I wished upon a star and it came true - Catherine's 2015 DLP Holiday PTR

[Anemone]

Hi everyone. I am so excited because I didn't dare dream I would be able to book a Disney holiday for Catherine this year and yet here I am with a new ticker and a new PTR. Those of you who have followed our adventures to date will know how unpredictable her health has been and that I doubted she would be well enough to go back after our Christmas trip last year. I did ask Fairy Godmother when I met her in DLR in March to make it happen - perhaps she helped - who knows?

So about our trip

The cast:

Here is my beautiful, brave and sweet sister with her hero Mickey Mouse at Christmas brunch last December.


and both of us together at New Year.


Catherine has Down's and was diagnosed with dementia nearly 6 years ago. We're busy busy filling all the time she has left to enjoy life with happy, joyful memories for us both and Disney plays a huge part in that. Since our December trip Catherine had been doing fine until she had an unexplainable fractured clavicle in May. There didn't appear to have been a fall so we asked the GP to organise a bone density scan which showed Catherine has advanced osteoporosis on top of all her other health concerns. She has started treatment for this and they hope to at least stop the bone density from getting worse. Thankfully the fracture healed well and we got the all clear a week ago for Catherine to travel and wrote to the court which supervises Catherine's finances to ask for permission to book a September Disney trip. We'd missed out on all the best UK offers so were on the lookout for other EU offers. I heard back from the court yesterday that she can go.

We live in Northern Ireland so pretty much have to fly. We are flying Aer Lingus from Dublin to CDG on Saturday 26th September, arriving around half 4 in the afternoon. We have booked Ezyshuttle for our airport transfer and will be staying that night at Hotel Elysee at Val d'Europe. Hope to get a visit to the Auchan supermarket that evening to pick up some treats for our stay in Sequoia Lodge Golden Forest. Not at all sure whether we will visit DLP that evening - will depend on how we feel after travelling. Dee pointed out that it is Dapper Day in DLP that day which sounds amazing but I need to see a programme to see what will be happening in the evening before I decide if it'd be worth our while getting park tickets for the Saturday.

I booked our package online on the Netherlands site. We paid Euro 1,569 as opposed to £1,596 on UK site - both offers had free HB included. That's a saving of nearly £500 on the current exchange rate so I am well chuffed. There was no problem paying with a UK Mastercard debit - I just left the country as Netherlands on the address page. Of course our confirmation letter is in double dutch but Google translate is a good friend.

We will get a taxi on Sunday morning for our transfer to SL - Catherine's mobility is very poor so she uses a wheelchair for Disney and I don't relish taking it and our bags on the train without help.

Meals: I've an ADR booked for Sunday Brunch at Inventions - Aristocats theme - at 1pm (is 1pm the first available time? If not I'll have to pop in earlier and ask them to keep us a table beside the buffet.) Catherine loves cats and is going to be made up to meet the kittens. I love the film, know every word of every song - the music has always blown me away. So well dare they change this last minute - I will not be pleased. lol

I'm still considering the rest of our ADRs - we have Half Board plus included. To be honest Catherine will want character dining all the way so it's pretty much a matter of which meal, when.

I would also like to try Bistro Chez Remy this trip - Catherine won't enjoy the starter on the plus menu, she's not a salad girl, but I thought we might compromise and get 1 plus and 1 premium meal and pay the difference - Catherine loves pate so the premium starter should be fine.

Auberge is a must and I thought we might do Cafe Mickey for lunch on our last day - the flight is at 5 so we should be picked up at 2 which means CM lunch is just doable. We missed CM at Christmas because our reservation was for 8pm and the early diners hadn't left by that time leaving a long queue outside and so we went to EOS instead of waiting.

Not sure whether to reserve early dinner in Inventions for our last evening or to just have a counter service meal instead. Might reserve Inventions and then decide on the day.

More to follow. Thanks for reading so far.

 

[dhidra]

following! delighted that it has all worked out and that Catherine can get another trip! I'll be interested to see what you think of SLGF...it's definitely on my list to try.
1pm is the earliest brunch time. if you're there a little early Im sure theyll give you a table near the buffet.

 

[Ms Poppins]

That's really great news Anne! You must be so excited!

The Inventions bruch with Aristocats theme sounds wonderful. I'm a big fan of the film too.

Look forward to hearing more

 

[Anemone]

Thank you so much Dee and Julie. Incredibly excited.

I told Catherine this evening and we wrote it on her calendar in her room and counted the weeks until we go. I'm keeping Aristocats brunch a surprise until the day but she got out last summer's autograph / photo book and told Mickey she can't wait to come visit him again.

 

[Anemone]

Even though we don't really need them I couldn't resist a trip to Primark for some new Disney T Shirts this week. And of course once I was there I saw other things I couldn't live without. As you do...

For Catherine I saw this fabulous rain cape - thought it would be better than a rain jacket for the wheelchair - should stop water running down her back and onto her seat.



Then a few T shirts







The last one is actually a girls T shirt age 12 - 13 but fits Catherine perfectly. We also bought a girls Minnie T shirt in DLP last year and it's lovely on her. The back is cute too...



New pyjamas



and a pair of flip flops



For myself






nowhere near as comfortable as the Disney Vans but for £10 I couldn't resist.

Gotta love Primark for getting loads for your money. Perfect for holiday clothes.

I had bought this jacket with Catherine in mind a while back but now I've got her the rain cape I think I will wear it - not sure it will actually be waterproof.



Fingers crossed rain wear isn't needed but we will bring them anyway.

 

[dhidra]

love it all! great haul!

 

[BadPinkTink]

hey there @Anemone great to see your sister is well enough for another DLP trip. Im planning a trip in February and I will be interested in your thoughts about Hotel Elysee at Val d'Europe. Im not sure what to do, book a hotel at CDG and get the first VEA shuttle to Disney or stay somewhere in Val d'Europe one night.

 

[Anemone]

Thanks Dee. Will take plenty of photos of the hotel for you @BadPinkTink. Thanks for your kind words.

 

[Anemone]

Booked the rest of our ADRs last night. So our dining plan looks like this:
Sunday @ 1pm Aristocats Brunch in Inventions
Monday @ 2pm Bistrot Chez Remy
Tuesday @ 1.30pm Auberge de Cendrillon
Wednesday @ 6.15pm Inventions
Thursday @ 12.15pm Cafe Mickey

Also rang today to ask if there was a disabled room available for our stay - thought we might find it easier to bathe Catherine in an adapted bathroom - but knew there wasn't much chance as we're so close to the date. There isn't but we can cope without - even if we have to do stand up washes for her. She can get in and out of my bath with my help but struggled in HNY at Christmas. Hope the fact that the sink is outside the bathroom in SL means there is a little more room for getting in and out of bath.

 

[dhidra]

Oh great meal choices! Lots of character fun! Have you been to BCR before? It's fab.

 

[Anemone]

Thanks Dhidra - no - I couldn't work out last time what Catherine might eat as she doesn't do salads but I think by getting one plus menu and one premium we can find a starter, main and dessert that each of us will eat. Looking forward to it.

 

[Anemone]

Hi. As those of you on the facebook groups already know, Catherine fell in her care home last Thursday morning and fractured her hip. She had an operation the following day to pin it and everyone in hospital is very pleased with how it went. What is proving slower is getting Catherine past the fear of falling and back on her feet again. She finds being in hospital very frightening and her dementia is off the scale when she is stressed which is pretty much every time we need help from hospital staff to get to the bathroom or for blood pressure checks etc. She will very soon be medically fit for discharge and everyone agrees that she is likely to make a lot more progress with mobilising at home in comfortable, familiar surroundings. Her current care home won't take her back without additional resources and we've asked for extra funding in the short term to pay for an extra member of staff to facilitate an early return but the money pot is pretty empty and I've been told they're unlikely to fund. I've even offered to stay with her there until she improves enough but there are insurance problems with that. I can't take her home as my house isn't suitable for someone who can't walk and she needs 2 people for transfers at the minute.

Then there is our September trip. I've considered postponing but I really don't know when I might feel safe taking Catherine back - it's such a huge responsibility - I know we use a wheelchair in the parks but unless she can transfer with 1 person safely then I can't even get her on and off the toilet never mind into the airport transfer car. so I've decided to cancel for now with the intention of rebooking if in a few months she is walking well enough for me to feel comfortable. I will ring the insurance company on Monday when I get a few hours at home and start the ball rolling.

I am so disappointed, for myself as well as Catherine, but the priority now has to be getting her mobile again and that is going to be a big enough job for us without the pressure of getting well by a certain date.

 

[BadPinkTink]

oh my gosh, my heart goes out to you. I know what its like to have a family member with dementia who also has physical problems. Its not easy. You did the right thing, as right now is not the best time to go to DLP. Hopefully in a few months things will work out and you and Catherine will make it back to create some more magical memories.

 

[Anemone]

Thank you BadPinkTink

 

[Ms Poppins]

Oh, what a shame Anne. I was just catching up and loving all your Mickey things from Primark. So sorry to hear about Catherine's fall and I hope she's on the mend soon. Sending you both big hugs

 

[dhidra]

I was going to message you to see how Catherine's progress was. I'm so sorry you've had to cancel your trip, I know you were looking forward to it.
Funding is such a disaster - surely it costs more money to keep her in hospital than the care home? I really hope she gets out soon so she can start to get better. big hugs xx

 

[Anemone]

Thanks Julie and Dee. I saw your messages last night but I was exhausted and a bit shell shocked.

While I went home to get things done yesterday our Aunt Chris who lives in Dublin stayed with Catherine, having come up on the train. I arrived back about 7 to see Catherine walking from the bathroom to her chair - couldn't believe my eyes. Chris said she'd just encouraged her and she cooperated with her having already refused to even stand up for the physios. Since yesterday evening I haven't needed any help to get her to and from the bathroom and she's walking really well this morning. I bet she will still refuse to walk when the physios arrive for their session so I might need to trick her into walking while they observe out of sight.

I'm really frustrated as if I'd seen any hint of this before yesterday I wouldn't have cancelled our trip but what's done is done and can't be undone. Will keep fingers crossed for a trip in the spring.

Hopefully this means she can go home to her residential home fairly soon. Hospital is exhausting. The lady in the next room woke every hour and a half last night screaming "help". Catherine managed to sleep through it but I couldn't.

My Marie earrings and Catherine's T shirt arrived from Etsy - they're both lovely and hopefully we will get to an Aristocats brunch some time to wear them.

 

[dhidra]

Go Catherine! I'm sure it's not funny to the physios but I think it's gas how stubborn she is!
Look, the trip wasn't meant to be, for whatever reason. You'll get another one in soon enough I'm sure. And at least you still have January to look forward to.

 

[A Small World]

Sorry to hear about Catherines fall and about your cancelled trip but glad to hear she's making positive steps (literally) towards a quick recovery.

Hopefully she will out of hospital soon and be able to recuperate in her own environment