Have you ever left early?

[pilferk]

Not sure what is up with my leg. It's on my right calf, on the edge of the muscle. If you push on it, it hurts in the same way that a bruise does, but there's no bruise (no swelling or discoloration of any kind). It doesn't hurt generally though unless I touch it or walk. I've run my fingers all along the vein and it doesn't seem to be the vein, but the muscle that's next to it. Blah.

I'm no doctor...and I didn't even stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night..but that leg issue sounds a lot like what I get when my tendonitis kicks in. It's an overuse thing, for me. A day off my feet, and some iburprofen (or, better for me, alleve) and it's better. But it will kick in, pretty quickly, if I go back to heavy use again right away.

IF that's what it is..the good news is it's not going to damage you permanently, really. It just hurts like the Dickens.

We've never left early. We HAVE toned it down, based on the kids ability to "go" (which, honestly, is variable trip to trip for us). Short days, days off. Disney really doesn't reward "on the fly", given it's need for pretty obsessive advance planning (ADRS, FP+, etc)....but sometimes that's what you gotta do.

Hopefully a day at the pool and hanging around the resort will do EVERYBODY good.

 

[cluvsdisney]

We left 2 days early on our last trip. When we planned our vacation 9 days sounded like a great idea but by the 7th day we were both done. We didn't even go to the park each day. We just wanted to be at home. DH's back was killing him and he was starting to get sick and I was tired of eating out and missed the comforts of home. We had to pay a bit to change our flights but I figure we saved a part of that by not eating out for the next couple of days.

It does sound like you're all done. I would leave Disney and look to see if there's a side trip to take on the ride home...spend an extra night in some cool area so it's not 3 straight days of driving.

 

[PlutoFan76]

My daughter is high functioning and is now 18. She can only have fun away from home for about 5 days. After that she starts to unravel. It's your vacation. At the point it ceases to be fun then it's time to go. You don't want all your wonderful positive memories overshadowed by a full blown ASD meltdown. Only you know if that point has been reached.

 

[bumbershoot]

Not sure what is up with my leg. It's on my right calf, on the edge of the muscle. If you push on it, it hurts in the same way that a bruise does, but there's no bruise (no swelling or discoloration of any kind). It doesn't hurt generally though unless I touch it or walk. I've run my fingers all along the vein and it doesn't seem to be the vein, but the muscle that's next to it. Blah.

It's almost certainly nothing big. But...maybe...head over to CentraCare and get it looked at? Especially with that huge drive home...

The only thought that I had about your 3 days of travel is that tomorrow begins the VAST amount of folks getting on the roads for the 4th of July. The news is predicting higher than normal amounts folks on the road which also means more accidents. I would hate for your already long travel time to increase because of the traffic. Might be better to spend your final days relaxing by the pool rather than not-relaxing in a traffic jam. We always encounter TRAFFIC TRAFFIC TRAFFIC when traveling down south during any holiday.

Terrific point. Sitting in traffic for some horrible amount of time might actually be worse than still being in Orlando. Yipes.

 

[ErinsMommy]

As others have said only you know when its too much for your kids, but I wouldn't wait until they get to that point as they may remember Disney as an exhausting place as opposed to a place where they want to go to again in the future.

 

[disneyfanlincoln]

Never left early because being international flights it would be too difficult but I totally understand why it might be the best thing to do for your family. My vote would be to leave early with good memories rather than pushing on and leaving in crisis or in pain.

 

[chelseabun76]

Sounds like she might need a day to relax at the resort or hotel before you start the drive home anyways, so plan on doing that for sure

 

[eva]

It's almost certainly nothing big. But...maybe...head over to CentraCare and get it looked at? Especially with that huge drive home...

I agree. Especially since you are saying it has a warm sensation. You did say that you spent 3 days sitting in a car to get there. It is probably nothing. But I would get it checked out.

 

[Satchmo128]

With our family, we can only do 2 full park days before we need to take a "day off"...e.g. go to the pool or some other more relaxing activity.
So even if you don't go home, can you have a chill out day?

DH and I have been to WDW 6 times since 2009 and are usually in FL for 9-10 days each trip. We have also found that 2 days in the parks followed by a rest day, repeat, works the best for us as well.

OP - I'm sorry to hear that your vacation may be ending early, but it sounds like it may be in the best interest of your daughter to get home to familiar surroundings.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

My daughter is high functioning and is now 18. She can only have fun away from home for about 5 days. After that she starts to unravel. It's your vacation. At the point it ceases to be fun then it's time to go. You don't want all your wonderful positive memories overshadowed by a full blown ASD meltdown. Only you know if that point has been reached.

I agree. Do what you think is best for the family. Disney will be there for s shorter trip next time round.

 

[Madteaparty001]

I would explain the situation to the front desk, express your wish to leave early, and ask if there's anything they can do to maybe recuperate some of the money you'll be out. Maybe ask if they'll let you have a credit towards a bounce back offer?

 

[kathy884]

When my toddler was scared of all the characters and rides at the MK, for our week we decided to just do one other park, SeaWorld as he's was a huge fish / marine mammal fan. We instead of parks did resort time, playground time, pool time. So no, we didn't go home, but we changed our plans. The fact that we used one Disney day from a non expiry park hopper for our MK day helped us feel like we could completely change plans.

One other time we went in June, and it was hot and miserable. I changed plans then too and only did two theme park days that week. We instead of theme parks went to the beach one day and did water parks two other days, and a resort day on one other day.

 

[Planogirl]

Maybe it would be better for your leg to spend a quiet resort day before heading out? It's not a bad idea to have it looked at but even if you find out what it is you might want to rest a bit.

Would that make things better or worse for your child? I wouldn't worry about the parks but just making sure that you and her are in as good a state as possible before heading home.

 

[Lsdolphin]

Not due to emergency, but by choice?

We are having a great time, we have 6 park days under our belt, with 3 more days in Florida, but... DD is really starting to lose it. She's only 5, with ASD, and while she has done phenomenal on this trip, I can tell she's nearing the end of her rope. We've been gone from home 11 days now, longer than ever before. And, we have a 3 day drive home when we leave here. I admit, that I'm considering pulling out early. In a way it makes me sad, but at least we've gotten a visit in to all the parks (three to MK!). And I feel like I'd rather leave now before she is completely shot, than pushing her for 3 more days and starting the drive home with her a wreck.

To add to it, I'm developing pain in my right leg, not sure if it's muscle or vein pain, but... I know by yesterday, walking around was really starting to get to me. It's not horrible pain, but a burning feeling, and I don't want to drive home 28 hours in misery.

Anyone else ever left vacation a bit early?

 

[Lsdolphin]

We did leave early one time several years ago but it was kind of an emergency! My nephew who has several disabilities including BiPolar disorder went into a Manic Episode. He began cursing loudly and pacing back and forth and became very agitated. I had to pay $600 in addition to what I had already paid for our plane tix from AirTran airlines even though I explained that we had to get home to the hospital. The CMs at our resort were wonderful and helped me make our plane reservations to return home 3 days early. Disney actually refunded the 3 nights back to my credit card. I had purchased the Disney Trip insurance and was unpleasantly surprised when I was informed the insurance was of no use to us since we were dealing with a "Pre-existing medical condition"!!! I have never again purchased the travel insurance!

 

[MrsDuck]

In your situation, OP, I'd probably go.

 

[Meriweather]

Never left early.....we fly. But you do what you need to for your family.
We do take non park days once a week or sometimes twice a week.....we always go for 2 weeks.
DGD was with us in Dec. and she loved it......the plane ride was the disaster

 

[cornflkgrl]

Never left early, but tried to "push through" being sick, got sicker, and had to add days onto a trip in which I did nothing but lie around in the value room bed (had to switch hotels to add on single nights) with a high fever waiting to be well enough for our long drive home. In hindsight, wish I would have quit while I was ahead.

As far as our kids go (both of ours with special needs too) if they reach the point of no return on vacations, we have no qualms about throwing in the towel.

Maybe you leave Disney and go somewhere quiet that is on the way heading back toward home (a nice hotel with a pool, a state park, a historic site, the beach) so the vacation isn't over but the sensory overload is.

 

[Dr.Mickey]

My boys are slightly older (11, 8, 8), but I will say this: When they were 5, being ANYWHERE other than home was work. There is a release in just letting them run in their own setting. In fact for us a resort day (unstructured and likely climbing the walls) would be no more relaxing than a park day. Even a trip to the pool was lots of work and energy. I know a lot of people swear by resort days, but if it doesn't sooth the ills, then I would consider packing.

Even with older kids, our 8 day trip this June was one day too many.

Not trying to be a downer. Sorry about that...

 

[cornflkgrl]

Oh and you really should have your leg checked before you go. As others have mentioned. That is a long car trip. Shouldn't take a doc long to check pulses etc. But you have quite the drive back. Maybe one of those little pop-in clinics with the nurses that can just check your leg out.