Would I Visit Disney During The Pandemic
Here’s the deal. . . . . I know that lots of people are on sites like this one as a way to focus on what they enjoy and not on the realities of the world. Keeping that in mind, and realizing that what I am trying to do here is also a way for me to escape day to day in order to focus on something I enjoy, I try to stay away from topics that are too heavy. Sometimes they’re unavoidable though, and that’s ultimately why we’re here talking about this topic today. I want to look reality straight in the eyes for a few minutes today so that we can get down to brass tax on a topic that I think lots of people out there have on their minds; whether or not traveling to Walt Disney World during a pandemic is a good idea.
Now, before we get started here today, I want to get a few things out of the way. First and foremost, I am not a healthcare professional or any sort of authority on the pandemic. What I’m sharing here with you today is my opinion and nothing more. If you’re looking for facts regarding Covid-19, I recommend that you visit the CDC website. Also, my goal here is not to determine what it is that is right for you and your family or judge your decision making. All I’m aiming to do is share some of the thoughts that make their way through my mind in the hopes that it might help you through your decision making process. After all, that’s basically what we do here at 2 Foolish Mortals anyway. . . . this topic is really no different.
With that out of the way, let’s get into it!
Everyone’s decision making process starts in a different place. For me, especially nowadays, the decision as to where I go or whom I do business with starts with 3 basic questions:
Is the business [or in some cases, its patrons] taking the threat from Covid-19 seriously?
Are there health and safety measures in place?
Is there follow through with the health and safety measures?
Fortunately, when it comes to Walt Disney World, it seems that all of these boxes have been checked. With various policies in place, enhanced cleaning procedures, social distancing and a long list of other measures, it seems like Walt Disney World is doing what they can to ensure the safety of their guests and cast members. Though I’ve not been to Walt Disney World to see this first hand, even watching videos and hearing the accounts of others illustrates the amount of follow through Disney has with ensuring these policies are being observed. This said, in combination with the ample opportunities to be outdoors rather than in enclosed spaces, has me feeling pretty good about how safe it is to visit Walt Disney World.
Visiting Walt Disney World is only half of the equation though; there’s also the matter of getting there.
When it comes to traveling to Walt Disney World, I personally would take 2 options into consideration. The first is to drive. We’ve been talking about driving as an option recently, and we will talk more about it in the future, especially because it seems like an appealing way to travel during the pandemic. However, if I were to travel in the near future, I don’t think driving would be the way to go. Not only would it be more expensive than flying [with rates as low as they currently are], but it’s also winter. Seeing as how I live in the northern part of the United States, the idea that I might have to drive through snowy and icy conditions to get where I’m going doesn’t sound like a whole lot of fun.
The second option is to fly. Currently, flights are very reasonable, but I do have concerns about getting into an enclosed space with a large group of people I don’t know. That said, there are precautions that can be taken to mitigate the risk and some sources explain that flying is safer than you might think. Still, I do have my concerns, especially with some airlines that have been less than reliable as far as follow through on policies are concerned.
At the end of the day, I suppose the million dollar question is whether or not I would actually take the trip. I’d like the answer to be simple, but if I’m being completely honest [which is what we’re aiming for here] I’m not entirely sure. With the situation changing so frequently, both with variants of the virus and changes in policies, it’s hard to say definitively what I would do. Even if I did, the bigger question would be whether or not I felt the same way when the trip actually rolled around. In fact, the ever changing situation [both health and policy wise] is what makes me more hesitant than anything.
I’ve talked more about this in Episode 3 of the 2 Foolish Mortals Podcast where we went into a 20 minute discussion about this topic. If you’re curious to hear some of my other thoughts on the topic, be sure to check that episode out.