Hello, and welcome (or welcome back)! And to those who follow this blog, thank you for sticking around during my impromptu hiatus.
Happy New Year! I hope everyone is doing well and feeling safe, healthy, and happy :).
On this week’s blog, we are going to talk about the important things to consider if you are trying to plan a trip during the pandemic.
This pandemic has been around for quite sometime now, and we are all learning how to adapt to a new normal. 2020 was the first year in a while that I did not plan several trips for myself throughout the year. I went to Disney World once in January 2020, and I did not travel again after that. I of course have no regrets or resentments about that—traveling was the last thing on my mind. Making sure myself and everyone around me was safe, was my #1 priority.
But now we are in 2021, and I think we are all beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel. For me, that light is the fireworks over Cinderella’s Castle in Florida 🙂 . I am sooo ready to resume my usual Orlando fun this year! However, I know that things will not be as they have always been. I am going to take the following steps to ensure the safety of myself and the people I travel with.
Steps to take before I travel in 2021:
- Push my trip back to the end of the year 2021. The earliest I plan on taking a vacation out of my home state is October. I want to make sure that the pandemic at large is officially over before I travel again.
- Get the vaccine. I am a woman with a chronic disease that’s listed as high-risk for COVID-19 on cdc.gov. As advised by my medical professionals, I am going to get vaccinated. I urge you to check with your medical professionals to determine the best course of action for your situation.
- Review my state’s COVID-19 plan (to see if I need to quarantine). If it is stated anywhere on my state’s official homepage that I will need to quarantine after I come back from my trip, I will not be going on my trip.
- Review Disney’s COVID-19 precautions plan. If I check Disney World’s website to see what their COVID-19 precautions are and I am not comfortable, I will need to advise my itinerary for the trip. For example, if the tables at the dining establishments onsite at the resort are not 6 feet apart, I will need to adjust my plan to only eat in my hotel room.
- Write out a ‘Just in Case’ plan. As I mentioned in my previous blog posts about traveling (especially alone, and especially if you have health limitations), you should always have a ‘Just In Case’ plan. Check to see what medical accommodations your destination provides, what to do if you have a medical emergency, etc. As we are coming off the heels of a pandemic, this step is needed now more than ever.
- Find an airline with the best precautions. Picking the right method of air travel is just as important as lodging, and I want to find an airline that has the best safety precautions. For me, that means spaced out seating on the plane, and COVID-19 screening before boarding the plane.
- Find travel companions who have been vaccinated and are ready to travel. Make sure to check and see if your travel companions are ready to start traveling again. Ask if they have been vaccinated, and how they feel about being in crowds.
I know that for me, and I am sure for others as well, I will have to reimagine what it means to travel. I absolutely love going to WDW, and I can’t wait to go back, but my health is always a number 1 priority. If I don’t feel safe or comfortable, I will not have a good trip. I urge you to make sure you put your health first always, as well.
Thank you for reading! Let me know in the comments how your travel plan has changed because of the pandemic.
Until next time….
Stay safe and stay magical!
Ashley, MCT
My Chronic Travels 