Third Time's a Charm!

[Escape2Disney]

Cancelled Flight
I decided to view my reservation online to see how much it would be to upgrade our seats on the longest legs of the flight. I was pretty sure it would be out of budget, but thought I'd look anyway. I logged onto the website, and tried to open the reservation. Instead of showing me my flight details, I was greeted with a message saying my reservation had been cancelled! I called the number listed, and was told that the flight itself had been eliminated. I was told I now only have two options - neither promising:

• Option 1: Fly out late FRIDAY night, land in San Diego 2.5 hours later, and take the first morning flight out. This option would have one stop between SAN and MCO.
• Option 2: Fly out late FRIDAY night, land in Seattle 2 hours later and take the first morning flight out. This option would be non-stop from SAN to MCO.

I had not banked on an overnight stay anywhere during our travels! That's another $100-150 for the room, and going through security twice. This mama wasn't thrilled at all! I do have the option to get a refund, but since we used a companion fare to bring down the cost of the flights, cashing out would just mean spending more with another airline. One more wrench in the works is DD's finals. The university doesn't have finals during class periods. Instead they spread them out through the week. Unfortunately her most critical class doesn't have the day/time of the final published yet, so she could very well have a final on Friday afternoon.

I told the agent on the phone that I'd have to think about what makes sense for us and call back. To add to my stress, she said "well, don't wait too long! Flights have a way of filling up quickly around the holidays!" Great.

The most critical factor is DD's final. All she could do is email the instructor for the class and wait. So far, we have no answers.

When I started thinking about the options the agent gave me, I couldn't get past the sleep loss. Up really late Friday, awake again by 4am the next day to get back to the airport, and a very long flight (or flights). I started looking for alternatives. Because we're using a really small airport, we only have 3 options when it comes to airlines:

• Alaska: My current airline
• Delta: The most expensive option - nearly 1/3 more than full priced options on Alaska
• Allegiant: Doesn't get me all the way to Orlando

So, I'm sticking with Alaska. If this is going to work, I need to find a way to sleep past 4am on Saturday morning. It is my only way to avoid that awful fever I get when I don't get enough sleep. Since the Seattle option is non-stop on Saturday, it seemed like the least disruptive option. I looked through the website, and found there was one non-stop flight a few hours later! No need for that early morning wake-up! Since I found one alternate, I searched for another. Was there another flight from here to Seattle a little earlier in the day? One that gives us some time to hang out in the city and still get back to the room early enough to go to bed early? Why yes there is! If DD has NO finals on that Friday, I can change my flight to this:

• Flight to Seattle, leaving at 11am on Friday
• Get a hotel near the airport for the night. It MUST have a free airport shuttle!
• Have a couple of friends in Seattle pick us up for a little time in the city
• Back to the room for an early bed time
• Take the mid-morning light from Seattle to MCO - arriving just 30 minutes before our original time!

If she does have a final, we'll have to leave here on the latest possible flight. That wouldn't be the end of the world, but not ideal. I just wish we knew right now! I don't like the unknown, and the agent's warning about flights filling up has done nothing to calm my fears. I've done all I can, now we just have to wait to hear back from the professor.

Final thoughts: Why did I only know about the cancelled flight because I happened to be on the website? AND I still don't know what it would cost to upgrade! I guess I'll figure that out once I have a desired departure time...

Next up: Are the Flights Handled? and Have I Picked an Extra Surprise on the Trip?

 

[Baklava]

Hi there! I'm a DLR vet who went to WDW for the first time in January, traveling with a DAS for me and a stroller-as-wheelchair tag for my spectrum kiddo.

You've chosen some of our favorite meals from our trip. Cape May was a big hit, as was Sanaa. I am sure you will have a wonderful time.

 

[Dormouse.]

I'm taking a birthday trip in December, too! My last day is your first.

Side note, if your flight plans don't work out the way you want them to and you need to stay overnight, perhaps try to use AirBnB? It's what I use when I have to make quick overnight trips or weekends out of town. It can be significantly cheaper than staying in a hotel.

 

[Escape2Disney]

Hi there! I'm a DLR vet who went to WDW for the first time in January, traveling with a DAS for me and a stroller-as-wheelchair tag for my spectrum kiddo.

You've chosen some of our favorite meals from our trip. Cape May was a big hit, as was Sanaa. I am sure you will have a wonderful time.

Hi! I'm so glad you found this TR!

My DD is a spectrum adult (though very high functioning). We used DLR to help her learn some of the more difficult socials skills. Isn't Disney great when it comes to working with spectrum families?? DD is now relatively functional, though still a bit behind her peers. Her official diagnosis is PDD-NOS.

I'd love to hear your thoughts disability assistance needs if you plan to follow along. I've never used the DAS before, so am a little nervous about the whole thing. At DLR I just stuck to slow seasons and visited attractions with short lines. I won't be able to do that this time, so the DAS is going to be essential.

I've heard great things about Cape May and Sanaa, so they were the first to make it on my "must do" list! I'm so glad we were able to book them.

Do you have a trip report that I can read?

 

[Escape2Disney]

I'm taking a birthday trip in December, too! My last day is your first.

Side note, if your flight plans don't work out the way you want them to and you need to stay overnight, perhaps try to use AirBnB? It's what I use when I have to make quick overnight trips or weekends out of town. It can be significantly cheaper than staying in a hotel.

Hi, fellow December baby! Sorry we'll miss each other on this trip!

I JUST made the hotel reservations (non-refundable), or I would have taken your suggestion! Thankfully I got a great rate at hotels.com. Today's update will include some details.

 

[Escape2Disney]

That Pesky Flight Issue
Great news! DD doesn't have any finals on the Friday before the trip! Time to make some flight decisions...

After much deliberation, frustration, and whining, we finally decided how to handle the flight debacle. If we HAVE to stay overnight, we might as well make it worth our while! We ruled out the option to stay overnight in San Diego. Since that plan required us to change planes on the second day of travel, it just seemed too tedious. I was also uncomfortable taking the last flight of the night to Seattle, only to turn around and take the first flight the next morning to Orlando. There would be too many possible problems:

• Weather delays can throw the whole trip out of whack! If that night flight ends up cancelled due to weather, we wouldn't make our connection. If we don't arrive on time, our friends would be stranded at the airport, and miss an entire day of their 3 day stay. We'd also end up losing one park day. (Don't you love how one hiccup can derail so many plans??)
• Neither of us sleep well on planes. If we followed their suggested flights, there would only be a few hours to sleep. Not a great way to start a trip, especially when lack of sleep causes all sorts of health issues for me.

That made the decision easy; we will take 11am flight to Seattle on Friday! As luck would have it, I have a few friends and some family in that area. We're working on a plan to meet up in the afternoon to explore the city for a bit before getting a good night's sleep. I was able to get a fantastic rate on an airport hotel that has a 24 hour shuttle.

I'm so grateful this happened now and not the week before the trip! It was an annoyance now, but closer to the trip would have been pretty stressful.

Extra Surprise on the Trip?
Unfortunately nothing is available when Friend and YoungFriend are visiting, but I did finally find something extra to do with DD!! We are going on the Starlight Night Safari! The CM on the phone was actually surprised there were any seats left. I was going to surprise DD, but I am terrible at keeping secrets. I just told her and she's thrilled!

Next up: The ENORMOUS Trip Books

 

[Baklava]

Hi! I'm so glad you found this TR!

My DD is a spectrum adult (though very high functioning). We used DLR to help her learn some of the more difficult socials skills. Isn't Disney great when it comes to working with spectrum families?? DD is now relatively functional, though still a bit behind her peers. Her official diagnosis is PDD-NOS.

I'd love to hear your thoughts disability assistance needs if you plan to follow along. I've never used the DAS before, so am a little nervous about the whole thing. At DLR I just stuck to slow seasons and visited attractions with short lines. I won't be able to do that this time, so the DAS is going to be essential.

I've heard great things about Cape May and Sanaa, so they were the first to make it on my "must do" list! I'm so glad we were able to book them.

Do you have a trip report that I can read?

I'm such a slacker. I have one that I need to polish for the Dis (it was written for my mom as we were there) but I haven't gotten to it. I'll make that a thing.

I struggle with an anxiety disorder. Some of the tight switchback queues (especially at DLR) can be problematic long term. Crowds are hard. I use a DAS to give me the ability to wait somewhere "safer" and therefore not have to leave the parks in a sobbing heap. (I've been assisted out of DLR twice during panic attacks. It's not pretty. Curled in the fetal position in front of "Partners" in the Hub? Yeah, BTDT. Awkward.) The DAS is nicer than the GAC because the only people who need to know about it are CMs.

Cupcake was 5 1/2 and normally we'd never have a kid that age in a stroller, but she needed the safe space to retreat. She gets sensory overload and being able to pull the hood down helped. She used her ear protection for some shows. Fantasmic we were in the very top row where she could remain in her stroller and a couple times she did pull the hood down when it got too intense.

Your DD may find that a DAS is a good tool for her. It allows her to bypass some stressful situation in order to keep enjoying the park. I found that with as DAS I enjoy the same number of rides that other people do. It doesn't convey an advantage as much as it levels the playing field.

 

[Escape2Disney]

I'm such a slacker. I have one that I need to polish for the Dis (it was written for my mom as we were there) but I haven't gotten to it. I'll make that a thing.

I struggle with an anxiety disorder. Some of the tight switchback queues (especially at DLR) can be problematic long term. Crowds are hard. I use a DAS to give me the ability to wait somewhere "safer" and therefore not have to leave the parks in a sobbing heap. (I've been assisted out of DLR twice during panic attacks. It's not pretty. Curled in the fetal position in front of "Partners" in the Hub? Yeah, BTDT. Awkward.) The DAS is nicer than the GAC because the only people who need to know about it are CMs.

Cupcake was 5 1/2 and normally we'd never have a kid that age in a stroller, but she needed the safe space to retreat. She gets sensory overload and being able to pull the hood down helped. She used her ear protection for some shows. Fantasmic we were in the very top row where she could remain in her stroller and a couple times she did pull the hood down when it got too intense.

Your DD may find that a DAS is a good tool for her. It allows her to bypass some stressful situation in order to keep enjoying the park. I found that with as DAS I enjoy the same number of rides that other people do. It doesn't convey an advantage as much as it levels the playing field.

You aren't a slacker! Life gets in the way. I totally understand. If you do a trip report, please let me know so I can follow along! I get so much information from the experiences of others.

Anxiety is rough. Ever since I was in a coma 3 1/2 years ago, I have overwhelming anxiety and PTSD from time to time. It's been getting better, but creeps up every now and then. I have many friends who have strollers as wheelchairs in the parks. I wish I'd thought of that when DD was little. It would have saved us from a few meltdowns.

I'll talk to DD about the DAS as well. She's come a very long way in learning to manage her anxiety, but this will be a new environment at a crowded time of year. She's been reluctant in the past, but may go for it this time. It may sound weird but I'm glad it doesn't give any advantages. When it did, it was abused. That made it harder for those of us who truly need the service.

 

[Baklava]

Remind her that if she has it, she can choose only to use it "as necessary." Or not at all.

 

[Escape2Disney]

Remind her that if she has it, she can choose only to use it "as necessary." Or not at all.

Good suggestion. I'll talk to her about it. If I put the idea out there and she says no, at least she knows it's an option if she gets too agitated in the crowds. I think the busyness at the parks is going to be a little jarring for her. It's been a while since she's been to DLR, and we live in a very small town. The contrast might be a problem. Giving her options will help - thanks!

 

[Escape2Disney]

The ENORMOUS Trip Book!
Time for a confession (though I'm guessing you know this already)....I am an obsessive planner. Not just prepared, not just detail oriented, but truly obsessed. Is anyone surprised??

When we travel, I always have a book with me that contains every little detail and contingency plan we may need. Even as familiar as we are with Disneyland, I still make the books, and revel in the process of planning. Now that our focus is on the World, I started this process with renewed excitement and a brand new document that will eventually be my book!

This time I decided to make a book for all of the travelers. I have the BIG book with everything, DD will have one with almost everything, Friend and YoungFriend will have pared down versions that focus on the days they will be with us. Something new this time are empty note pages and photo pages for each day! When we all get home and are able to print our photos, there will be pages in the book to put our favorites. The planning books become memory books with a little photo tape and creative writing! I've also decided to put decorative envelopes with each day for any mementos we may want to keep.

The biggest challenge is deciding how to bind these. On previous trips, each page was a half sheet, and we used mini binders as covers. Because of the sheer volume of notes, I opted to go with full sheets. Binders will be bulky. I'm hoping to get them spiral bound, but mine might be a problem. With 214 pages, it may be too thick. We'll have to see one I get to the print shop!

Last night I printed a rough draft of the pages. There's something about paper and a red pen that makes it easier to edit. I was a teacher for years - maybe that's why it seems like the best way. I'm tackling a few pages at a time in the hopes that I'll finish in the next few weeks. Once everything is edited, we just have to wait for our FP+ reservations to kick out the final drafts.

For the more spontaneous among us, I feel like I should explain why I plan with such focus. It's simple, really. Planning now allows me to relax once we're there. Here's an example:

Let's say we've got dinner at Columbia Harbour House planned for one evening. It's a counter service, so we aren't necessarily tied to that location, but after reading the menu, we know their offerings will work with our dietary restrictions. Fast forward to the day in the park. Because of broken attractions, parades blocking our path, or simply getting hungry earlier than we've planned, we're nowhere near that restaurant when it's time to eat. In the past we'd just wing it - wander form CS to CS until we find one that'll work. By the time we find a restaurant that has food we can eat, it's an hour later and everyone is crabby. With our handy-dandy books, there are pages that show all of the counter service food locations, what meals they serve, and whether or not they will work for everyone in the group. We find an alternative quickly and side-step the "hangry" mess that wandering brings.

So everybody wins! It also doesn't hurt that the research that goes into the planning is a fantastic distraction from real-life. Sometimes that's more valuable than the trip itself! What's more, that research can be put to good use if we're ever able to go back again!

Here's some information that's included:

• Travel Info: Plane reservations, rental car reservations, condo reservations, and hotel reservations all in one place!
• Important Phone Numbers: Every phone number we can possibly need on the trip. There are the obvious like Disney Dining, CBR, the airline and car rental company. There are also ones typically forgotten like the dog boarding facility, the parking garage at the airport, and everyone we'll meet along the way.
• Medical Info: Everything you would ever need to know about our health in case there is a medical emergency. We whittled it down to one page each.
• Attraction / Entertainment / Shopping Lists: Each destination (MK, AK, EP, DHS, DS) has it's own section with what they have to offer. Any notes I have about these things are found in this section.
• Maps: There's a spot for each park map (when I get them), and driving maps to and from every destination.
• Daily Schedule: A daily breakdown of our plans, FP+ & DAS, and budget.
• So much more!

You may ask why we'd put some of these things in the book when we have cell phones and MDE apps. Well, I find if we rely solely on electronics, things tend to go wrong. It's not uncommon for wifi & cell signal to die right when we're looking for our reservation number!

That's it for now. Next up is a mystery! Okay, maybe I just don't know what it'll be yet. Either way, it'll be a surprise!

Thanks again for reading along!

 

[Escape2Disney]

MORE PLANNING
We are 4 months, 1 week, and 2 days out, and I'm already itching to get on the plane! Since I have no choice but to wait, I got serious about planning the days of the trip. I've done this before on our DLR trips, but as you may guess it's a very different this time around. Add to that how busy it will be while we're there, and I had a few moments of panic. There's a very real chance that this will be my one and only WDW trip, so I have this need to make it as special as I can while still keeping our budget in mind.

About a week or so ago, I got an email from Touring Plans to let me know the crowd predictions. For 3 of our park days it will be a 10 out of 10! I knew this was possible given the season. I had to remind myself that we will be there for 13 days. By those last 3 days we don't necessarily need to have a long agenda. We could simply tie up loose ends; visit the attractions we couldn't fit into our other (less crowded) days.

So I spent two full days pulling together touring plans for each park day. I THINK they are good plans. I THINK I remembered all of our Must Do and Want To Do attractions and entertainment. Just to be sure, I've asked DD to go through the plans and compare it to our wish lists. When she's finished, we'll go back through each day's plan and mark the ones we're willing to sacrifice if we need more breaks.

After that, it's out of my hands.

The truth is, we'll be happy with any and every experience we have while there!

I do have a question for those of you that know the surroundings well. Do you have any off-site dining recommendations? DD and I eat super healthy, so we would like to find options that have those options. We'll have one meal on our arrival day, and one or two the day we visit with AuntJ and UncleB. They live about an hour away, but we're not sure if we'll eat before we go or after we get back.

That's all for today! I'll be back again soon with our FastPass+ wish list, tour options, and whatever else I can cook up!