After discussing the current travel conditions and restrictions, the Planning Board has set August 1st as our decision date regarding whether to hold Pixelmania 2020 or not. August 1st is outside the 45 day cancellation window for even the earliest arrivals and we feel this is the latest we can make an informed decision. Unfortunately Florida’s current 14 day mandatory quarantine for residents of NY, NJ and CT will prevent over half of our regular attendees, including several planning board members, from making the trip. Unless that restriction is lifted it will be very difficult for us to hold the event this year. We are all hopeful that conditions will change between now and August 1st and improve to where we can host Pixelmania 2020, but wanted to give everyone an update on the current issues and decision dates. Stay Healthy!
Thank you for the update. We were supposed to be there yesterday through this coming Tuesday and as you know that did not happen. I hope everyone is staying safe and doing well. Miss my photo friends. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
So if Pixelmania 2020 doesn’t happen this year, does this mean we can have two Pixelmanias in 2021 or one long Pixelmania 2021 from say, October 28-November ?.. (Halloween and Christmas)? .
I like how you think! Unfortunately unlike all the other events I was attending this year that got pushed to next year, my vacation time does not carry over. If it did, I’d be all for that.
I've already missed my April and June trips..and likely thinking that any September/October trip, Pixelmania or not, is probably not going to happen. Though the parks are open, far too many restrictions and requirements to make a vacation worth it for me...until they lift the mask requirements outdoors, and the one-park-reservations-only-per-day system, I likely won't be booking anything. I keep my hopes up those things will lift by September, but I wouldn't put any money on it!
Just booked all my “park reservations” for Pixelmania... took about 30 minutes. Someone online suggested using a Google Chrome Incognito tab and that worked a lot faster than the Mac Safari I also had open. Got all the PM2K20 “parks of the day” in the proper order too... I hope. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
i am going to talk with dvc this week, depending on what they say, there is a very strong chance i will be bowing out of even trying to attend pixelmania, i would rather wait a year and have a nice 9 day vacation which i would prefer includes halloween parties, eat to the beat concerts, food & wine and waterparks available than this uncertain mess that there is now, and no park hopping is a real issue for me, especially for the non pixelmania days. if i do pull out i am planning on making my dvc res the earliest day possible for 10/16/21 to 10/25/21. i would be there earlier than usual, but leaving on monday which is not usual, tuesday is my usual return home, however i found out today that i will be able to semiretire sometime between 11/1/20 and 2/1/21, depending on our newest residence getting up and running and staffed up, at that time i will be going down to a 21 hour workweek with mondays and fridays off. working only tuesdays, wed, thursdays, this is something i have longed to do now for a couple of years and feel i need to do for long term health reasons.
I think at this point we should just cancel the event. Obviously, if folks want to go on their own they can but "Pixelmania" cannot happen this year in its normal state. I just don't care to go with a mask, no hopping, no parades, no fireworks, no fastpasses, no dining plans, etc.
Gary, that will be great schedule for you. Sorry about the long term health issues though. I’ve been semi-retired the last couple years(Only working Saturdays and Sundays, working 24 hrs a week but getting paid for 36), Im retiring in October- the job is just too stressful mentally and physically demanding(working in Surgery) at my age to be standing for 12 hour shifts.
this will be better for me, a lot of the train charters can be done flying to on friday and home monday, which leaves me a lot of vacation available for other stuff, and the health thing is a long term big picture look, i tend to exercise on my days off moreso than after work, blood sugars will be lower and heart healthier, my job is low enough stress, i actually really like it, i will really miss the guys in the residence i will be giving up, they are very high functioning and will really miss me, but this is where my heart leads me
Even though I doubt that I will be travelling anywhere for the remainder of the year, it only took a few minutes to make my park reservations. Waiting until 5:30 pm appeared to be the key. Once things return to "normal" I'll be travelling a lot because I now have a pocketful of Southwest travel funds that don't expire until September, 2022.
I'm out. I was able to transfer a non refundable, non movable off site hotel reservation to the last two weeks in Oct. 2021. Thanks Covid!
I am still hoping to go up to Disney the first week or two of December as I normally do each year, Pixelmania or not...as for Sep/Oct, I'm essentially watching and waiting - if the mask requirement lifts, I'll consider booking even with the PITA park reservation system...but still may not be worth it if no F&W, no shows, no live events, restaurants restricted or not open, no bars (!!), etc...so it all depends on how they work the rules. I've still got 3 weeks or so to bank the last of my points from my canceled June trip and was waiting to do so since my use year is November...if I was going to use them this year, it wouldn't be worth banking...but if it's not likely to go until Dec or later, I'll bank.
I’m still planning on going October 20-28, I have the Park Passes made. Wearing a mask doesn’t make or break it for me(I’ve had to wear a mask for 26 years). My final payment is due in September so I’m going to keep on eye on things and see how the park situation is going.
Although I am (and never was) going this year for Pixelmania, we JUST made reservations for the Poly thru DVC for August 20-26 for when Amanda heads back to school in Tampa (school changed start date on us again). This will be a no park trip for us. It just does not make sense to not ask for a refund on our current AP's. Mine is good until December now, but both Jen's and Amanda's are done August 17th. I know we could get them to extend their passes a month, but we could also pocket that money and use it for dining for a few days. No parades (there have not been) or fireworks and the fact I am not going back to use this pass again makes it a no brainer. Might be our first time seeing what other things there is to do in Orlando besides the Mouse (did someone say Gatorland?).
Volcano Bay water park is open over at Universal Orlando next to Cabana Bay resort. A day there is well worth the money, especially if it's on a weekday and you go early in the morning and grab good seats in the shade. They have covered seating areas all the way in the back. If you have any more questions just let me know and I can shoot you a photo of the map of the water park. Joanie
Not even sure we will venture out, other to the store to grab last minute things for Amanda. I will mention the idea of Volcano Bay, see what happens LOL.
