Not impressed...just back

[opsomyo]

I do not want to prevent anyone from going, but I was not very impressed with the children's programming.
It was my DD5 and myself (mom). DD is Very outgoing & spent alot of time talking with other guests. So I was surprised she wouldn't go in the club by herself. I didn't mind because the vacation was about spending time just the two of us together.
I would go in the club & stay with her. They let you go in as visitors, you don't have to sign them in. We went for the family time once. Because I wa with her I was able to see the things they do with the kids. First off, the club is mostly computers. She has a million games & tons of computer time at home so she wasn't very interested in it.
We went to the "Island" show & got there early. They had the 5-7 yr olds there from the club. They were trying to keep them entertained while they waited. The one counselor had the do a "moose call". It consisted all these cross this finger, hold these to together, cross this one of that one etc........ these were little kids that are trying to follow this LONG list of directions, then you are suppose to blow throw your hands & do this moose call. All these kids are trying to do htis & the couselors moose call was "here mooseie moosie moosie moosie! My DD5 was like what? what now? It was just silly. Then they do this silly repeat after me song. It was like they were just making stupid stuff up to waste these kids time while their parents were off having fun.
At scuttles cove, the wackey noodle game was a hulahoop, some sand buckets then another hulahoop. You had to jump up & down 3x in the hulahoop, run around the buckets, turn 3x in the last hulahoop then grab a noodle put it between your legs &run back. DD5 did it once & said can we go back & swim in the Mickey pool? Which was closed ALOT of the time.
The pool & slide was her favorites, almost the only thing she enjoyed doing. We have a pool at home so I thought how silly is this? That is where we spent almost all of our time. :( Not what I wanted to do but she had fun.The slide is only open from 1:30-6:30. I think it should be opened alot longer, all the kids love it. Food- the lunch buffet the first day was unbelievable :) ummmm yummmy. I was surprised that the hot dog place & icrecream closes at 6:00p.m. You don't really have any choices for dinner, the resteraunt or room service. The buffet is closed for dinner. The day at castaway cay, DD had a scrape & the salt water hurt , she didn't like scuttles cove so we were on the ship. Nothing was open. I hope you like eating kids food ie.... hot dogs, pizza, chicken tenders, because that is ALot of the choices all the time. The restraunts were good, not alot of menu selection I didn't feel. All in all, I was disappointed. The children's programming leaves alot to be desired, at least for mine. They need to talk with some preschool teachers, there are alot of really cool simple things they could have done. Someone could be making things with them, with paint & paper & scissors & glue etc..nothing like that! They could learn to draw Mickey, way beyond my DD. Even the songs etc, were stupid & pointless. We went to the Mickey Mania, beyond her. The family dance party was good until they stoped the music & had the kids get on stage. Put your hands up, put them down, sit down, stand up, sit down, hands, up, hands down, sit down, stand up lye down, snore, who can snore the loudest. It was stupid, the kids were like why?DD was enjoying her self when they were playing music & dancing, then after they did all that she was like, can we go to the mickey pool? We did have our own fun, played ping pong, went on a horse & carraige ride in Nassau, Disney dreams was Great! we both enjoyed that. I just felt they had WAY more things for the adults to do than the kids & they could have done way simpler, WAY WAY better things with the kids. It was an experience, & I have tried not to be too disappointed but we will definately not be going back. I do hope everyoine else had the times of their lives. I don't want to discourage others from going but I didn't think it was worth th $$$$!

[Michelle]

I'm sorry your daughter did not enjoy herself. Every child is different and will experience the clubs differently.

My daughter, on the other hand, absolutely loves the children's programming, and has experienced it from age 5 to now (8). She has participated in many fun activities, including making picture frames, making "flubber", making her own pillowcase, etc. etc. There were always arts and crafts activities in the box at the club each night that the kids had made.

Perhaps if your daughter had felt comfortable enough to take part in the activities alone her experience might have been different.

I hope your future vacations are more enjoyable. :D

[markey]

All kids are different. But this will be the 3rd year we have taken our grandkids on the cruise. All they talk about is the clubs. One thing that we did was only let them go when there was a structured activity, which were many. I think the down time is when the kids get dressed up, watch movies and play on the computers. They are counting down the days until August, and are talking about what they will do again this year.

[CamColt]

Oh bummer! Im sorry to hear you didnt have such a great time. When we cruised with our kids, oldest DS was 3.5 and he wouldnt go to the clubs at all. He was the same way as your DD that all the wanted to do was swim in the pool. I felt like we missed out on a lot that trip. I too agree that there is a limited variety on the menus, but since I found that out last time, I knew what to expect this time and I wasnt disappointed. Plus we skipped the restaurant we liked the least and went to Palo instead which helped to give us some variety. Oh, and we found nachos and chicken wings around the ship a couple times which was a nice change from burgers & pizza.
I also agree, that Disney Dreams was awesome(even the 2nd time around)!
Sorry the trip was so disappointing for you. Better luck next time.

[peg2001]

opsomyo,

Thank you for posting. Although we all love to read the reports of wonderful vacations, it is important that we also hear reports from people who did not have the best time. . .either so we can adjust our expectations or so we can decide on how we can do things differently.

I know exactly what you mean though about it being disappointing that your DD wanted to spend all her time at the pool. When we went to WDW last year, my DD5 loved the hotel pool more than going to the theme parks and my DD1 just wanted to jump in the puddles left on the sidewalk.

Peg

[Gina]

Wow... I don't even know what to say. All the things you mentioned were the types of things that my DS (5 at the time we sailed) loved so much about the Oceaneer Club. But then, we're a silly pair, he and I, and love to have silly fun all the time. :) He loved the OC so much, the other DIS-ers on the cruise kept teasing me, saying they didn't believe I even had a son, since they never saw him. ;) He wouldn't leave the Club!! In fact, I told him that this next cruise, he is at least coming to dinner with me every night, whether he likes it or not... but in return, he made me promise that I'd let him go right back to the Club. :)

I'm sure sorry you and your daughter weren't happy... :( I guess it's just not for everyone!

-gina-

[opsomyo]

I know lots of other kids enjoy the club, I heard them raving about it. It just takes alot to keep her interested. We missed the dress up stuff she would have loved that. I also felt the counselors should maybe have tried to get her involved, since they knew she was apprehensive. I didn't care if she didn't stay in there by herself so I never asked them either, to their defense. I am sure if I would have suggested it they proboly would have tried. I don't want anyone to change their plans or anything, just give a heads up to those who might encounter the same things I did. I enjoyed myself and the time we spent together but no more than I would have anywhere else.
We do however have some Awesome pictures & can say we took a carraige ride in the Bahamas! How many peolple can sy that right? :) We didn't spend a ton of money which also made me happy. Also, Everyone that works on the ship is very polite and friendly. DD wore a cinderrella crown the whole time & they all said hello tho the "princess" which made her feel very special. It was also nice lying in bed together at night watching the Disney movies on T.V. I noticed they had some pg & pg 13 for the older kids & parents(nothing she would have wanted to watch but nothing I wouldn't have let her) which was nice but I was tooo tired to watch them after she fell asleep! We did have a good time, & Very much needed the mommy/daughter time together. Sice my DD2 got sick (cancer) 1 1/2 yrs ago, it has been rough. That is the only reason we went just the two of us. So, alll in all it served the purpose, just not my disney dream come true...................

[Mjasp]

I must say all kids are different. My 6 yr old DD walked into the club at night and saw only about 6-8 computers, mats on the floor for the movie and the dress up clothes and said to me "what is this pre school?" I did ask the manager to bump her up to 8-9 yr old program, she said fine but thought some of the activities there may frustrate a 6 yr old. It was the end of the cruise, so we kept her in 5-7 yr old. Which BTW shares the club at night with 3-4 yr olds.

Next year she will be 7 yrs old, so I will cross that bridge when I get to it. One thing I will do is put her in the clubs in the daytime, when there is planned activities as flubber making, etc. This last trip she was with us all day and she only went to the club after dinner, when all there was to do was watch the movie, play dress up and computer.

[MrsScooby]

I have to agree with Peg, I do find posts like these help me to adjust my expectations. Thanks for being brave enough to post your viewpoint. I am definitely going better prepared because of this Dis board.
Thanks! :D
Laurie

[Fawn]

I think you stated your problems fairly, and I'm glad you felt comfortable to do so. Everyone is going to have a different experience, and so it's good to hear all sides. I think the biggest problem we sometimes have is expectations way above where they should be!

My kids loved the clubs...never saw them unless I forced the issue! They would beg to stay until they closed and locked the doors...and then have a wake up call to head there right after breakfast! Goes to show that every kid is different!

Like you, Opsomyo, we had a rough year having suffered a double loss in our family, and I felt we needed some serious bonding/relaxing/rebuilding time together. Instead, they got a chance to not even think about family heartaches for awhile, and that was probably just as good.

Thanks for your honesty!

[opsomyo]

I tried not to expect too much. I always have expectations of myself that I couldn't possibly meet. So, yes it could be all me, but all in all I don't think I would go back. Maybe if we did 4 days in Disney first. I think if we all would have went & done disney first, then if the girls would go into the club, we could have relaxed after all the craziness of the parks. Then we could have done the adult stuff I didn't get to do when DD & I went. I just found out my sister is taking her to WDW in Jan. What a lucky girl! :) I am so happy for her. We plan on in about 2 years taking them. The little one will be five then. Hopefully we will get some help through the make a wish foundation. Regardless, we are going in about 2 years. I would love to go next year but want to make sure she is old enough to really enjoy it & will be able to remember going. What does everyone think she will turn 3 this fall. When would be the perfect age to take her to WDW?
Thanks everyone for your imput!

[Tiggeriffic]

My personal opinion about taking children on vacations is just make sure that they have fun things to do. I never worry whether or not my children will remember it. For me, the vacation is about having fun together as a family. My son has been to Disney 3 times at ages 3.5 , 5.5, and 8. My daughter was 1.5 and 3.5. They both had a great time. This included going on rides and doing things that we didn't necessarily plan on doing. We have some great pictures of my daughter playing in the water fountain areas in Epcot and Magic Kingdom. She spent almost an hour in those play areas one day with a few other children while my wife and I took turns going to see things.

There are things that she remembers, but we plan on taking her back and we'll make new memories. Besides, we always have the pictures to jog her memory. I think that the perfect age to take a child is when things work for your family and you can all enjoy it. Remember, vacations never work out exactly as you plan. However, if you plan on being together and trying to have fun, that almost always works!!!

[floridaminnie]

I don't think that there is ever a perfect age to go to disney. My dd3 has been blessed with growing up at WDW. At each age, it's a different experience for her. As she gets older she tries new things and still enjoys the old.

[CamColt]

I think a lot depends on the kid and like sdoane said, its different at every age. We went on the cruise and to WDW when DS was 3.5. He whined and complained about everything(like I said before, all he wanted to do was swim). He had fun on Buzz Lightyear, then we were going on it again and he refused. :confused: He was at a very tough stage. However, we went again(just to WDW) 11 months later and he had the time of his life. It was the greatest trip for me because I saw how much he enjoyed it, the way it should be. He was a completely different kid. Everything we did, he really enjoyed and he wanted to do it again and again. So, not knowing the kid, its hard to say when is the perfect time to go, but when you do decide to go, good luck! :D

[peg2001]

The perfect time is now. You never know what is going to happen next year. A lost job, a family emergency, even a promotion without the ability to take off for vacation, can detour future plans.

Waiting until a child is old enough to remember is overrated! You don't wait to take them to the playground, to buy them a special toy, to hold/hug/love them. The special times will make an impact on your child and your family, even if specific memories of the trip are forgotten.

Peg

[Ginny]

Our DD (7.5) was 4.5 on her first trip to WDW/DCL. While some of that trip she doesn't remember very well, we just happened to find our video tapes of that visit/cruise about 3-4 weekends ago. She was spellbound as she watched herself at the Grand Floridian Character Dinner with Cinderella and the Mad Hatter. She really enjoyed hearing her little girl voice and watching herself react to all the different characters. We watched about 4 hours of tapes that weekend. For me, it was a joy the first time but even more so watching her experience it all over again.

I vote for going early and if I had it to do over again I would even go at 3 or 3.5. We just took it slow and always got up early and took long afternoon naps.

[mlshields]

I agree with Peg2001 - We never know what is going to happen! Especially living in NY, I now live for today, I tell my family I love them today, I do things with them today. If you want to take your child and have the means to do it - GO:)

I have two kids DS8.5 and DD6 - They will both be on the 9/29 cruise. They have been hounding me since their first cruise 2/01 as to when are we going back!

My DD was 4 when she was on that cruise and she still talks about camp at least once a week! She literally had to be dragged out of their everynight. She loved it!!!! My DS was 6 and he too had the best time! He loved the computers, the science experiments and watching movies at night and having Goofy show up.

My best club experience was the show for the parents at the end of the week. Seeing the pictures of your kids and having them perform on stage with Mickey - Well, there wasn't alot of dry eyes among the moms!

[OurDogCisco]

opsomyo, Thank you so much for your honesty! I would have to agree with the other posters about setting our expectations. I wonder if my dd will like the clubs. I have heard so many good things about them and no bad things that I sorted wondered how it could true. You know like it was too good to be true. I really liked your prespective!

Thanks for your sharing. Also, it sounds like you and dd had a great time otherwise!

[chance]

I appreciate your honesty and I think we all need to hear the good and bad. It helps us plan too. I am worried about my 4 1/2 year old in the kids clubs as well. I am so sorry to hear about the trauma and illness your family has been through and reading it made my heart ache. We are taking the cruise for the exact same reason, to have family time. I almost died from an anueysm last year that occured when I was 36 weeks pregnant. My 4 year old has been through a lot and on top of that DH is a Marine and was gone 9 months out of the last 12. On to the ages of taking children to WDW. We took my DS to WDW the first time when he was 2 years 3 months and he had a blast. Granted he is pretty easy going and loves everything and anything Disney. He still talks about the Buzz Lightyear ride. We rode it 100 times :). I agree with the other poster, you never know what tomorrow will bring. That is why we are going on the cruise and WDW in October. I am worried as the baby will only be 17 months old but my 4 year old needs it. Best of luck with your little ones health and your future travel plans :).

[MrsScooby]

Hi!
My MIL insisted my DD(3 at the time) was too young to enjoy WDW. Boy, was she wrong!:p My DD's favorite ride was the Haunted House! She went two times in a row the first day and only once on the last day. It was hard getting her off it. She also loved the water sprays on Donald's boat, near Toon Town. She loved everything! Of course taking pictures helps her remember and a video camera would be even better.
I agree with the others, go when you can.
Good luck!:)
Laurie

[mcnuss]

My parents live in Florida so my DD8 is spoiled rotten, having been to Disney 6 times. The first time she was only about 18 months old and it did not matter that she maybe rode 3 rides - it was all about the experience. She LOVED the characters and most especially the Castle. She has always been (still is) a lover of Cinderella. When we went back about a year later, the Castle was all done up as the birthday cake. I personally thought it looked like someone had dumped Pepto Bismol on it but she was ENCHANTED. She fell asleep during the night-time parade and woke up as were leaving. She got all upset that she did not get a piece of "Cinderella's birthday cake".

Bottom line is that she does not really remember these trips, but I do. She had fun at the time, and the point was not to make memories, but to live in the moment.

[opsomyo]

In my family vacations are a frivoulous waste of money. Unless you have your mortgage, cars, & everything else paid off with $30,000 in the bank, you can't afford to go! I personaly feel, you never know what will happen (ie, perfectly healthy 16 month old diagnosed with cancer & a neurological disorder that affects only 15-30 a year). Taking my DD5 on a cruise about made my mother loose her mind! How could we afford such a thing? My answer, I put it on my credit card. I thought she was going to flip!

We don't own a house, which I only mind in the summer when I want a yard for my kids. I stay home with the kids so we live on my DH income alone. We were blessed when CBS ran a story on my daughter & people were so touched, they sent donations for her care. I worked most of the stuff out w the ins. co after that so the money just sits there. I will have to home school her so that will be an on going expence. We travel around the midwest taking her to DR.'s etc. The poor child, I give her a steroid injection every other day, she is in Speach therapy , Physical, & developmental therapy. She gets somthing similar to a transfusion monthly. She even has to take something to help her sleep, after 1 1/2 yrs of waking up every hour or so. (part of the illness) She feels yucky most of the time & has extreme hypertension so if it is too hot outside she has to stay in :( These are just a dent of what she goes through. I spend all my time ordering stock( meds, needles, syringes, etc.) taking her to appointments & therapies, fighting the ins. co etc.

My family doesn't seem to get what my life consists of. When I said I was taking DD5 (not the sick one) on a cruise they felt I must be STEALING money from the little one.
I told my DH yesterday I am tired of waiting to do things. I am tired of life passing us by. He says we can't go to Disney till we buy a house next year. I say then we won't be able to afford it. I want to take my kids to Disney. We have been doing a lot of fun things this year, a first, but I know it would be an unbelievable experience for them. What if my little one is too sick to go in a couple years? We are going to start chemo again soon &.............. well it won't be fun. I think we all deserve some fun. It is so nice to hear all of you supporting the decision to take your kids when you can. This is the first time in our lives we could even think of it. I would have to use some of the benefit money but there would be ALOT left. I don't want to spend it all on medical bills. I also don't want anyone who donated think we were terrible or stealing or anything to take them on such trips....................
I don't know. Some help please?

[pagemaker]

From what you have told us, I think you are doing a wonderful job.

It's only natural to want to give your kids the best that life has to offer. We all have these "grand plans" when we start a life together. The five year plan, the ten year plan, first money in the bank, then a house, then kids. Unfortunately, however, life throws us a curve ball. For some of us it only ends the inning, but for others the game will never be same again. We don't know why it happens, but it does.

People donate to causes not only to help others feel better, but to help themselves feel better, too. If you feel guilty about increasing the quality of life for your family based upon the donations, may I offer this suggestion?:

I would suggest you see 2 people (and perhaps you have already). The first being a financial planner who will ensure that the donations will work financially for your family and your daughter will have the medical care she needs (or, hopefully, not need) for years to come. The second one is a neutral party who is both knowledgable and emotionally detached from your every day life. A social worker, or therapist for example. Sometimes we are sucked into a vacuum of guilt and indecisiveness without realizing it. It's helpful to have a fresh point of view, opinion, and support.

Taking these steps will hopefully ease some of the guilt you have, as well as provide you with an answer when loved ones ask about your financial capabilities.

I hope this helps and WDW sees you and family all in good health!

Deb

[peg2001]

opsomyo,

My heart goes out to you and your family. I can only imagine the struggles you have gone through with your sick little one. Please, do NOT feel guilty for taking a vacation with just DD5. You both needed time away and your older DD needed to feel special. I am sure that she often has to put her needs behind those of her little sis. It occurs to me that her situation is probably why she found many of the club activities "too silly." Her life has been so serious!

As for the monetary donations, people donated to help your family. It is up to you how to best spend that money and it would seem that people certainly believe that a family vacation for a sick child is worthwhile as we donate to Make A Wish Foundation!!

I agree that it may be worthwhile for you to seek an external soure of support. . .whether a support group for parents of ill children, a minister, or someone similar. You should certainly not feel guilty for trying to include some FUN in your family's life.

I wish the best for you and yours.
Peg

[BeanoC]

I got similar feedback from some family members: "You can't afford to go to Florida every year"! or "Don't be so dumb - put that money in the bank". Poor, clueless souls! My dad said that I would regret it later, having spent all that money on a vacation.
Gee - what do you think the chances are of me saying, 10 years from now, "Boy, I sure wish I hadn't taken my family on those wonderful trips. I hate having all these great memories"

Funny, I don't even recall asking for their opinions! LOL

We leave in less than 3 months for our 2nd Disney cruise and 3rd consecutive year in WDW. Can't wait!



Carpe Diem.



'Beano' :cool:

[chrisn]

I had the same experience with the Kids Club on our Disney Cruise. My 4 1/2 year old DS did not really like it. Yes he would go but we would get paged and he was just like "whatever". I also had the opportunity on occasion to observe and I was not impressed either.

We cruised on RCCL's Voyager of the Seas the following week and what a difference a week makes. That same child I could not drag out of RCCL's Kids Club Program. He loved it! I had to drag him out. It was the first thing he wanted to do every day. The counselors are superior, the activities are superior and the whole club is wonderfully structured. DCL can definitely take some pointers from RCCL. Their kids program rocks!

I too say live for today. You never never know what tomorrow will bring. Cherish your loved ones and build happy memories with your sweet babies. I could have done so many things with the money I've spent at Disney over the past years but I don't regret one trip, one meal, one souvenir, or one moment. Witnessing the joy in my children's eyes will forever be instilled in my heart and those precious memories are worth every hard earned penny. As a matter of fact, They are priceless.

[mcnuss]

opsomyo-- Two years ago my DH's parents died suddenly within 3 weeks of each other. I think they must have somehow been related to your family bc they never seemed to do anything to get pleasure from their lives and they always belittled our financial choices. My m-i-l was a nice woman, but she worried about every dime. She took care of her mother for 3 years and when that great lady passed away, there was a significant inheritance. Finally, we thought, my mil would do something fun. But no, she had to worry incessantly about tomorrow. She never did anything she said she "wished" she could do. And then at the age of 65, she had a stroke, was disabled for a year, then passed on. Her husband followed her 3 weeks later. Moral of the story - do it now. Just to make the point, we took some of the money we then inherited and went on a fabulous ski trip in their "honor".

No one is suggesting that you put yourself in the poor house, but you can certainly do a Disney trip economically and have just as much fun as someone who spends a fortune. How can anyone possibly begrudge you & your children the pleasure of some stress-less time together? That would be too mean. Go for it, you all deserve it.

Last but not least -- chrisn -- could it be possible that your little one enjoyed his RCCL club more bc he had become acclimated to being away from you more? I have not heard that many good stories about their kids programs and for that reason picked DCL. Of course, every kid and every cruise is different!

[chrisn]

No, my son is at day care 9 hours a day 5 days a week as I am a working mom. It wasn't that he was freaked out to be away from me, it was just that the club did not thrill him at all and neither did the counselors. The only thing he liked was the treehouse slide and that got old after a while. I talked with quite a few cruisers also before our trip that had done both the Disney cruise and one on RCCL's Eagle Class Mega ships and everyone I spoke with also liked RCCL's kids programming better. The counselors alone were far superior and the activities were funner for the children and more varied. There were also several counselors that my son really took to and formed bonds with. It was a completely 100% different experience. I would have never believed it had I not seen it with my own eyes. I did do a report and also a comparison post of the two cruises after returning. If you'd like you can probably pull them up using my username chrisn. Don't get me wrong, we loved both the Disney Magic and Voyager of the Seas and would not hesitate to sail on both ships again so it's not like I'm throwing a plug in for RCCL, it's just that I found RCCL's kids clubs and programming far superior to Disney's and that in itself was a shock to the system. I truly believe Disney can do a far better job here but everything else was top of the line.

[Buschfan]

We also thought that RCCL's sister line Celebrity had far superior counselors than Disney. My youngest son had much more individual attention and was very content being in Celebrity's program. We felt that Disney's counselors used the paging system more for their benefit. It seemed like Disney's counselors were too overworked and had a much larger ratio of children to give children any individual attention. The Celebrity counselors made up for the small children's playroom that was on our ship in January. My kids were even welcomed by a counselor at a special table set up before they even boarded. Disney treated our kids as just a 'number'.

[mmouse37]

buschfan....just noticed your avatar.....yesterday we got "lost" inside the hosptiality room at the A-B Brewery in Merrimack, NH. Took the tour and then had our comp. 2 samples. Very nice!!!!

MJ

[Ginny]

Opsomyo,

I have such deep respect for the quality of life that you and DH have chosen for both your children. You are handling so many challenges on a daily basis with grace and common sense. I wholeheartedly support your decision to take your DD on the cruise and only wish that it had been the "home run" you had envisioned. But, I am sure that your DD will always remember her "special" trip with Mom.

So often, the child that is not ill is lost to the wave of medications, procedures and appointments for their siblings and it does impact them. Plus, sometimes they feel guilty for not being the one who is sick. To give her that special attention and a respite for both of you was a gift.

It is easy for observers, including our families, to make judgements about our life choices. And, no matter how loving their guidance, sometimes you just have to ignore it and make your own choices based on your life experiences. But, I think Pagemaker had some wonderful suggestions for your situation and they might just take some pressure off of you and DH. I will keep you and your family in my thoughts and prayers.

[leanne2255]

My family and I have gone to WDW every year for the past 20 years. There were times that we probably should not have gone as the money wasn't really there, but we used credit cards. I have seen so many of my parents friends "wait" until they retire to start enjoying themselves and taking vacations, only for their lives to be cut short by a sudden illness. I'm not waiting. My kids are growing up too fast as it is, and we all have the wonderful memories of our trips to WDW. I will have no regrets when I am at retirement age that I didn't do more when I was younger.

[opsomyo]

It is so nice to hear all of you say such wonderful things. My family has been through alot & I tend to run on auto pilot. I have been realizing how much emotion I have bulit up since I started this post. Everyday I read all of your suggestions & words of encouragement & tears come to my eyes. Yesterday I had my husband read this whole thread, we both enjoyed all the wisdom you've shared.
Pagemaker, the suggstions given by you are a good idea. I have been avoiding investing it because I have been afraid to move it out of her account. I think it is time to figure out where it needs to go. I am also going to see if I can find a support group. There is an Opsoclonus Myoclonus support network on line but they don't have a message board or anything.

Peg2001 I never thought about why she didn't enjoy the club. I think you are proboly right, it was just too silly for such a serious little girl. That just tears me apart. My kids have lost so much of their innocence, their childhood. I have a five year old that worrys about how much sodium is in her sister's food. She thinks she isn't going to grow up. I have told her over & over she is not going to die, but part of her hangs on to that fear. She knows about cancer & chemo. She tells everyone her sister has to get a shot every other day(currently, it was everyday for about a year) & she holds her hand to make her feel better.

They are both unbelievable kids. I would give them the clothes off my back if it made them happy. I have considered getting a job just for fun money but I am afraid I will miss ordering her ACTH, or an appointment or something too important to miss. Anyway, thanks to all of your support I am going to take my kids to WDW!!! Yeah! Everybody can just talk about us & say how irresponsible we are, I don't care! If they want a hefty dose of responsiblity, they can follow me around for the day. I am know looking for advice on doing disney on a budget, any suggestions? If we drive, will it be a pain with parking & everything? Also, when is the "off season" the best time to go? I want nice weather but not hot (hypertension -little one).
Thank's again, you are all really great people, I have read & reread all of your replies. It is so nice to hear such kind words. If anyone is interested, I have some pics & info on a website about my daughter & her illness. www.geocities.com/opsomyo

[CamColt]

Wow! I Just checked out that website. I cant imagine what you you and your family have been through. DS had minor surgery when he was 5 weeks old and I know what that did to me. I cant imagine getting that awful news you got and then having to go through everything. You and your DH must be very strong people.
Now more than ever I feel you all deserve a vacation together(and I still think the trip with just you and DD#1 was a great idea too!). I think as soon as you think shes ok to go, then by all means, go!
BTW, she is such a cutie!
Prayers & Pixie Dust to you all!!!

[Ginny]

Opsomyo -

Thank you for sharing your website! I just finished visiting it and it really tells a very special story. I am so glad that you plan to take Pagemaker's advice - I hope you will find the advice of professionals helpful for both you and your family.

When you begin to plan your vacation, I think the best info I have received has been right here on the DIS. Start at Pete's home page:
http://www.wdwinfo.com and go from there. There are discussion boards for everything including a new discount page and a Budget Board. When we planned our first WDW trip in '99, the Resorts, Theme Parks and Trip Reports essentially planned the trip.

We take our WDW/DCL trips from Oct to Feb as we are not fans of heat or long lines. In January, DH gave DD (7) and me a "girls trip" to WDW using special WDW military resort and ticket discounts. The weather was perfect for me - lovely and sunny (we were in shorts) but not HOT!!

We had a great time even though I got a terrible case of strep throat............DD was a great sport and a terrific nurse. We used the Urgent Care Clinic right off property (got directions from Yacht Club Guest Services). The clinic staff were very nice and efficient. If I remember correctly, they are an affiliate of the University Medical System so there is a direct link. Just an FYI.

Take care

[opsomyo]

I really did it! I don't know if it is the right decision but last night I was looking at the DCL & all 4 of us could do the 4 days land/3 sea for not much more than DD & I did the 3 day cruise. We are going Nov. 17-24! Yikes! I went through all the dates & that was the cheapest week. I decided we would do the cruise again. I fugured we would give it another try. I think after 4 days in Disney I would be more relaxed to sit at the Mickey pool & watch them swim. Hopefully they will be worn out & my husband & I can enjoy relaxing. I think we will have a better time this time since the cruise part is more for DH & I. Well, little one needs her shot, so GG. Waiting for a sign from the Lord saying it was the right decision...........................

[mcnuss]

I don't think I'm the "sign" you are looking for but:

GOOD FOR YOU! :Pinkbounc

[CamColt]

LOL, Mcnuss! I was thinking the same thing. :)
Im so glad you are all going back opsomyo, and I hope things go a little better this time. Im sure since you know more about it and what to expect this time you will probably enjoy it much more. Plus, having 2 parents there might make it easier as you will be able to get some alone time if you guys switch off with the kids at times. You deserve a fun, yet relaxing vacation and Im sure you will get it!
Happy planning!