Flying to Cruising to WDW!

[jenanderson]

Hello Everyone! I am hoping for some advice from everyone here with how to make this trip a bit smoother for my DS (11) and the crazy number of medical issues he has. The issues are not all major but when you add them all up together, it becomes a bit messy to travel with him (laryngeal cleft-so he chokes easily, immune system deficiency-lots of medications, cerebral palsy-weak muscles, etc).

DS does use a wheelchair at WDW and we often get some "looks" because he will get up and transfer himself onto rides. He will sometimes stand and stretch as well as his muscles get tight. The "looks" don't really bother me any more because we there is no way he could tackle the world without it. We have been to WDW many times and have always had a GAC for DS. We have also cruised before and have flown before but I am a bit nervous about this whole trip.

One of the issues with DS has to do with vertigo like symptoms. DS has had surgery with his ears, nose, sinus cavities and throat. As a result, he is hyper sensitive to motion type things and his doctor puts him on some strong medication before we go to Disney that he will take the whole trip. It complicates things because it adds fatigue to his already weak muscles and it makes him super sensitive to the sunlight (I know, Florida in August - but we usually plan really well for it because this is when we are able to go). We have flown to WDW one time while using the medication and it went okay but DS was still super nervous the whole time. The past 2 trips we have drove but we are flying again and DS is scared about feeling sick on the plane. I am hoping we get seats together (flying SW - debating paying extra to pre-assign seats) and know that I can talk him through it again. I will also talk with the flight attendants about getting ginger ale as quickly as we can once the flight takes off. I would pack it but we can't bring it through security. So the flight is our first concern.

We are cruising on the Dream the day after we arrive. I am terrified because the new terminal changes do not work well for us. In the past, we have gotten to port early and found seats in the terminal. We have been able to get an early boarding number and get on the ship so that DS can eat his lunch at a reasonable time (medication will make him feel bad if he doesn't eat) and we can find a shaded place for him to relax and take it all in. If you haven't heard, Disney changed the boarding policies and now I am concerned about how this is going to work for us because now we have to wait until a later time to even arrive at port and then I am worried that it will be a mess because this is a new policy and people will be creating even longer lines.

Finally, after the cruise, we will go to WDW. We are staying at the Poly because the monorail makes it so easy to get around quickly. We will have a wheelchair for him and are planning days based on how he is doing. I can't find his GAC from the last trip but know where to go and how to request the new one. So WDW is the least of my worries.

I am sorry this has gotten kind of long but if anyone has advice about dealing with the first part of our trip....I would love it.

Thanks!
Jen

 

[KPeveler]

About the flight - SW will pre-board a person with a medical disability and at least one caretaker/family member, so you can be sure to get a spot near the front/rear (for easy bathroom access if he gets sick), seats together, and the ability to get a flight attendant easily. I have never been asked to prove my disability (though now with the wheelchair it is pretty obvious), but I am not sure if they are allowed to ask for proof or not (Under the ADA they cant, but airlines have their own codes). Perhaps someone here will know.

Definitely make sure you pre-board. It will let you take all the time you need to get settled and be sure you are together.

 

[disfan07]

About the flight - SW will pre-board a person with a medical disability and at least one caretaker/family member, so you can be sure to get a spot near the front/rear (for easy bathroom access if he gets sick), seats together, and the ability to get a flight attendant easily. I have never been asked to prove my disability (though now with the wheelchair it is pretty obvious), but I am not sure if they are allowed to ask for proof or not (Under the ADA they cant, but airlines have their own codes). Perhaps someone here will know.

Definitely make sure you pre-board. It will let you take all the time you need to get settled and be sure you are together.

as far as i know, they can't ask for proof. I pre-board for a peanut allergy and they have never asked for proof.

 

[crashbb]

I am hoping we get seats together (flying SW - debating paying extra to pre-assign seats) and know that I can talk him through it again.

You cannot pay to pre-assign seat with SW. What you can pay for Early Bird Check In. What this means is that you are checked in at 36 hours before the flight (rather than doing it yourself, sometime within the 24 hours before the flight). This gives you a better boarding number. However, as others have posted, you and your son (and, perhaps, other family members) should be able to use pre-boarding.

I will also talk with the flight attendants about getting ginger ale as quickly as we can once the flight takes off. I would pack it but we can't bring it through security. So the flight is our first concern.

I'd try to buy ginger ale at one of the restaurants/stores post security. It may be a while before the FAs get get some for your son.

We are cruising on the Dream the day after we arrive. I am terrified because the new terminal changes do not work well for us. In the past, we have gotten to port early and found seats in the terminal. We have been able to get an early boarding number and get on the ship so that DS can eat his lunch at a reasonable time (medication will make him feel bad if he doesn't eat) and we can find a shaded place for him to relax and take it all in. If you haven't heard, Disney changed the boarding policies and now I am concerned about how this is going to work for us because now we have to wait until a later time to even arrive at port and then I am worried that it will be a mess because this is a new policy and people will be creating even longer lines.

I would call DCL and read the cruise sub-forum. People are getting 11am boarding times - see how they are doing it. If you do have a later boarding time, could you arrive near the very end of boarding, to avoid the crowd? Hang out at the airport and get your son something to eat there? Or stop at a restaurant on your way to the port?

 

[jenanderson]

About the flight - SW will pre-board a person with a medical disability and at least one caretaker/family member, so you can be sure to get a spot near the front/rear (for easy bathroom access if he gets sick), seats together, and the ability to get a flight attendant easily. I have never been asked to prove my disability (though now with the wheelchair it is pretty obvious), but I am not sure if they are allowed to ask for proof or not (Under the ADA they cant, but airlines have their own codes). Perhaps someone here will know.

Definitely make sure you pre-board. It will let you take all the time you need to get settled and be sure you are together.

Thanks for this information. We have never had to worry about the flight portion and it would help knowing we can sit by each other.

You cannot pay to pre-assign seat with SW. What you can pay for Early Bird Check In. What this means is that you are checked in at 36 hours before the flight (rather than doing it yourself, sometime within the 24 hours before the flight). This gives you a better boarding number. However, as others have posted, you and your son (and, perhaps, other family members) should be able to use pre-boarding.

I'd try to buy ginger ale at one of the restaurants/stores post security. It may be a while before the FAs get get some for your son.

I will be looking for it but the airport that we are flying out of has extremely limited options. This is one of those times where the no liquids regulation is hard for us.

I would call DCL and read the cruise sub-forum. People are getting 11am boarding times - see how they are doing it. If you do have a later boarding time, could you arrive near the very end of boarding, to avoid the crowd? Hang out at the airport and get your son something to eat there? Or stop at a restaurant on your way to the port?

I might try to get a hold of DCL and see if they have advice on what would be better.

Thanks for all the ideas. We have always had such great Disney vacations and want it to continue to be successful for our family.

 

[dclfun]

It should actually be better if you get to the port a bit later when others have started boarding. This way the terminal will be cleared a bit and you can get right onboard vs. having to wait in a crowd. The Dream has not been boarding as soon as the Magic or Wonder did. They have 4K guests to clean up after and food to prepare for you before they can open for boarding so people are waiting longer in the terminal. We drove and arrived inside around 11:30 after parking and dropping off luggage with a porter. As we are Platinum we got to check in with concierge and had boarding group 1. We still had to wait a LONG time, past 12:30, and then force our way to the queue area to get on the ship through masses of people. Kids were laying on the floor as there was no seating, spread out with coloring books, etc. I didn't blame them as they were just trying to occupy their time, but it made it difficult to maneuver in a wheelchair, and with a service dog no less. Next time we'll be smarter and get there later. Once boarding starts, the line moves really quickly though and you won't have a long wait. I'd pack a little snack that your ds enjoys ( string cheese, crackers, etc...something light ) and have him nibble if he needs to get food in his tummy. As to SW, I would tell the attendants that your son is feeling a bit queasy and see if they can get you some ginger ale right away. I'm not sure if they have rules about not providing drinks until after take-off but if your ds isn't feeling well, I hope they can assist him or at least pop the can as soon as you're in flight. Does it help to bring headphones? I know there isn't much to do on the plane and maybe music would be relaxing? I hope everything goes smoothly- sounds like you have a wonderful vacation planned!---Kathy