Hi Sharon,
How nice to see you stopping by with a question for us at the Disney Parks Moms Panel!
Given the distance you have to travel, I especially understand your dilemma and hear your concern. And, since my family had all of our dining reservations cancelled as well, I am quite familiar with the crushing disappointment that followed in my household once that process unfolded. With that said, I still believe in the magic of
Walt Disney World. Moana's wayfinding spirit tells me that the best adventures are not always the same adventures!
With that said, I recommend that you keep those holiday plans for a few more months. As long as you have a resort hotel reservation and theme parks tickets linked to your My Disney Experience account, you can access the
Disney Park Pass system. With that HUGE perk, you can solidify your park plans now. We just made park pass reservations for a trip in April of 2021.
Once our dining plans were cancelled, I was worried about whether we would be able to re-book all of them. Although our dining reservation window has not opened yet for our trip in November, other friends with upcoming trips in July and August have been able to re-book their dining reservations, so that gives me hope.
One surprising ray of sunshine that one of our girls helped me to realize was that since we might not get all of the same restaurant reservations we had previously booked, this forces us to try new dining locations. She has enjoyed doing the research and proposing new ideas to us. My daughter's happiness at doing that Disney dining planning again reminded me that, sometimes, change opens our eyes to possibilities.
If you already have booked your flights, I think that might be another reason to just hold onto that resort hotel reservation for a little while. If you need to buy flights, then that presents another layer to your dilemma, but I still think you can wait until at least six months prior to the trip to reassess and make a final decision. And, lest we forget, we still have Resistance Forces on Batuu waiting for additional allies to join the Cause. Quite frankly, you are needed to help us defeat the First Order.
Sharon, patience is not one of my virtues. I trust you have more. Recent events, however, have taught me that waiting can bring unexpected joy. Do check the
operational updates and, if you booked through a third party, make sure you review their cancellation policies. Trust that magic lives on at the Walt Disney World Resort. Sending wishes to all the stars for you -
the evening star is shining bright, so make a wish and hold on tight...anything can happen. Most important, you bring the laughter and love that make every trip special!
Magic and memories,
Donyell