Blowing off steam - thanks for listening

[Aidensmom]

....these boards are extremely helpful but also serve to point out all the minute things you could be missing as you attempt to plan a trip. That is what gets me feeling overwhelmed...

The best remedy for that is to just move to Florida - makes it much easier to make up for anything you missed the last time you were there - not to mention you get FL discounts!

 

[JoannaOhio]

In December 2000, I was fortunate enough to be invited to join my daughter's family for a holiday vacation in Florida. The original plan was for me to be there for half of their two-week "family" vacation. However, the trip almost got cancelled when my daughter and her husband decided in October 2000 that they would be separating sometime in 2001.

Because they were both concerned that my then 9-year-old granddaughter would be terribly disappointed, we rearranged the plans instead. My daughter, granddaughter and I went for the first ten days by ourselves. Son-in-law joined us on Christmas Eve, and we all went to SeaWorld on Christmas Day. I flew home the next day, and they had another four days to go back to WDW and Universal, etc.

Because things had been so much up in the air about whether we would cancel the entire vacation or not, neither of us did a lot of preplanning. I haunted these boards and made copious notes - some of which got implemented, and some got ignored. We were lucky enough to have small crowds on our first few days in the parks (the week before Christmas). My granddaughter really got into collecting autographs and pictures with the characters, so we spent a fair amount of time waiting in lines and chasing down the roaming characters. My daughter and I made our own fun as we waited, and we really enjoyed watching my ADHD granddaughter having such a good time.

We're going back in December of this year for two weeks. This time the (ex)husband has been replaced by a fiancee who is just as silly and fun-loving as my DD and I are. My granddaughter may give us some typical teen "attitude", but with three adults having fun, she'll have to either join in or just be left out. Neither my daughter or I will be as focused on making DGD the center of attention, and her wishes will be considered equally - along with the other three of us. Of course, she'll still believe that the Universe revolves around her, but we can pretend not to notice.

I have been doing information-gathering of a different kind this time, because DD's fiancee is wheelchair-bound. I have been delighted to discover how many rides and attractions he can enjoy without having to leave his wheelchair. (Transferring is a major event, not to be undertaken lightly - though we're determined to make it happen for Haunted Mansion.) DD and I are thrilled that he'll be able to drive his wheelchair right on to the new It's a Small World accessible boats, as well as Jungle Cruise, and the ride through Mexico at Epcot. Silly as we are, those three (plus Haunted Mansion) kind of epitomize the childlike joy of Disney World for us - (along with the shows and parades and attractions that we already knew were accesible.)

I'm currently compiling information about each ride and attraction - drawn from a number of different tour books, plus remarks and tips that I pick up from these boards and a couple of other sites. The night before we go to each park, I plan to sit us all down, and go through the descriptions one by one - then allowing each person to comment on whether they want to do that one, or rate it on a scale of 1-5 in importance, etc. (I'm so anal that I'll probably make up spreadsheets to put the answers in - and I'm pretty sure that some different colored highlighters may be pressed into service.) That way, all four of us can have equal input about what we would like to do, and then we can make decisions based on that - whether there are things to be skipped for lack of interest - rides that DD's fiancee and I will sit out while the two wild gals go for the thrills, etc.

At first I thought I was doing an awful lot of planning, considering that the trip is still 9 months off - but then I switched my thinking from "planning" to "information gathering" - a "gift" that I can give to the others because I'm retired and have the time to do the research. They can just go to their daily jobs and school, and have all the Internet "leg work" done for them, and presented to them at the appropriate time for making decisions - (especially with my ADHD DGD, who doesn't retain focus for anything that's more than a few days off.)

A lot of things have changed since 2000. DD is much happier, I have become more flexible and less controlling - and, hopefully, DGD will do her best to be reasonable. Since it is fiancee's first trip, he'll be astounded at how accessible Disney World is, and I know he'll have a fabulous time.

Sorry this got so long, but I didn't know how to say it all in fewer words.

 

[SueM in MN]

I have been doing information-gathering of a different kind this time, because DD's fiancee is wheelchair-bound. I have been delighted to discover how many rides and attractions he can enjoy without having to leave his wheelchair. (Transferring is a major event, not to be undertaken lightly - though we're determined to make it happen for Haunted Mansion.) DD and I are thrilled that he'll be able to drive his wheelchair right on to the new It's a Small World accessible boats, as well as Jungle Cruise, and the ride through Mexico at Epcot. Silly as we are, those three (plus Haunted Mansion) kind of epitomize the childlike joy of Disney World for us - (along with the shows and parades and attractions that we already knew were accesible.)

The Small World and Mexico accessible boats are not new. They have been around since at least the late 1980s (actually, I believe they were original equipment from when those parks open).
If you haven't already visited the disABILITIES Board, please follow the link in my signature to the disABILITIES Board and you can find more information.
Haunted Mansion is not too bad for transfer. Wheelchair users board at the exit and the moving walkway can be stopped for boarding if necessary. The wheelchair can then be parked on the moving walkway, close to the ride car.

 

[tinkerbell81284]

The best remedy for that is to just move to Florida - makes it much easier to make up for anything you missed the last time you were there - not to mention you get FL discounts!

You are so right!

But anyway! I too get frustrated when planning but I do love thinking about what I want to do when I get there. This next time in May I just did a simple plan compared to the one I did last August. Hurricane Charley definitely dissolved some of my plans for my last day there, but I still had fun! Oh I did have fun in the unplanned moments as well!

 

[tinkerbee]

I found that my best trips to DW are the ones where the only planning we do is what park we are going to go each day. After that we just go with the flow. I'm not much for all this PS stuff. If I feel like eating we go and as of yet have never had to wait more than 15 minutes. I find it a lot less stressful than oh we have to be here or we have to be there. It takes the fun out of it. After all it is a vacation.

 

[UrsulasShadow]

I just read these posts to laugh, I agree with the poster: I want this and I want that, I didn't get this or that, these people were rude, I want cheap rates, can I fill my cup, is there bottled water. No other vacation place has this much scrutiny and problems with people wanting to treated at kings for the cheapest price. Its like: I want a good car, cheap! No such thing. I read posts, want to comment and bite my tongue at the assine questions and replies saying they should do this and that and give me this and that, just to amuse myself. We've gone to WDW for 30 years, do it our way, don't think we missed anything important and still do it our way, pay the price where we want to stay, and have our own magical vacation always!!

Hmmm, I see you've answered at least 164 asinine questions and replies...you do this just to laugh, too?