Orlando August 2020

[Furloughwonder]

A group of 10 of us have a trip to Orlando booked for Aug 2021 (rolled over from 2020). The 6 adults should be fully vaccinated by then but the 4 kids won’t be.

Having read an article in The Times I think BA will, understandably, require the kids to pass a covid test before each flight.

So essentially we will spend the entire holiday fretting about the kids picking up covid and what happens if they fail the return test?

How can anyone go on holiday with these conditions?

I have also seen lots of articles announcing the British will be welcomed in various European countries this summer but same scenario stands - what if the unvaccinated children fail the test to fly home?

Article in question was mainly referring to short haul flights on BA.

Are you all UK citizens?.

The main problem you have is that the travel ban originally put in place March 2020 for UK and European citizens to visit the US is still in place and there is no current indication from the Americans as to when this will be lifted.

I can't see USA opening up this year to tourists.

We also have an Orlando trip from last year for August this year but I am not expecting it to happen.

Personally though IF mask wearing is still in place I think it would be unbearable in that heat anyway so my preference would be to delay for another year.

I am another who doesn’t think the US will open its borders by August. I think there is a slim chance, November or December time may be possible.

If it were me and as much as I’d hate this, I’d move my holiday to 2022 and not fret about it again.

The problem with Orlando and assuming you are doing the parks is that everything is going to be massively busy, probably with many parks being at capacity with people being turned away for this year (if open) and next.

OP, something we’re worried about too! We’ve bought Trailfinders Insurance as if one of your children fail an in country test and you have to quarantine, Trailfinders Travel Insurance covers the cost - www.trailfinders.com/faqs/Does-Trailfinders-travel-insurance-include-cover-for-Covid-19

Thanks for all the replies - I think after today the 40 year olds in our group WONT be doubled vaccinated by August so that is a huge decider.

Very interesting about that insurance too!

OP, we’re due to go then as well and I’m assuming negative PCR tests will be required for travel in and out. I’m not particularly worried about them picking it up there - its generally transmitted by prolonged person to person contact so if we maintain good social distancing then I think we’ll be okay. I am interested in the insurance cover if we can’t travel out or back, or if we have to quarantine when we get back and can’t.

I wish I was as relaxed about it as you @HermioneWeasley but that just means the cost of 10 tests each way & on return 2 kids potentially missing their first week of secondary school. Just none of this = the good feelings we want from our most expensive holiday ever! I hope we can roll it a year

@Furloughwonder, we won’t go if insurance won’t cover us in event of a positive test, or if the kids would have to miss any more school by self isolating when they get back. We are lucky enough to be able to afford the PCR tests, and to have been before, so if there aren’t all the experiences then we’ve done them before. I don’t blame you for wanting to change yours to a more certain time.

In your position OP I would be talking to the other family and to BA about what your options are and whether you'd be able to roll your trip again to 2022.

This summer is just too unpredictable at the moment and the US border remains closed with no reopening date for UK citizens, although there are rumours that it will reopen in late June. For now though, they're just rumours and what the conditions will be re: non-US citizens, vaccinations, Covid tests and quarantine we won't know for a while.

Does anyone know if I can get a refund on our Universal Orlando tickets? We were due to fly out in May but it has been cancelled. Tickets expire 17/12/21 but we can’t go until summer 2022 due to other commitments and my son's trip to New York that was rescheduled too.