Go ahead and invite those parents before it is too late

[ChickieToo]

I'm sorry for each and every loss experienced by the good folks who posted. I just wanted to tell you all that it is truly possible to have a good trip with elderly people with infirmities. If you can talk them in to going, and adjust your schedule a little, it is the best family memory you can make.

DM is 77. She has been on kidney dialysis for 10 years because of diabetes that she let run rampant when she was younger. She had a double bypass nine years ago. Before my father passed away 7 years ago, my mother was much more mobile, but she could never talk him into taking the whole family to WDW. A couple of years after he passed, she decided to do it, and she took ten of us on her dime. It was a great trip and although she had to go to dialysis, she enjoyed herself.

We became DVC members in 2001 and ever since, we have been trying to get the family to all go back again. It finally happened in April 2007. Mom is far less mobile now as she took a fall a couple of years ago and shattered her shoulder and fractured her pelvis in five places. Her eyesight is very deteriorated and she is legally blind. That, coupled with her her inability to walk more than a couple hundred feet without being totally winded has curbed her activities quite a bit, and she can't leave the house unless someone takes her out. But in WDW, around her family, she had one of the healthiest weeks since I can't remember when. Again, she had to go to dialysis on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6:00 am, which really tired her out, (thanks to my sweet DH for getting up a 5:00 to bring her those mornings) but she was a trooper. We got a big van and drove around together, and had a lot of yuks just talking about our day on the way home to BCV. Even though there were far fewer rides she could do this time around, and she seldom did anything she couldn't do in her wheelchair, it was the happpiest I'd seen her in a long time. She even got on IASW on one of the wheelchair boats--it was great! The kids all took time pushing her around and she was just awed by a lot of the new attractions. We even got her on Soarin'. She was wary, but I said trust me, I won't ask you to do anything I know you can't do. Even with her limited sight, she declared it "amazing."

We talk about going back again, and God willing we will before it is too late. It's good for my DD and Dneice and Dnephew to learn how to share their trip and accommodate someone with different needs. They didn't disappoint and were great about working around her limitations.

Like everyone else said, don't wait until it is too late.

 

[garnet1240]

My heart felt sympathy to those who have lost their loved ones. We too have asked my parents to go with us each year, and they declined saying they would slow us down too much. Dad passed away 4 years ago now. This year I tried something different, I booked 2 studios (so Mom could have her privacy if she wanted) at Vero for this spring, and told Mom she had no excuses..this would be 5 days of laid back time

Happy to say, she's excited to be going and we are thrilled. Mom is 83. My DDs are now 16 & 20 and are so happy to finally be sharing our DVC with grandma..!!

 

[Coach81]

Missy was always to busy to come with us. Missy was in school or working. Finally years ago, Missy was able to join us. My entire family including my wife's family (Missy=SIL) all went together. We had a blast. Less than a year later, Missy (only in her early 20s) came down with some strange illness one weekend, and in a day or two we lost her.

To this day I feel that it was meant for Missy to come with us that one time. I will always cherish that one trip in particular, to Disney World with Missy.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I just want to add to this. For some of us, the thought of going on a vacation with a parent may seem like time in H**** Please consider doing it anyways. A couple years ago, Mom pretty much invited herself on a trip to WDW with me. Reluctantly, I agreed-she sleeps til noon (I'm up and out at park opening), complains a lot, turned her nose up at the thought of a character meal, etc. But now as she gets increasingly immobile and in almost constant pain, one thing that always brings a big smile to her is when she talks about "how much fun we had at WDW". She was so happy!

 

[dallastxcpa]

My condolenses to all those who have lost a loved one. This past year we lost my DD. He was working a job in Kansas and was killed in an industrial accident. We were fortunate enough to get two trips to WDW with him. One in 1999 that included 15 family members and one in 2003 for my wedding at WDW that included 21 family members.

This summer we are taking the family again to OKW. I know it will be hard on my DM to be their without Dad but we are looking so forward to the trip.

 

[DVC Mary]

thank you for sharing your story...and i am very sorry for your loss.

my dad (54) was diagnosed with leukemia just over 1 yr ago. doctors told him at the time that he would probably have 2-3 yrs - 1 of which has already flown by. i would absolutely love to take he and my mom to WDW for a vacation - neither of them have ever been to disney, or even been on a plane before. but they always refuse, saying that they're not amusement park people. if only i could convince them that disney is so much more...

I'm right there w/ you. We are putting the full court press on my Mom tomorrow & praying she'll say ok. I'll let you know how it goes. I'm using the grandkid effect.

For those of you who can get parents/grandparents to use an ECV or wheelchair. When I tried to talk my Mom into to this a few years ago, she told me:

"The only thing I ever drove was a donkey & cart and that's it."

Imagine an Irish accent. Yes, she never learn how to drive so this is going to be difficult.

If I have success, I'll post how it went & hope you can have similar luck.

 

[cman]

First let me pass my sympathies to all those here who have experienced the loss of a loved one.

I really love that fact that WDW is such a magical place that whole families, from infants to the elderly, can go together and have a great time. Where else on earth does this happen so regularly?

2 years ago my wife and I decided to invite the whole family (16 people in all) with us for a Dec. 07 Christmas trip. We just got back a few weeks ago. The group included my parents, my in-laws and my wife's sister's in-laws. 3 sets of grandparents all in there 60's

This was the 4th trip that we've taken with this large group. I have to tell you that during the planning of the trip I worried something would happen and not all 6 of the grandparents would make the trip.

We were blessed that all 16 made the trip in good health. It was the best of all our trips and the memories will last forever. We're lucky in that we never have to convinced any of the parents to come. They're all for going to WDW and spending time as a family - especially with the grandkids.

 

[Buckeye Fan]

I am very sorry for your loss and thank you for the wonderful post. We are planning a March trip (during spring break) and my MIL/FIL are going with us! I invited them for the same reasons you spoke of in your post.

MIL/FIL have 4 kids. Two of us own DVC, so BIL/SIL and their 3 adult kids along with DH, me and our two kids (12 & 5) had planned a trip. Since 2 of their 4 kids were going, we begged them to join us. DH and I told them we'd cover the room if they'd come. After much debate, we got a 2-BR and they're going with us! I love my MIL/FIL and am so glad they decided to join us.

None of us have a guarantee of tomorrow, and thanks for reminding us of how special those precious memories we build truly are. That was a HUGE factor in our purchase of DVC. I want my DS and DD to have wonderful childhood memories of the most magical place on earth!

God bless!

 

[bsusanmb]

Thank you for your touching story and reminding us how precious our time is here on earth. My sincere sympathy to you and your family at the loss of your mother.

DH and I are both 58 next month. I bought DVC 2 years ago when I started to have grandchildren...and we take trips every year with them and their parents. It is my most favorite thing to do in the whole world. I love them so much and it means so much to me to make those memories that will last a lifetime. I know they will always remember when Grandma and Grandpa took all of them to WDW when they were little. That is them below and I just adore them. My DH gets a little anxious with all of the confusion at times, but next time I will remind him that his own father died when he was only 58.
Blessings to you.
Susan

 

[donaldbuzz&minnie]

Thank you for your touching story and reminding us how precious our time is here on earth. My sincere sympathy to you and your family at the loss of your mother.

DH and I are both 58 next month. I bought DVC 2 years ago when I started to have grandchildren...and we take trips every year with them and their parents. It is my most favorite thing to do in the whole world. I love them so much and it means so much to me to make those memories that will last a lifetime. I know they will always remember when Grandma and Grandpa took all of them to WDW when they were little. Susan

This is exactly how I feel - we did the same thing in buying into DVC. Our grandkids love Disneyworld - they play "airplane" with my husband, and they always choose to go to Disneyworld. I also like to think that their memories of us will be tied up with a big Disney bow.

I did want to say to all those of you who are grieving how lucky I think your parents were to have children and grandchildren who love and miss them so much. Reading through all of the posts reminded me that I am now at the age where I might suddenly become one of "those" stories, but if that were to happen, I would really want my kids to know that I didn't want them to feel badly about a missed trip.

What matters to me is how wonderful it is to feel so loved every day by my kids and grandkids - that's what I'll take with me into the next life and cherish, whenever this one might end. My mother-in-law, who passed on several years ago, has convinced me that life goes on after this life, and so I am determined that, if I have any choice at all, I'll still be floating along with my kids and grandkids through all the fun of Disneyworld, with or without a body! And I know I would want my loved ones to have fun a lot more than I would want them to feel sad.

 

[buzz5985]

Since my Mother passed a few years ago, my 76 yo Dad travels with us. He loves our DVC especially HH. We can't get over how many people he runs into when we are away. LOL We love having him. DS 11 and he are great friends.

 

[Inkmahm]

Thank you everyone for your kind words. I truly hope that my post will persuade at least one family to include their parents or in-laws on a future WDW trip.

DVC Mary...you asked for advice for how to slow down your trip for your Nana. We talked to our children before our trip and explained to them that we would be moving at a slower pace so that their Gran could enjoy herself. We told them that because of DVC they knew we would be going back next year and if there was something they didn't get to do this time because of our slower pace we were shure they would get to do it next time. We discussed with my mother before we left that if there was any time that she wanted to stay behind instead of going to a park that it would be ok. She would have a 2br suite(as opposed to a regular hotel room) to spend the day in and she could watch some movies if she wanted (we took DVD's for her). I even added some Lean Cuisine frozen meals that she liked to our GardenGrocer.com order so that she wouldn't feel pressured into going out to dinner with us every night. We had a plan that she would go back to SSR each day when my DB took his girls back for a nap. My brother and I split the cost ($200) for a lightweight but durable transport wheelchair for her. I explained to her that I knew she would have a much more enjoyable trip if she didn't need to worry about walking. The transport wheelchair does not have the large wheels that a regular wheelchair does so it is lighter. I even bought one with a red frame which was her favorite color.

Needless to say other than the evening that we arrived she never did stay in the room alone. She stayed with my DH, DD's and I everyday in the parks. Because she was in the wheelchair she didn't get tired out and didn't have to deal with the pain from the arthritis. If your parent doesn't want to use a wheelchair please tell them about my mother. About what a wonderful, painfree trip she had. A trip where she would only have been able to spend 1/10 of the time with her granddaughters in the parks if she hadn't used it.

Kato0627 and JimMIA...Thank you for the acknowlegment about my DD. It still baffles my mind how brave she was. She even thought to call 911 back after I took over the CPR to let them know that my mother had stopped breathing. She will always be a hero in my mind.

Thank you so much for this post! We had the same plan with my mom for March. We have a 2 bedroom villa and I told her she could go back to the room to rest and watch her "stories" on tv each day if she wanted to, that she didnt' have to stay with us the whole time. I just had her to Chicaco in December and realized that even with walking slowly and using her walker with the seat to rest when she needed to, there's no way in the world that she can walk Disney parks. She has to have a wheel chair. Reading your post got me searching for one we can buy and use at the airport, getting from the car into the parks, the long hallways at AKL, as well as in the parks. What great idea! I didn't know there were so many lightweight foldable chairs out there. I talked to mom yesterday and she is excited about getting a red wheelchair.

Here's the one we came up with- anyone have any suggestions on why this one might be great or not the best idea? We're thinking the light weight, being able to fold it, the breaks, the larger back wheels that are solid, and the bag for stuff to hang on the back are all pluses.

http://www.amazon.com/Lightweight-T...l-Wheels/dp/B000JEOIN2/ref=pd_sbs_hpc_title_1

 

[tomandrobin]

Here's the one we came up with- anyone have any suggestions on why this one might be great or not the best idea? We're thinking the light weight, being able to fold it, the breaks, the larger back wheels that are solid, and the bag for stuff to hang on the back are all pluses.

We went in December and rented a wheelchair for stay. It was red and was collapsable. I got the phone number for the Disability thread. The company was Walker Rentals, and the charge was $65 for the week. They will drop off the chair at bellhop, and pickup the chair from bellhop.

We got off Magical Express, told bell hop we had a wheelchair waiting. He left and was back in 1 minute with the chair. Drop off of the chair at the end of our trip was just as easy. I hightly recommend the service and rental company.

 

[ChickieToo]

My mom has one of those light wheelchairs, but we chose not to take it. When we made our airline reservations, we made arrangements with the airline to have a wheelchair waiting when we checked in. We had a wheelchair from the time she stepped off the shuttle bus right to the gate jetway ramp. When we landed, there was a wheelchair waiting for us which we used right until we got into the rental van. When we got the BC the bellman got us a wheelchair, and we used it for the entire stay.

I know there may be complications with this method, but for us it worked well. We did this both trips we had mom with us. Some of the complications when going this route can be if you need a special type of wheelchiar or a larger one, (which we do not as mom is small) or lack of availability at the hotel which would have required us to call one of the Orlando rental places to have one delivered. That was our backup plan, but we didn't have to act on it.

Our method was free, and we didn't need to worry about mom's "home" wheelchair getting stolen or broken while we were away, but we do realize there is a certain amount of back-up planning required with it.

 

[rangermom]

DH and I are trying to get everyone together sometime in 2009, but were are already running into road blocks. One BIL and his family have already declined stating that they can not afford a vacation. (Keep in mind they did join us on our last WDW vacation in May 2007, and financed it so they may be feeling the repercussions of that right now.

We have not heard a decision from anyone else. We offered to use our DVC points for 4 studios SV at AKL (one for each family) and due to the size of our family we were getting the 1 bedroom. We wanted everyone to be in separate rooms so that each family could get get the tickets and DDP how they wanted it and if someone backed out later on we wouldn't be stuck with a larger unit when it was not needed.

DH thinks only his parents will come and is acting like he is not upset, but he really wanted his whole family there. We tragically lost his sister, BIL and 19 year old nephew in 2006 when they were murdered by a friend. We know how short our time is and always try to invite family on all our vacations.

Thanks for posting this. I am thinking I should email this thread to everyone so they can see why we want to do this. By the way, DH and I are thinking of offering a trip to HH or Vero Beach to see if we get more bites on that. I think it might be the expense of WDW that is holding people back.

 

[Paticake]

The last vacation we took with my inlaws was to WDW. Ten months later my DFIL had a massive stroke and my DMIL had Alzheimers. We had great memories of that vacation. They have both since passed and our children are grown.At my DMIL's funeral we had a picture of her and our daughter with Goofy in a kilt. (MIL was from Scotland). Now we love to share DVC with our kids and next year our grandson.

 

[DVC Mary]

Nana is going. Thank you for all the encouragement from this thread. This will Nana's 1st trip to WDW at age of 79. I explained to her that my eldest DS has expressed his emotions about how long Nana would still be w/ us & how he wished she'd go just once.

I worked on her in a round about way all day. She said she didn't want to go anywhere on vacation. I reminded her of 2 short trips we had done w/ her & how special they were. All of a sudden she said: OK.

I told her great b/c I had already bought plane tickets, but that she'd have to wait until the next day for my eldest DS to tell her where we were going.

She's even a little bit more open to the wheelchair idea. I may try to get her to use an ECV at a local grocery store soon.

THANKS to everyone & especially the OP w/ the bravest daughter ever.

I can't believe she's actually going. I think hearing that FL has been a little cold this winter has helped.

Ok, now it's someone else's turn.....find those loved ones you want to take & convince them to go before it's too late.

 

[bsusanmb]

I am sure you all know this already, but being an RN, I have to just give you a few reminders about elders going to WDW.

Be careful when you choose the time of year you go. As we age, our bodies lose their ability to adjust to temperature changes. I am not referring to those able bodied folks who have worked in the sun all their lives. Elders lose the ability to perspire to cool their bodies and are quick to suffer from heat stroke. They also dehydrate easily. And as far as the cold, we lose our muscle mass, subcutaneous tissue, and the ability to stay warm.

Just thinking of my elderly parents and the problems we have encountered.

Oh, one other thing...my parents tend not to complain until they are really feeling poorly. The heat and humidity really wear them down easily.

Susan

 

[Inkmahm]

My mom has one of those light wheelchairs, but we chose not to take it. When we made our airline reservations, we made arrangements with the airline to have a wheelchair waiting when we checked in. We had a wheelchair from the time she stepped off the shuttle bus right to the gate jetway ramp. When we landed, there was a wheelchair waiting for us which we used right until we got into the rental van. When we got the BC the bellman got us a wheelchair, and we used it for the entire stay.

I know there may be complications with this method, but for us it worked well. We did this both trips we had mom with us. Some of the complications when going this route can be if you need a special type of wheelchiar or a larger one, (which we do not as mom is small) or lack of availability at the hotel which would have required us to call one of the Orlando rental places to have one delivered. That was our backup plan, but we didn't have to act on it.

Our method was free, and we didn't need to worry about mom's "home" wheelchair getting stolen or broken while we were away, but we do realize there is a certain amount of back-up planning required with it.

Did you haul the wheelchair from BC to the parks? Wasn't it cumbersome and heavy compared to the lightweight version? We have an old wheelchair (from about 1980) that was my grandmother's after she had a stroke But I can't really even lift the thing to get it in a car. That's the great draw of a lightweight wheelchair- it would be something that is actually portable for us to use. I have to admit I'm thinking ahead, too, to having it at home when we could use it here, too.

Mom is small so she doesnt' need anything special for sizing. Last night she reminded us that she can walk some and plans to walk behind the wheelchair part of the time just using it to steady herself. I think we'll be pushing a whole lot more that she'll be walking though. She forgets just how big Disney is.

 

[Inkmahm]

We went in December and rented a wheelchair for stay. It was red and was collapsable. I got the phone number for the Disability thread. The company was Walker Rentals, and the charge was $65 for the week. They will drop off the chair at bellhop, and pickup the chair from bellhop.

We got off Magical Express, told bell hop we had a wheelchair waiting. He left and was back in 1 minute with the chair. Drop off of the chair at the end of our trip was just as easy. I hightly recommend the service and rental company.

Was this light enough to lift in and out of a car trunk? Sounds like another option if we decide not to buy one. I"m still leaning towards buying though just so that we have one for use at home, too. Maybe though we rent this trip and then see how she likes it before we buy one? Hmmmm....