When our youngest was born 18 1/2 years ago, we calculated and figured out that she would graduate high school in 2020, and all throughout her childhood, we’ve talked about how cool it is that this would be her year.
Well, here we are and 2020 is not so much what it was cracked up to be. Yesterday would have been her last day of school, but she’s been kicking around at home since early March. No friends hanging out, no senior prom, no signing of yearbooks the last week of school. All of the things that we’ve all experienced that have been somewhat of a right of passage are just gone. Poof.
We’ve had plans for nearly eleven months now for all of our family from Seattle to fly in for her big graduation celebration. There were eleven of us total and we reserved a Two-Bedroom Villa and two Deluxe Studios at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa. We were so excited that we had enough Disney Vacation Club points to have a whole villa for each family with the big one to gather in for meals and morning coffee.
We booked our Advance Dining Reservations exactly 6-months out so we could be sure to get the Table Service restaurants we wanted at the approximate times we were hoping for and we did pretty well. Until now, all of those dining reservations remained intact. Then the cancellation emails started flowing in.
For a couple of months now, I’ve been watching sad posts from folks whose Disney vacations were being cancelled. I’ve felt sad for them, but I could only imagine how it really felt to actually watch your vacation plans being cancelled before your eyes, until now that is. Now, I realize that this is a first-world problem, however, it feels different to us now as it’s become the reality of what’s going on in the world around us. I’ve seen lots of people make fun of others or berate them online for being upset about their cancelled vacations and I don’t think it’s okay. We feel how we feel and we’re allowed – it’s okay, we’re all different. Check out my column from yesterday for more on that.
Anywhoo… although our dining reservations have begun to get cancelled, our Resort reservations – all three of them – still show intact. Flights have already been cancelled, plans have already been changed, and graduation is taking place virtually so we will all still be together – but apart. I’m expecting to receive emails at any moment stating that these have also been cancelled and I’m looking forward to being able to rebook everything at some point in the future. While our next family vacation won’t be the same as it’s always been, I’m still looking forward to time spent with beloved family at the Most Magical Place on Earth!
