.
You guys are THE BEST ..love everything about your blog and updates. Where can we find the “deals” should they extend them??