30 Years in the Making: 2020 Honeymoon PTR

[Escape2Disney]

"You are the best thing I never knew I needed"
~ Princess and the Frog​

Welcome!

Please join us on our honeymoon-planning journey! You'll find out how two people fell in love 30 years after they met. Why did it take us so long? Don't worry - I'll tell you when the time is right. If you're like me, you'll laugh, might cry a little, and hopefully be entertained by our saga.

"But why are all of those details important for trip planning?" You might ask. Well, I believe it's much easier to share your suggestions with me if you know a little about us. Don't worry - if you want to skip that part, all you have to do is go to post #2 for the table of contents.

I'm hoping a few of you will chime in with tips and tricks we'll need on our journey.

Before we get started, let's see the basics:

Cast of Characters
Jinx (the handsome bald guy) & yours truly - Tiger! (Sure, these aren't our real names. But nicknames are fun, right?)

Jinx
If I had to describe him in one paragraph, I'd have to say he's one in a million! He's without a doubt one of the funniest, kindest, and most loving men I've ever met - bar none. He's been with me through some pretty harrowing health situations without batting an eye (more on that later). He's my best friend, my rock, and an all around wonderful guy. I know, I'm gushing, but it's all true.

• Disney Experience: He's been to Disneyland 3 times. Disney World will be a new experience
• Favorite Character: Tigger
• Favorite Ride: Tower of Terror
• Favorite Park Food: Gyros in California Adventure
• Must-do: Soarin', Splash & Kali Rapids

Tiger
I'd say I'm pretty boring. I can't work at this point, but do volunteer for an incredible association when I can. I love to grow my own fruits and veggies, and read my weight in books every year. With the help of my daughter and Jinx, I travel when I can. My friends describe me as determined, stubborn, and loyal. I'll take it!

• Disney Experience: At least 15 times to Disneyland, and one interrupted trip to the World
• Favorite Character: Tigger
• Favorite Ride: Peter Pan
• Favorite Park Food: Disneyland: Pomme Frites at Cafe Orleans & Disney World: just about anything at Chefs de France
• Must-do: Everything I had scheduled the first time that I didn't get to do.

My one and only trip to WDW was interrupted by a nasty case of pneumonia. I ended up in the hospital for almost half of that trip. This time I'm determined to make it though without any visits to Florida medical facilities!

Trip Basics

• When: Holiday season 2020
• Where: Hopefully we will be renting DVC points

You may be wondering why we are starting the planning now. Well, Jinx and I are getting married near the end of the year! It's going to be a pretty large affair. I guess that's what happens at our age. We have so many wonderful friends, we couldn't possibly get the guest count under 150 without hurting some feelings. As you can probably imagine, we're neck deep in planning at this point! For that and so many other reasons, we decided to postpone our honeymoon for a year.

Some of the basics need to be decided soon. For example, if we want to rent DVC points, we'll need know where we want to stay, and secure it at the 11 month mark. We also need to pick dates soon so Jinx can request time off. One bonus - I tend to find killer deals if I have the luxury of time. That's super important considering the insane amount of money we've spent on the wedding!

Have I bored you yet? If not, please say hi and stay tuned. Lots more to come...

 

[Escape2Disney]

Table of Contents

• A Brief History of US
• Trip Interrupted
• Needing Your Advice
• How Much Time is Too Much?
• Gimpy #1 and Gimpy #2: Travel and Parks with Challenges
• Hotels, Villas, & Off-Site – OH MY!
• What’s More Important Than Food?
• Entertainment!
• Non-Park Days
• Extras & Honeymoon Magic
• Our Itinerary: A Work in Progress

 

[Escape2Disney]

A Brief History of Us
(written by an unbiased observer )

It all started in High School ...
It was the Fall of Jinx's senior year, and Tiger's junior year. Both signed up for Speech and Debate class. He thought it would be an easy course since he LOVED to talk. She thought it would get her past her crippling fear of speaking in front of groups. They arrived at the door at the same time, and said hello. Being the perfect example of a gentleman, he held the door open for her.

Over the next few months, he tried tirelessly to charm her into writing his speeches for him. She wouldn't bite. Instead she would help him edit his own text. She tormented him by playing with his PERFECT hair. They each secretly wondered what it'd be like to date the other. On the surface, one might believe they had nothing in common. They didn't have the same group of friends. They didn't hang out in the same places. That didn't matter though. Their friendship was immediate (though neither said a word about their attraction).

Year after Year ...
After Jinx graduated high school, the pair lost touch. He entered the army while she finished high school and eventually went to college. They both started families and had their share of ups and downs. They thought about their old friend every now and then, but never reached out to say hello until social media changed everything.

Tiger started her Facebook page in 2009; just weeks after Jinx made his. She added him as a friend, and they chatted about life from time to time. From a distance they restarted their friendship. It wasn't until a series of life-changing events that their relationship started to morph into something more.

Fast Forward 28 years...
After her divorce many years before, Tiger made the choice to remain single. She spent her time working, parenting, and dealing with overwhelming (and sometimes life threatening) illnesses. 39 surgeries and a coma later, she was struggling to find balance.

In 2016, her children were grown and she decided she could no longer isolate due to health constraints. She started opening up more and entertaining the idea of a having a man in her life. Her first venture into dating was disastrous! She almost gave up, but really didn't want to go back to "her cave".

At the same time, Jinx was ending a tumultuous relationship of his own. He thought he was destined to live the bachelor life. At his core he was a family man who needed to find the right family. Being single was fun, but it certainly wasn't fulfilling.

As fate would have it, Tiger decided to visit her home town for the first time in over a decade right after Jinx moved back to the area. She was hosting a get-together with old friends at a local restaurant on that trip, and Jinx was the first to RSVP.

Jinx almost didn't show up that night. In fact, he arrived near the end of the meal. When he walked in, her friends noticed an attraction between the two (though they were oblivious). They chatted for the remainder of the evening, and he walked her to the car. Once again, he opened the door for her. For the next month, they talked nearly every day.

A Friendly First Date ...
The two decided to start 2017 on the right foot. What better way to ring in the new year than hanging out with an old friend? They planned the evening while still living 500 miles apart. After that date, they realized their connection was stronger than either had planned. They talked daily - sometimes for hours - for a few months. By Spring they found themselves in a long distance, committed relationship.

Put to the test ...
Long distance relationships aren't easy, but they made it work. They visited each other often, and took advantage of technology by having quite a few video chats and phone calls. They talked through the normal roadblocks, and helped each other through some significant challenges.

One such challenge was a surgery Tiger would need in the Fall of 2017. It was a risky but necessary procedure with a grueling recovery. In the back of her mind, she believed it would be too much for the couple, and braced herself for the end.

She didn't need to worry though. He was right there by her side through the entire ordeal. He jumped right in, supporting her through the month-long hospital stay. He kept the family updated and slept in the chair next to her bed almost every night. It was then that they realized they were both in this for the long-haul. They knew they had what it took to be there through the good and the bad.

Ready for Forever ...
Ever the romantic, Jinx proposed in front of the Speech and Debate classroom where they first met. It may have taken nearly 30 years to get here, but they looking forward to spending the rest of their lives making up for lost time.

Quite the fairy tale, right??

 

[Escape2Disney]

Trip Interrupted

A little history: I live with a couple of diseases that have taken a toll on my body. In 2013, my health took a dark turn. I spent the first half of the year deathly ill. For weeks I was in and out of a coma, and nobody thought I'd survive. By some miracle I did! The recovery was pretty brutal though. It took me nearly 3 years to approach anything near normal. I promised myself and my daughter that we would finally take a trip to WDW once my health was a little more stable. I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate than going to the World!!​

After MONTHS of planning, my daughter and I set off for Orlando in December of 2016

We were super excited to meet up with some of my oldest and dearest friends. We even had a plan to drive about an hour from the parks to see the woman that was like a second mother to me when I was a kid.

I'd spent so many years dreaming about going to WDW! Boarding the plan felt surreal. I'm sure we thoroughly annoyed the other passengers as we chatted non-stop about our plans. I'd have to tour the parks in a wheelchair, but that was nothing new. We decided on a 10 day trip so I could have some down-time so I wouldn't push past my physical limits. It was a solid plan; almost full-proof.

We were armed with our FP+ reservations, maps of the parks, and detailed schedules.

The first two days went off without a hitch. We were surprised to find that we LOVED AK! On day 3, we went to DHS. I wasn't feeling great, but chalked it up to exhaustion. After a half day though, I was ready to go back to the room. My friends and daughter decided to stay and play. Once back in the room, I knocked out.

Have you ever taken a nap and woke up feeling worse?​

It was clear when I woke up that I was actually getting sick. This wasn't unusual for me. Traveling tends to take a lot out of me. We had our MK day in the morning, and I didn't want to miss it. When they all came back to the room to get ready for dinner, I decided to stay in the room for the rest of the evening.

We got a slow start the next morning, but I was determined to go to the park. It was my friend's last day, and I wanted to share more memories with her. I made it through the day, but started feeling much worse by the evening.

Once again I went back to the room, hoping to sleep it off.

The next morning - our first EPCOT day - I knew I was in trouble.

Side-note: I've been sick most of my life. Because of that, I tend to avoid hospitals. I've spent way too many nights in them over the years.
​

According to my daughter, the first thing I said when I woke up was "Get me to the hospital." What I didn't tell her was it was really hard to breathe. I honestly thought I was having a heart attack! Thankfully my assumption was wrong. It was pneumonia.

So I became a resident of the local hospital for days 5-9 of our 10 day trip.​

I felt so guilty for ruining my daughter's trip! Most of my friend meet-ups had to be cancelled too. For the first 2 days, she insisted on staying with me at the hospital. I finally convinced her to go and have FUN. She relented and headed to Epcot. I lived vicariously through her text messages and shared photos.

Did I mention the 9th day of our trip was my birthday?​

I was determined to be in the parks for my celebration dinner at Chefs de France! It took some persistence, but I managed to convince the doctor to discharge me 2 hours before our meal! We left the hospital and went to the room so I could shower and change. We made it to our reservation with 5 minutes to spare!

I couldn't eat much, but was so very happy to finally go to Epcot! Our waiter was amazing! It was a magical evening, though I have to admit I was EXHAUSTED! We planned to tour the park a bit, but I couldn't find the energy. I tried to convince my daughter to stay, but she was pretty tired as well. We headed back to the room.

The next day we made our way through EPCOT. It's far too big to cover in a day, but we did our best.

** Bonus: My amazing, wonderful, resourceful daughter managed to convince Disney to refund our Christmas Party tickets, tours, and other add-ons we'd scheduled on the days I was gone.***​

 

[mcmauney]

I love y'all's anxiously waiting sticker! Looks like this trip will be a blast!

 

[Escape2Disney]

I love y'all's anxiously waiting sticker! Looks like this trip will be a blast!

Thank you! We really hope to make it a trip to remember!

 

[Escape2Disney]

Needing You Advice

Planning a Disney trip is second nature for me. Planning a Disney Honeymoon? Well that's a different beast! The parks are magical - especially during the holiday season - but I really want to make this extra special. If you're still reading this and would like to jump in, I'd love to get your advice on a few things...

1. What is the most romantic restaurant on property?
2. Are the private photography sessions worth it?
3. What's your favorite Deluxe resort, and why?
4. Can you recommend any add-ons?
5. Other than the VIP tour, are there any tours you think are a "can't miss"?
6. MVMCP - worth it or not?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Escape2Disney]

How Much Time is Too Much?

One relatively long discussion between Jinx and I was how long we should plan to stay at WDW. He originally thought 2 or 3 days would be more than enough. I, however, know that we wouldn't be able to do much at all in that amount of time. I suggested 2 weeks, and his jaw hit the floor.

Two weeks? Really?​

I presented my rationale. It went something like this...

Babe, Disney World is an immersive experience. Sure, there are rides, but there are also lots of shows, some amazing food, really interesting decor, parades, tours, and SO much more! Add to that the massive size of the World, and there's just no way to do what we want to in a few days.
Two weeks is long - sure - but we'll also need some down-time. We can take a day just to see the holiday decor at the hotels and maybe another just spending time at the resort....​

You get the picture.

Since he sees me as the family Disney expert, he said he'd take my word for it. I knew he'd go along with my plan, but wanted more than just compliance. I set out to show him what a typical day might look like when we get there.

My plan worked. He now sees why a longer trip makes sense! We settled on 11 days in Florida


Here's our first pass at a schedule (I'm 100% sure this will change once we get closer to the ADR dates)

• Day 00: Drive to PDX or SMF and stay overnight
• Day 0: Fly to MCO
• Day 1: MVMCP tickets (this allows us to sleep in after all of that travel, and get things like my oxygen tanks and power chair and his scooter taken care of)
• Day 2: EPCOT (I want to get there before I'm TOO worn out!)
• Day 3: AK
• Day 4: MK
• Day 5: Resort Hopping
• Day 6: DHS
• Day 7: EPCOT
• Day 8: MK
• Day 9: AK
• Day 10:EPCOT
• Day 11: Fly home
• Day 12: Drive home from the airport

Can you tell we both REALLY want to spend time at EPCOT??

 

[Escape2Disney]

Gimpy #1 and Gimpy #2:
Travel and Parks with Challenges
This is all boring medical stuff - in other words, "what do these two disabled folks need to tour Disney World?" Feel free to skip if this stuff bores you.

Jinx (Gimpy #1)
When I first met Jinx in high school, he was a cross country runner. He didn't just run track though; he ran all of the time! I remember him zooming across campus all day long. He'd stop, say hi (and flash his big smile), then he'd be off again at the speed of light. He carried that love of running into adulthood. When he'd move from place to place, he'd explore by running or walking all over town.

All that changed when he had an accident at work. The result was a years-long battle with crippling knee pain. Even after surgery, PT, braces, and everything else the doctors threw at him, he still didn't have full use of the knee. He hoped that one day he would be able to run again. Unfortunately this Spring he learned that he never would.

The goal now is to be able to walk without pain. Until then, he can cycle a bit to build the muscles around the knee, and walk in moderation. He walks with a cane, but frequently leaves it at home because "it's a pain to carry that thing".

We had a discussion about the amount of walking there will be at WDW, and he agreed that a scooter makes sense. Neither of us wants him to be in pain and grumpy!


Tiger (Gimpy #2)
Remember those diseases I told you about? Well, I won't bore you with the details, but I will say that one of them is pretty painful. It's a condition that makes it difficult to stand straight, walk too far, or keep my balance. I am a HUGE fall-risk.

Now I don't care if I fall. It happens all of the time! (Oh, the funny stories I can tell you about falling...) Jinx, on the other hand, hates to see it happen. He gets really worried when I knock my head on a table, or drop to the floor in a store. I laugh, and he worries.

So even if I COULD walk the 8+ miles a day that a Disney vacation requires, I wouldn't put him through that misery. I stopped trying to walk the parks years ago when my daughters pointed out that I'd get pretty crabby from the pain by the end of the day. It's better to 'drive' than walk if for no other reason than we want to make the best of our time at the World.

Unlike Jinx, I need a power chair rather than a scooter. It's better for my hands and back.

You might have noticed in the first post that I'm on oxygen. That's a relatively new development. This will be my first trip with all of that equipment. We're working with my medical equipment company to figure out how to rent FAA approved concentrators and batteries.

Logistics
On my first trip to the World, I brought my own power chair. It is a model that can be broken down and put into a car. We were able to rent a car and get everywhere we wanted to go without having to navigate busses with a chair. It was so convenient! Unfortunately my chair was damaged on the last trip, and the cost of repair is almost as much as buying a new one! I will likely have to rent one this time. Sadly I haven't been able to find anywhere that rents a power chair that can come apart like mine did. I will probably have to rent a full-sized model.

As you can imagine, the cost of all of the medical equipment is pretty steep. Based on my quotes so far, it'll cost at least $800 for an 11 day trip! OUCH!

Have no fear, I'm stubborn, resourceful, and determined to find better deals. My goal is to knock off at least $200-300 from that total by the time we book the trip!