The First Trip and Tips:

You are thinking about where you want to go. You have an idea of how your vacation spot is handling Covid, what is next? I always tell my clients to create a plan for how you are going to deal with bumps in the road. During the pandemic, you have your standards of behavior. What are you going to do if you run into someone who does not share your priorities? How are you going to control what you can control and let go of what you can’t?
If running into people who use their mask as a chin diaper while everyone else is wearing it properly is going to ruin your trip, it might not be time to go. If you can distance yourself from the “mask-hole” both physically and mentally you will have a much better time. I’m not telling you to be reckless, just mentally prepare for stressful moments and decide how you will deal with them.
Our first trip during the Pandemic was to DisneyWorld in June of 2020. We needed something on the calendar and are Disney Vacation Club members (DVC is the Disney timeshare properties). The DVC properties were open but the parks were not. Our thinking was low crowds, top-notch accommodations and Disney was not going to do anything that would force them to shut down again. Florida at the time was spiking with new cases and was not particularly happy with the mask rules in the summertime. Disney put out its rules and regulations and it fits with our expectations so we made resort and plane reservations took a deep socially distant breath and took a vacation.
Airplanes, in June all of the airlines were not filling the center seat and the DIA (Denver Airport) was fairly empty, The airport is a place to worry, the bus from the parking lot to the terminal can be full and that’s uncomfortable. Lines at the ticket counter and TSA are spaced but you can be packed on the train to the gate. Airlines are very strict about the cleaning protocols and masks, I also believe the air filtering system works as advertised (99+% of contaminants cleared). All airlines are boarding back to front so you won’t have people stepping all over you during the boarding process. During the flight the crew is very attendant to you wearing your mask and with limited food and drink they have the ability to check often. I found the plane ride very comfortable and have done it several times since. On landing a consistent problem props up, when things get too normal people go back to 2019. On landing most folks stand and remove their carry on so 3 hrs of distance goes to hell in a handbasket. Again all have masks its just some old habits die hard.
Tomorrow I will talk about the rental experience and our time at the resort. A friendly reminder that I am a Travel Consultant and would like to help you on your next trip.tom@creatingmagicvacations.com