Is Resistance Futile or Do We Rise to the Occasion?

Hi Dee! I've been meaning to read this trip report and nothing like a pandemic for finding the time!

Seriously though, I hope you and your family are healthy and safe. How is your dad doing through all of this? I imagine the boys are home from school. Did Nate's school cancel his graduation ceremony? I really feel for all of the seniors this year. The high school where I teach is still going to try to have graduation the end of July. I'm doing elearning and not loving it. I miss my students and would rather be at school.

Anyway, I still haven't made it to DL, but two of my daughters have. They both love DL and one of the them would choose it over WDW. The close proximity for the resorts and parks are very appealing.

That's great that you were able to ride Rise of the Resistance twice. I really don't like the BP situation both parks are using. I feel for the people who are there at the crack of dawn and don't get a pass.

For not having any reservations, it looked like you had some tasty meals. And good for you for finding a corner!

I had a WDW trip planned with my daughter and granddaughter for the first week in June. We cancelled it in March and haven't rescheduled. I'm not sure when I'll get back there, but I'm kind of leaning toward 2021. I think I'd rather wait until things calm down a bit.
 
Hey friends!

I hope all of you and your families are well.

These are such challenging and heartbreaking times. I have not been keeping up with the Yacht and Beach Club FAQ very well, and haven't visited the trip report pages at all.

Even with nothing but time on my hands, I don't seem to be able to get anything done.

I'm spending a lot (A LOT) of time in the kitchen. Cooking three meals a day for my family, and the clean up involved, I am calling this a pots and pandemic.

Please let me know how you all are doing.


:grouphug:


My boys miraculously had the same spring break this year, March 14-21. We had planned an AMAZING dream trip to Costa Rica, which we cancelled the day before we were leaving when the State Department suggested US citizens reconsider travel abroad. The Costa Rican government closed the borders on March 16, so we made the right call.

Meanwhile, Ben's roommate Ben (aka Billy) was going to Disneyland for spring break but fortunately he learned that the park would be closing before he flew out there. So he changed his plans and came here with Ben. They were originally going to return to school a couple of weeks following spring break, but then the semester went online for the rest of the year. Ben/Billy's parents live in Germany, so he has finished out the semester here and is waiting for a flight back to Germany that isn't postponed or cancelled. Right now May 21.

Nate has finished up his senior year at UNH and is "graduating" on May 15. I have no idea if they are doing a virtual ceremony or postponing to another date. He has mostly been at his on campus apartment, but will be back home in a couple of weeks.

He had a job offer in Idaho (snorkeling to count trout, then fly-fishing for them- he claims that's a job), but that program was cancelled. He has applied to another essential position in Idaho, at a fish hatchery, and we are waiting to hear if he gets that.

Mark has been working from home for the past 8 weeks. His company has been very flexible and generous in perks.

We are bringing groceries and meals to Mark's mom without direct contact.

I have been very impressed with the apartment and nursing home where my dad is. They were very proactive with care early on. They are serving the residents in their rooms and visitors are prohibited in the building. Masks must be worn whenever they leave their rooms. I talk to my dad every day, but miss spending time and running errands with him.

I am not working and not sure when or if I will be able to go back. Most of the programs I teach are for school field trips and who knows if they will be taking place in fall. Thankfully, I am still able to visit the farm




This is Helen. We both need haircuts. She will be getting one on Wednesday. We normally have a big sheep shearing festival that the public can attend, but this year it will be live-streamed so people can watch safely from home.

It's going to be a wooly good time.

🐑
 
Last edited:
We stayed near the Maalaea harbor in a condo rental - we weren't in the thick of the tourist attractions but the condo was perfect for our budget and we actually found Maalaea to be a perfect central location for us - easy to drive over to Haleakala, Lahaina, or a quick zip over to Kihei for dinner. We did sunset at Haleakala, the road to Hana, a few beach days to experience Kaanapali and Wailea, and my top favorite experiences were a whale watching tour (we went in December) and the Feast at Lele dinner show. Life got in the way and I still haven't finished up my TR, but I did get most of it posted here if you'd like to relive Hawaii with some photo touring: https://www.disboards.com/threads/b...rn-to-aulani-and-first-visit-to-maui.3729422/

UGH I just realized half of my pictures disappeared from my TR!!! Oh no! Now I will have to fix it before I can finish up... :sad:

Thanks for the info about your previous trip. Maalaea harbor is beautiful. Are there any beaches nearby or was that not a priority for you? Whale watching was a highlight of our trip as well.

I have not gotten around to posting my Hawaii pictures or doing my report. Were you able to travel in April or have you postponed your trip to another time?

:hug:
 
It's great to hear from you, Dee! It sounds like you have a houseful! I am distance teaching from home, while keeping my own 3 kiddos on track. My husband is also working from home, which I am thankful for! I've been listening to Disney podcasts, and trying to read about my favorite place to keep me from getting to sad with all we had to cancel!
 


The RotR ride at WDW still goes down, but it is random. Some days they get through a lot of boarding groups and some days have a lot of problems. It seems as if the ride goes down the most in the morning and is more dependable in the afternoons. When I had boarding group 10, which was one of the first ones called, I was glad that the ride was down when I went to ride it. I was then able to ride it anytime I wanted to, which was perfect for me. :)

At the time of my respond, RotR is experiencing its longest downtime
:(


When we went to Hawaii we would wake up around 4 - 4:30am and be dead tired by 8pm. The hard part was that it was still dark that early in the morning. I was glad that we had a condo so we could make breakfast since none of the restaurants opened until 7am. We had condos for all but the very first trip. Condos were great.

Same.

We were up very early every morning and exhausted in the evening.

The condo was great so we could cook an early breakfast, before the breakfast we had provided on the whale watches and snorkeling trips we took.

We only had a couple of meals at restaurants during our trip. We either cooked or did takeout and ate in our beautiful condo on the lanai overlooking the water.

Hopefully I will be inspired to post my pictures soon. Or finish up the report from the October trip which has been at a standstill.

:blush:
 
Hi Dee! I've been meaning to read this trip report and nothing like a pandemic for finding the time!

Seriously though, I hope you and your family are healthy and safe. How is your dad doing through all of this? I imagine the boys are home from school. Did Nate's school cancel his graduation ceremony? I really feel for all of the seniors this year. The high school where I teach is still going to try to have graduation the end of July. I'm doing elearning and not loving it. I miss my students and would rather be at school.

Anyway, I still haven't made it to DL, but two of my daughters have. They both love DL and one of the them would choose it over WDW. The close proximity for the resorts and parks are very appealing.

That's great that you were able to ride Rise of the Resistance twice. I really don't like the BP situation both parks are using. I feel for the people who are there at the crack of dawn and don't get a pass.

For not having any reservations, it looked like you had some tasty meals. And good for you for finding a corner!

I had a WDW trip planned with my daughter and granddaughter for the first week in June. We cancelled it in March and haven't rescheduled. I'm not sure when I'll get back there, but I'm kind of leaning toward 2021. I think I'd rather wait until things calm down a bit.

Thank you so much for your comment, that refocused me to this thread. I really appreciate your concern for me and my family, and hope that all is well with you and yours.

I feel so badly for the teachers and students who haven't been able to complete the school year together. Being an educator is so important and a very difficult job under normal circumstances. Thank you for all you do, especially this year!

Although I no longer have any high school students, I am on the committee that plans after graduation events to keep the seniors save. This morning we delivered graduation signs for the Class of 2020. We are still trying to figure out what to do for the students on graduation night in early June.

Sorry about having to cancel your trip. It is so hard to envision what travel will be like in the near future.

:hug:
 
Last edited:
Hey friends!




This is Helen. We both need haircuts. She will be getting one on Wednesday. We normally have a big sheep shearing festival that the public can attend, but this year it will be live-streamed so people can watch safely from home.

It's going to be a wooly good time.

🐑
Dee...I like the longer look on both of you, but I think Helen needs a trim, so she can see.
 


It's great to hear from you, Dee! It sounds like you have a houseful! I am distance teaching from home, while keeping my own 3 kiddos on track. My husband is also working from home, which I am thankful for! I've been listening to Disney podcasts, and trying to read about my favorite place to keep me from getting to sad with all we had to cancel!

Wow! That is a LOT on your plate.

Thanks to you as well for teaching in these difficult times. I know that it is a much more work to remote teach, especially when you have the rest of the household to look after.

:hug:
 
Good to see you back on here my friend and glad to hear you are surviving ok. I am doing ok. Missing my daughter and grandson especially all the lovely cuddles my grandson gives during our daily story time though I do get many kisses blown to me via FaceTime which is something. They are coming to visit us today from the back garden. We stay up on the deck so we’re more than meet the socially distant guidelines. This will be the 3rd visit in 8 weeks and while not ideal it’s lovely to see them for a half hour in the flesh plus the 2 year old gets to run around somewhere different and that keeps him happy 😊
I am finding it hard to be motivated to do much. I could knit but can’t concentrate enough(or decide what I want to knit with the wool I have). Currently reading Michelle Obama’s book Becoming, which I was given for Christmas 2 years ago, and it’s an enjoyable read but again my lack of concentration makes it slow going.
Yesterday I decided it was time to wise up and at least try to get some sort of fitness routine into my life so my husband and I went for a proper walk (with hills) instead of our usual lazy danders on the flat to get both our heart rate up and our 10000 steps and it felt good! Like you and Helen I could do with a hair cut and a color to hide the grey but as no one gets close enough to see there’s at least that positive from all of this!
Think it’s a time to be kind to ourselves and each other and to remember that this time will pass and we will have a new appreciation for the things we never doubted before.
Take care everyone🥰
 
I have trouble reading the Dis forums because it makes me a little sad to see how much things have changed since the pandemic began.

I'm spending a lot (A LOT) of time in the kitchen. Cooking three meals a day for my family, and the clean up involved, I am calling this a pots and pandemic.
That seems to be my life, too. :)
I have been throwing myself into gardening. My garden was very neglected during my years of working full time. I never seemed to have the energy to devote to doing much to make it pretty. My goal when I retired was to get going on the gardens. It has been a lot of work but the results are paying off. I'm not done yet, especially with the freeze we had yesterday morning, but things are looking a lot better now. :)

Our daughter and son-in-law bought a house just a mile away from us. She will be here on Saturday with the kids. Our son-in-law has been here for a week. I am excited that she will no longer be 1,000 miles away, but sad that social distancing will keep us from being "normal" with each other for awhile. She is a nurse and has been under incredible pressure from her work. It's good that she has a few weeks, at least, with nothing but moving to think about. :)

We had planned an AMAZING dream trip to Costa Rica,
You were very lucky to have avoided being stranded in Costa Rica, but very unlucky that the dream trip could not happen. :(

He had a job offer in Idaho (snorkeling to count trout, then fly-fishing for them- he claims that's a job), but that program was cancelled. He has applied to another essential position in Idaho, at a fish hatchery, and we are waiting to hear if he gets that.
I hope something works out for Nate. I feel so bad for the young people who are affected in so many ways right now.

I have been very impressed with the apartment and nursing home where my dad is. They were very proactive with care early on.
That is good to hear. I bet you miss not having your normal visits. He probably misses them a lot, too.
We only had a couple of meals at restaurants during our trip. We either cooked or did takeout and ate in our beautiful condo on the lanai overlooking the water.
The condo was the best way to manage a trip to Hawaii. We would stay at Popui Beach, Kauai where we could walk to one beach to watch the sunrise and walk to another one to watch the sunset. It was heavenly. :)
 
It's good to see you posting an update on the Dis. I haven't done that in quite some time. John and I have been blessed that we have both worked for the entirety of the pandemic. Well, except for the ten day stretch when John had shingles. I'm so ready for things to get back to normal even if it is a new normal.
 
I enjoyed your trip report! I avoided these boards for a month or two, because it was kind of depressing, but I have been trying to be back on, and I definitely have some trip reports to catch up on! It is definitely a goal to stay at the Disneyland Hotel someday, but probably just my husband and I. As much as the kids would love the magic and the pool areas, we would need two rooms, and that's just not happening, haha! It looks beautiful though! I'm glad your trip was good, and that you got everything in before things got crazy there in March. It truly is a strange time, and my heart feels a lot for the kids at crossroads (graduations, new jobs, getting married, etc.) who don't get things celebrated the way they normally would!
 
I enjoyed your trip report! I avoided these boards for a month or two, because it was kind of depressing, but I have been trying to be back on, and I definitely have some trip reports to catch up on! It is definitely a goal to stay at the Disneyland Hotel someday, but probably just my husband and I. As much as the kids would love the magic and the pool areas, we would need two rooms, and that's just not happening, haha! It looks beautiful though! I'm glad your trip was good, and that you got everything in before things got crazy there in March. It truly is a strange time, and my heart feels a lot for the kids at crossroads (graduations, new jobs, getting married, etc.) who don't get things celebrated the way they normally would!

:welcome: Sara!

Great pictures from your past trips. I see you are a DL fanatic. Have you been to the World?

Thank you so much for commenting on my trip report.

I totally get the absence from this board. Same! I have been keeping up (barely) with the Yacht & Beach Club board that I manage, but it is really hard to get motivated when everything is closed and information is so confusing!

Yes, I'm so thankful that we were able to enjoy our trip to Disneyland and Hawaii. We had to cancel a dream family trip to Costa Rica a day before we were scheduled to leave when the shirt started hitting the fan. It was the right thing to do as CR closed the borders while we were scheduled to be there, and it really helped knowing at least we were able to get away earlier in the winter.

Yes, my heart breaks for everyone who is missing out on important milestones- weddings, graduations, celebrations of new babies without family being able to hug and snuggle...

Fortunately, although my son graduated from college this year, the lack of ceremony did not really bother him.

I have a trip report for my October Disney trip that I haven't touched since early March, and I haven't been able to read trip reports even though I have nothing but time on my hands these days!

Anyway, we really like the Disneyland Hotel. Fun theming, free-range characters and we loved getting meals at Tangora Terrace. Very nice for couples! ;)

:goodvibes
 
:welcome: Sara!

Great pictures from your past trips. I see you are a DL fanatic. Have you been to the World?

Thank you so much for commenting on my trip report.

I totally get the absence from this board. Same! I have been keeping up (barely) with the Yacht & Beach Club board that I manage, but it is really hard to get motivated when everything is closed and information is so confusing!

Yes, I'm so thankful that we were able to enjoy our trip to Disneyland and Hawaii. We had to cancel a dream family trip to Costa Rica a day before we were scheduled to leave when the shirt started hitting the fan. It was the right thing to do as CR closed the borders while we were scheduled to be there, and it really helped knowing at least we were able to get away earlier in the winter.

Yes, my heart breaks for everyone who is missing out on important milestones- weddings, graduations, celebrations of new babies without family being able to hug and snuggle...

Fortunately, although my son graduated from college this year, the lack of ceremony did not really bother him.

I have a trip report for my October Disney trip that I haven't touched since early March, and I haven't been able to read trip reports even though I have nothing but time on my hands these days!

Anyway, we really like the Disneyland Hotel. Fun theming, free-range characters and we loved getting meals at Tangora Terrace. Very nice for couples! ;)

:goodvibes

I went to O'ahu with some of my family a year and a half ago, and it was wonderful! I have been to WDW, but it has been over 20 years! I'm from AZ, so we great up going to DL (and then DLR) but I went on a school trip for a national competition in 1998. We only had 2 1/2 days to spend in the parks, so we spent a day at the Magic Kingdom, a day at the brand new Animal Kingdom, and half a day at Epcot. I spent most of the day feeling somewhat confused at MK because the map in my head almost worked there, but not quite. 😝 I would love to go back in a couple years with just my DH and check it all out again, but I don't feel inclined to take our kids. 7 people times anything (especially when you figure in flights) gets super expensive, and I'm honestly overwhelmed at the amount of time ahead you have to plan everything there too. I just know I'd enjoy it more with just the two of us. DH wants to go solely to ride the ToT again, but we'd also have to fit the better version of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter into our trip, so it's going to be at least a week thing. It's hard to leave our kids for anything near that long, but it gets easier every year! (our baby is about to turn 4)
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!






Top