Yo Ho, A Disney Life for Me - Summer 2020 pre trip

[MrsSilverStar]

Love everyone booking bigger and better holidays for next year! I checked today that Virgin still have a direct flight to Orlando from Heathrow and they do, yay. I think we’re planning on holding out until 2022 now...I want to be able to hug characters and have photos with no face masks!

Very interesting point about how much can change in 10 weeks Abby. Let’s hope it’s a vast improvement! Love the Disney ride chat, made me excited to get back there.

Our KFC has reopened Colette...and is causing huge queues apparently. Everyone clearly missed it 😄 we’re staying away because I finally started my quarantine diet after piling on the pounds. Glad your trousers did up!

[Elsa42]

wow just caught up on your Pre Trippie, It's taken me a while I've been away from the Dibb for a while so there was a lot to catch up on!

It looks like you've been busy in the kitchen! I cant believe how many things you've managed to cook/bake! they all look fantastic. I still love the eating around the world idea although I doubt I'd be able to come up with some many different things to cook

I'm glad your keeping your positivity! It seems everyone has the same idea of if i cant got this year next's years will be bigger and better

I like your thinking with the 10 weeks idea. Also i enjoyed reading about your top rides and what your all looking forward to riding as soon as you can.

Hope everyone is ok

[Goldia]

Originally Posted by Cutiepie

Abby,

I really do love reading along to this thread as I hate most of the rest of the Dibb at the moment. I don't comment very often as I tend to read on my iPad and hate typing on the iPad as it takes me ages

It's funny I remember the 4th March as well, as I was at Keira's parent/ teacher meetings that day. Everything you have said is very true. I never made it to Nathan's as it got cancelled the following week and then never happened.

Who knows if you will get to go on your holiday but there is always next year but you can keep up chatting here! Or start an Abby chat thread

Nathan is a school year younger than Max even though they are the same age, as we are slightly different here in NI. He does still have work to do as his GCSEs aren't to next year but I do worry about the impact this will all have for next years exams. I would also like him to get a job but like you I don't think he will be able to until he is 16. He wants to save to buy a car when he turns 17 so he will definitely need that job

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It is interesting to think about isn't it? I'd love it if everything I hoped for came true as well, it's very easy with hindsight to look back on things and spout truths, predicting the future is much harder. It's why I have grown to hate all those corona threads, but let's not get back on that again as it's like shooting fish in a barrel and it's very easy to criticise...

10 weeks isn't a particularly long time and doubtless it will come round too quickly for our trip, but (and this 'but' is the little bit in the back of my mind that keeps hanging on) it is still possible the trip could go ahead.

I'm very flattered that you enjoy reading along, thank you for reading and commenting when you can.

Originally Posted by jothp

I'm not too worried about the girls' studies, I think they will be just fine too. They have both been working very hard on their home learning and submitting all the work that has been asked of them. Evie has been working very hard too and has had as much work set as the other 2 despite only being in year 7. She is needing the most help of the three of them but that is understandable being that much younger. I haven't decided if I will send Robyn and Hattie back if school does open at all for them; I'm waiting to see what is offered. They have to catch a train to school which obviously increases the risks and the station is a 45 minute walk from our house. Normally Ollie or I drop them at the station before work in the morning but depending on hours they are needed at school that might not be practical which would mean a minimum of an hour and a half journey to get there. I will wait and see what the school are proposing and make a decision then.

For me, we haven't heard a plan from the head yet so it is wait and see on that front too.

I will definitely look up that recipe. I have been cooking some new things and some old things that I generally don't find time to make so this will fit in nicely.

I'm planning to update my PTR later with the thoughts about our holiday so I won't repeat myself here.

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Gosh that's a long journey for your girls to get to school, every one of us has to make decisions for our families and all our circumstances are different. No need to decide right now, see what you and they think about it when the time comes. You're also allowed to change your mind either way!

Originally Posted by jothp

Your thoughts about 10 weeks have really made me have a different take on the whole situation. I'm not actually too bothered about being able to get to Florida but I would really like to be able to get together with small groups of friends and family by the summer holidays at least. I find it a little strange that one of the first steps out of lockdown is to mix 15 different households in a group at school rather than allowing people to meet up in groups of 2-3 households so they can see family and friends.

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I completely understand and I would like to be able to have an afternoon with my parents and bring the kids along too and just enjoy being in each others company. I'd love to meet up with some friends for a coffee, or even go out for a cocktail or two. I'd love to be able to wake up one Saturday and on the spur of the moment decide to go on a day trip. Everything seems like a mission at the moment that has to be carefully orchestrated and choreographed, now it may surprise you to find out I'm not a particularly fly by the seat of my pants person, as I do like to plan, but there is no chance for spontaneity and just seeing how you feel at the moment and I find I'm really missing that.

Originally Posted by OB1LukeLucas

Happy Friday

Nice to hear the family are talking to you about florida we’ve had a little bit chat about it and generally are just feeling so thankful we got to do Hagrids. Still absolutely gutted that we may never get to expeience Galaxy Edge

I kept telling them this was going to be our last Florida holiday for awhile...no-one believed this statement but I’m even starting to think that when we can travel again perhaps we should tick something new off the list

Let’s see what happens when I eventually need to speak to Disney...’oh I can change the booking to next year...there is availability at AKL and BC...ok so 2 weeks summer 2021’

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I'm a bit worried that this year is your last Florida year for a while, it's brought me out in a cold sweat.

Yesterday I went to Tesco as usual and they had 50% off clothes and Max has grown exponentially since lockdown started and last year's shorts now look like hotpants, so I video called him and asked him if he liked the look of any of the men's shorts there and how many pairs he had grown out of. Anyway, the reason for this story is he asked how many pairs he'd need for our holiday and that made me fear the chat was not a good thing so when I got home I made it very clear to them that I really don't think we will be going this year and that while it was nice to talk about our favourite rides it wasn't because I thought we would be doing them in a couple of months. He said he did know that, he just wanted to be prepared in case we get to go. It was pretty depressing as conversations go as I made sure they understood that the FCO ban had no end date so that even though nothing had been cancelled it was impossible at the moment. Dave suggested a trip to Scotland or Wales instead. The kids still wanted to talk Disney on our walk, so we dreamt about our 'perfect Disney day'.

Originally Posted by collybird

I love that every one of us has decided that if we have to cancel this year we'll just throw extra money at next year's trip 😂

I can now report that although I can get into my work trousers by the end of the day I had to undo them right to fly as they were making me feel ill 😂 Chicken Land is so busy that I am sure they'll fit again in no time. I banged my head today at work and spent the rest of the day convinced I had concussion as I was so dizzy. It took me until the end of the day to realise I was dizzy as I spent the day in my socially distanced box turning in circles to move things from A to B haha.

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I'm so glad your work clothes fit. Our KFC is open, there were loads of cars in the drive thru queue yesterday, I was tempted, but not 20 cars wait tempted. But we've only got one more week of school and then it's half term so I reckon could be persuaded to go to KFC and who cares if it's a long wait as I won't be in a rush

Originally Posted by Buggles94

I love your 10 week thoughts Abby... 10 weeks ago is like another lifetime. My DD was in hospital and even up there there was no urgency about the situation. We had meetings and still were shaking hands. It all changed very quickly didn’t it? And I live in hope that it can all change again. I’ve read tonight on twitter that the Governor of Florida is asking for theme parks to submit their reopening plans and that gyms open in Florida on Monday. So hope that all these steps forward mean an open WDW for you 😀😀 I also loved your discussion with your family re favourite rides... made me feel very nostalgic. I wish the Dibb were still about favourite rides, FP worries etc. Disney has always been my escape and happy place and the Dibb has kept me going between trips - and also made me spend lots extra on things I didn’t know I needed😂 I think the Abby chat thread is a great idea!
I agree that next year’s rebooked holidays will be bigger and better -I cheered myself up yesterday by booking a night in a club room at AKL for our last night at Easter! Haven’t told family yet but these little treats are definitely helping with the pain of cancellation!

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The park reopening plans will be interesting. I've said it wouldn't matter to me if attractions were closed, or water parks closed, but I'm wondering if that was just talk. How would I really feel if we were only allowed in parks for say 2 hours or something that was time limited to give everyone a chance to go? The closer we get the less blase I am about it all.

Yes I long for the dibb to return to people posting super deals for discovery cove dolphin swim or asking what time FP reservations can be made. Every other thread is a cancellation thread or the end of the world...I'm glued to the cancellation threads though, but I can't bring myself to instigate it like you did just yet. I can't decide if it's cowardice or hopefulness or just plain head in the sand that I'm not phoning for a refund of my deposit.

Ooh club level at AKL, that will be a great, maybe you should keep it as a surprise. I still haven't told Dave and Max about the DVC rentals I booked for boardwalk and AKL for the end of our trip.

Originally Posted by MrsSilverStar

Love everyone booking bigger and better holidays for next year! I checked today that Virgin still have a direct flight to Orlando from Heathrow and they do, yay. I think we’re planning on holding out until 2022 now...I want to be able to hug characters and have photos with no face masks!

Very interesting point about how much can change in 10 weeks Abby. Let’s hope it’s a vast improvement! Love the Disney ride chat, made me excited to get back there.

Our KFC has reopened Colette...and is causing huge queues apparently. Everyone clearly missed it 😄 we’re staying away because I finally started my quarantine diet after piling on the pounds. Glad your trousers did up!

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I really hope hugging characters isn't a thing of the past, it's not the same if you can't give Mickey a big hug. Surely we will be able to have some human contact by 2022. I'm not a particularly touchy feely person and am more than happy to stick to my own personal space and for others to stay inside theirs, but the idea of not hugging the characters ever is sad. I wonder how long it will take for that to happen.

Originally Posted by Elsa42

wow just caught up on your Pre Trippie, It's taken me a while I've been away from the Dibb for a while so there was a lot to catch up on!

It looks like you've been busy in the kitchen! I cant believe how many things you've managed to cook/bake! they all look fantastic. I still love the eating around the world idea although I doubt I'd be able to come up with some many different things to cook

I'm glad your keeping your positivity! It seems everyone has the same idea of if i cant got this year next's years will be bigger and better

I like your thinking with the 10 weeks idea. Also i enjoyed reading about your top rides and what your all looking forward to riding as soon as you can.

Hope everyone is ok

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I've not done so much eating around the world the last couple of weeks, we'll have to get back to that as it's nice to try out something different rather than eating the same old things. I'm thinking I might have to try and recreate a plaza ice cream sundae or a cookie sandwich during half term. I do love those yummy treats. Maybe we'll do some chilli cheese waffle fries too and have a magic kingdom quick service dinner! Ooh, I think I've just talked myself into it

[Rescuer]

That’s a shame that you are having to have the probably cancelled conversation. I think it’s only hit joe when I’ve told him to start wearing his good holiday tops now 😂.

You could have a lovely Scotland holiday and come see some of the Harry Potter stuff. Not the same at all but still nice. Can’t believe we are less than 6 weeks away from our school holidays and our chat is shall we paint the wee bathroom and finish building the Lego hogwarts castle?

I’m looking forward to the dibb going back to normal too, I’m glad the school threads are down, it was a bit like not being able to look away. I’ve gone back to writing my trip report and might start researching Halloween for next year.

Have you seen some of the vlogs from universal city walk opening, I’m torn between wishing I was there and being glad I’m not, very weird.

Joe made a lovely cake today for my birthday which tasted like the apple fritter doughnuts from voodoo that we love and we are sitting playing toy story mania on the PlayStation. Closest we will get 😂

Just thinking I’ve still never had an ice cream cookie sandwich - maybe I need to add those ingredients to my shopping list for next week.

[jothp]

Originally Posted by Goldia

Gosh that's a long journey for your girls to get to school, every one of us has to make decisions for our families and all our circumstances are different. No need to decide right now, see what you and they think about it when the time comes. You're also allowed to change your mind either way!

I completely understand and I would like to be able to have an afternoon with my parents and bring the kids along too and just enjoy being in each others company. I'd love to meet up with some friends for a coffee, or even go out for a cocktail or two. I'd love to be able to wake up one Saturday and on the spur of the moment decide to go on a day trip. Everything seems like a mission at the moment that has to be carefully orchestrated and choreographed, now it may surprise you to find out I'm not a particularly fly by the seat of my pants person, as I do like to plan, but there is no chance for spontaneity and just seeing how you feel at the moment and I find I'm really missing that.

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Unfortunately where we live it ends up being quite a long journey to secondary school wherever you go. Evie is at the school that would be considered our catchment area school and she still has to get the bus at 7.45 in the morning and doesn't get home until about 4.10. The older two are at a grammar school which involves a 30 minute bus journey or train journey to another town and they both chose the option that needs a train. Usually it isn't an issue as Ollie drops them at the station on his way to work and I lift share with a couple of other local mums to bring them home. They have to leave about 20 minutes before Evie and get home about 20 minutes later but if they had chosen the school that needed a bus they wouldn't be home until nearly 5.00 most nights. The issue with them going back now is the staggered start and finish times that might mean there is nobody to take them or bring them home from the station, making the journey very long. You are right that I don't need to decide now - I plan to decide once we have a plan from the school so I can weigh up the educational value of what they will get at school against the time and risk of getting them there.

I did start reading some of the threads about sending children back to school on here but gave up as I couldn't stand the hate towards teachers.

I couldn't have guessed that you like to plan . I also miss the ability to get up and decide to do something. I think we've spent more time in our house in the last 8 weeks than we did in the whole of 2019!

[Goldia]

Originally Posted by Rescuer

That’s a shame that you are having to have the probably cancelled conversation. I think it’s only hit joe when I’ve told him to start wearing his good holiday tops now 😂.

You could have a lovely Scotland holiday and come see some of the Harry Potter stuff. Not the same at all but still nice. Can’t believe we are less than 6 weeks away from our school holidays and our chat is shall we paint the wee bathroom and finish building the Lego hogwarts castle?

I’m looking forward to the dibb going back to normal too, I’m glad the school threads are down, it was a bit like not being able to look away. I’ve gone back to writing my trip report and might start researching Halloween for next year.

Have you seen some of the vlogs from universal city walk opening, I’m torn between wishing I was there and being glad I’m not, very weird.

Joe made a lovely cake today for my birthday which tasted like the apple fritter doughnuts from voodoo that we love and we are sitting playing toy story mania on the PlayStation. Closest we will get 😂

Just thinking I’ve still never had an ice cream cookie sandwich - maybe I need to add those ingredients to my shopping list for next week.

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Poor Joe getting to wear his good tops now. On well. I seem to still be on a yo yo and some days I think we may just be alright, in a very reduced sort of trip compared to normal. More than anything I wanted to manage the kids expectations so they know it's really very unlikely to happen.

The will you send your kids to school thread was one I commented on early on and then I found I couldn't tear myself away. I didn't comment after day 1 as it did get a bit out of control and turned into another tit for tat point scoring thread, but I was still drawn in and was reading it. I should have just unsubscribed.

I'm glad you had a nice birthday and Joe made you a birthday cake it sounds lovely.

Originally Posted by jothp

Unfortunately where we live it ends up being quite a long journey to secondary school wherever you go. Evie is at the school that would be considered our catchment area school and she still has to get the bus at 7.45 in the morning and doesn't get home until about 4.10. The older two are at a grammar school which involves a 30 minute bus journey or train journey to another town and they both chose the option that needs a train. Usually it isn't an issue as Ollie drops them at the station on his way to work and I lift share with a couple of other local mums to bring them home. They have to leave about 20 minutes before Evie and get home about 20 minutes later but if they had chosen the school that needed a bus they wouldn't be home until nearly 5.00 most nights. The issue with them going back now is the staggered start and finish times that might mean there is nobody to take them or bring them home from the station, making the journey very long. You are right that I don't need to decide now - I plan to decide once we have a plan from the school so I can weigh up the educational value of what they will get at school against the time and risk of getting them there.

I did start reading some of the threads about sending children back to school on here but gave up as I couldn't stand the hate towards teachers.

I couldn't have guessed that you like to plan . I also miss the ability to get up and decide to do something. I think we've spent more time in our house in the last 8 weeks than we did in the whole of 2019!

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Crikey that is a long journey. We're only going to be seeing a small proportion of year 10 and 12 each day so we can still deliver online lessons and set online tasks to the other kids. It will not be all kids all the time, but we are more fortunate as we are a local community school and the vast majority of kids could walk as they live within 2 miles of school. So, we don't rely on public transport.

If you asked Max about lockdown he would say we've never walked as much in our lives. We've moved here 9 years ago and I reckon you could add up all the hours spent walking prior to lockdown and it still wouldn't add up to what we've done the last 8 weeks. He can't believe we've walked so far or so frequently. If we didn't go for a walk each day though I don't think we would get any fresh air or sunlight at all so it is needed. We've discovered loads of different routes and I've really enjoyed the walking.

[Fuellady]

Catching up again... this thread moves very quickly sometimes!

I hadn't thought about that fact that it is 10 weeks since this started and how much things changed in that time, so in theory another huge change could happen in the next 10. I think it would be nice for you and other July/August Dibbers to have some answers one way or the other but I fear it could be a few weeks yet before that happens.

It's nice that you're all talking about your favourite things at Disney, whether it be as memories or as future plans. It keeps the dream alive for this year or whenever it happens.

I agree with other posters, that it's nice to have this little chat going on away from the other forums, which certainly have more than their share of conflict at the moment

[Goldia]

Originally Posted by Fuellady

Catching up again... this thread moves very quickly sometimes!

I hadn't thought about that fact that it is 10 weeks since this started and how much things changed in that time, so in theory another huge change could happen in the next 10. I think it would be nice for you and other July/August Dibbers to have some answers one way or the other but I fear it could be a few weeks yet before that happens.

It's nice that you're all talking about your favourite things at Disney, whether it be as memories or as future plans. It keeps the dream alive for this year or whenever it happens.

I agree with other posters, that it's nice to have this little chat going on away from the other forums, which certainly have more than their share of conflict at the moment

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It seems like every other post I write I say I'm see sawing on the will we won't we front. But I'm strangely more positive today than I was last week. I don't know maybe it's the lovely hot weather making me feel like it's a Floriday, maybe it's the numbers on the daily news reports all moving in the right direction, maybe it's the fact that Lufthansa still have my flights showing and haven't cancelled, maybe it's the cheeky midweek gin and tonics...yes plural! I figure the school night alcohol will have to end soon as I will have to actually be in front of children at 9am instead of just in front of a laptop. Normally midweek drinking is minimal for me, so I'm making the most of the chance while I still can.

Whatever the reason I'm feeling good!

[caitlinsmummy]

I am so glad to see you so positive Abby!

Have you just seen the news about Universal? They've propose a soft opening June 1st and rest of the public, 6th June ... all sounds promising, maybe Disney will follow suit in a few weeks? I have everything crossed for you xx

[Buggles94]

Abby - it definitely sounds like Disney and Universal will be open for you Stay positive - you will have an amazing time!