Help me plan a trip to remember (on a budget)

[justkeepswimmin]

My mom is coming with us on this trip and she has a terminal illness and it will probably be her last trip. I decided to switch from our harbor blvd hotel to the DLH and want to make this trip great. She and my dad have never even stayed at the DLH before so this is a big deal to them but I'm looking for ideas for what else I can do to make the trip unforgettable.

I am not telling my parents how much the DLH is because they would flip so I am just "fibbing" and quoting them a great "AP" rate and covering most of both rooms ourselves which will be a bit pricey for us (but worth it I hope) so needless to say we I am looking for suggestions that are "budget friendly"

Thanks everyone!

 

[BillyFan]

How wonderful of you to do this! I'm sure it will be a trip to remember.
My biggest tip for saving a bit of money is to bring your own water into the park. This saves us a fortune. If you're driving, bring a cooler of water, snacks, etc with you. If you are flying, order online and have it delivered to the hotel.
Regarding special things to do, maybe go to City Hall and request "Honorary Citizen" buttons for your family. You can also request to do special things like ride up front with the Monorail driver and "pilot" the Mark Twain. Both very special and totally free!

 

[Cinderlala]

I'm so sorry about your Mom.

What kind of suggestions are you looking for?

 

[Carolwoodpr]

Don't forget that you can also contact vacation planning. Even adults love balloons in the room! And those are free! Any favorite characters? Don't forget the free black and whites.

We love to eat at White Water Snacks - huge servings, good prices. The nachos and the french dip are both big enough to share - and I love to eat!

Not real hungry? Wetzels Pretzels for a pretzel or pretzel dog.

 

[justkeepswimmin]

I'm so sorry about your Mom.

What kind of suggestions are you looking for?

Anything special or memorable that maybe someone has arranged for someone, whether at the parks or maybe directly throuh DLH. It is hard because we are not really "celebrating" anything but I want the trip to be "magical" for her.

 

[justkeepswimmin]

Don't forget that you can also contact vacation planning. Even adults love balloons in the room! And those are free! Any favorite characters? Don't forget the free black and whites.

We love to eat at White Water Snacks - huge servings, good prices. The nachos and the french dip are both big enough to share - and I love to eat!

Not real hungry? Wetzels Pretzels for a pretzel or pretzel dog.

I am going to call them tomorrow. They emailed me a list of gift basket options but they seemed pricey. Are they worth it?

 

[sweetbrat]

When winning our trip to disneyland...I was asking about the GAC. They did mention that if somebody is there from "Make a Wish" because they are terminally ill, they do get to go to the front of all the lines. I would call Guest Services and tell them you are Making a Wish come true for your terminally ill parent and if you brought some type of proof with you, would they give her and your family a special pass too?

Just a thought!

I hope you have a wonderful time!!! Blessings to you! May wonderful memories be made for all of you.

 

[Cinderlala]

A really neat, inexpensive souvenir would be to have your Mom's silhouette done at the place on Main Street. You could even have it done of your Mom with your children. It would be a really nice thing for your kids to have, as well.

I think it is only about $7 to have each person's done, and you get two copies.

We did one of our son & I love it.

Plus, it is an interesting process to watch--the artists are very talented!

 

[justkeepswimmin]

A really neat, inexpensive souvenir would be to have your Mom's silhouette done at the place on Main Street. You could even have it done of your Mom with your children. It would be a really nice thing for your kids to have, as well.

I think it is only about $7 to have each person's done, and you get two copies.

We did one of our son & I love it.

Plus, it is an interesting process to watch--the artists are very talented!

That sounds amazing. In all our trips to DL we have never done this and only $7?? That sounds PERFECT!

Thank you for this idea. I am making a list and this suggestion is definitely going on it!

 

[justkeepswimmin]

When winning our trip to disneyland...I was asking about the GAC. They did mention that if somebody is there from "Make a Wish" because they are terminally ill, they do get to go to the front of all the lines. I would call Guest Services and tell them you are Making a Wish come true for your terminally ill parent and if you brought some type of proof with you, would they give her and your family a special pass too?

Just a thought!

I hope you have a wonderful time!!! Blessings to you! May wonderful memories be made for all of you.

Thank you for your kind wishes. I would feel funny asking about this but maybe I shouldn't and if they can assist me in some way it would be worth it.

 

[cccdisney]

Don't forget that you can also contact vacation planning. Even adults love balloons in the room! And those are free! Any favorite characters? Don't forget the free black and whites.

We love to eat at White Water Snacks - huge servings, good prices. The nachos and the french dip are both big enough to share - and I love to eat!

Not real hungry? Wetzels Pretzels for a pretzel or pretzel dog.

We also love White Water Snacks (which is in Grand Californian Hotel)! Great prices and huge servings! Wish they had something similar at Paradise Pier or DH but they don't. But you can easily pop in there when on your way to or from the park.

 

[ballarinamom]

Instead of a gift basket (because they can be pricey), we always leave a nightgown with guest services for DD. They lay it on the bed while were gone with balloons, an autographed photo and a note that says something like "Sweet Dreams from the Princesses".
Maybe for your mom, a nice box of chocolates (maybe something of good quality that was marked down after Mother's Day?), or an empty picture frame and a certificate to fill the frame with a family photo infront of the castle?

When making any reservations, tell Disney Dining about the situation. They may arrange for something special for dessert. They do it for birthdays and anniversaries- so.....

My heart goes out to you and your family. My brother passed away in October from pancreatic cancer (only 41 years old). I know it's very hard for you, but how wonderful that you will have this special time together. Have a very magical trip

 

[justkeepswimmin]

Instead of a gift basket (because they can be pricey), we always leave a nightgown with guest services for DD. They lay it on the bed while were gone with balloons, an autographed photo and a note that says something like "Sweet Dreams from the Princesses".
Maybe for your mom, a nice box of chocolates (maybe something of good quality that was marked down after Mother's Day?), or an empty picture frame and a certificate to fill the frame with a family photo infront of the castle?

When making any reservations, tell Disney Dining about the situation. They may arrange for something special for dessert. They do it for birthdays and anniversaries- so.....

My heart goes out to you and your family. My brother passed away in October from pancreatic cancer (only 41 years old). I know it's very hard for you, but how wonderful that you will have this special time together. Have a very magical trip

Thank you. This is a wonderful suggestion. Did you leave it with the people who were checking you in? And, did you notify the hotel in advance of your plans?

Sorry to hear about your brother. 41 is too young to leave this world and the ones you love. My mom is in the advanced stages of PPH (primary pulmonary hypertension) and has been told her poor heart is basically gonna give out in a year or so as it is getting harder and harder to catch her breath. My kids adore her and she dotes on them constantly so I want this trip to be one they all remember.

 

[Disneyluvr2]

Take TONS of photos during your trip. When you get home, use one of the many on line photo sites (I use My Publisher through Costco) and make a photo album. I've done this with several of my Disney trips. I leave them on the coffee table and everyone has so much fun looking through them! Your photos and memories will last a lifetime! Have a wonderful trip!

 

[justkeepswimmin]

Take TONS of photos during your trip. When you get home, use one of the many on line photo sites (I use My Publisher through Costco) and make a photo album. I've done this with several of my Disney trips. I leave them on the coffee table and everyone has so much fun looking through them! Your photos and memories will last a lifetime! Have a wonderful trip!

I am a photo nut! And, I already joined a photopass share for this trip. I have never done the hard bound book thing though so that might be a nice way to commemorate this trip.

Thanks everyone. My list of good ideas keeps getting longer.

Open to any other great ideas that are out there!

 

[Bugsmom73]

A really neat, inexpensive souvenir would be to have your Mom's silhouette done at the place on Main Street. You could even have it done of your Mom with your children. It would be a really nice thing for your kids to have, as well.

I think it is only about $7 to have each person's done, and you get two copies.

We did one of our son & I love it.

Plus, it is an interesting process to watch--the artists are very talented!

We have had this done with our kids. We got 3 copies. One for us, and one for each grandma. My mom had this done when we went to Disney World when we were kids. We are carrying on the tradition. It is great, and the are quick.

 

[pixiewings71]

I'm so sorry!! I hope you all have a magical trip and make memories to last a lifetime. I just wanted to chime in with the silhouettes, we did this on our last trip with our DD's. It was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen! It was $7 each and we got 2 copies, we used 1 of them for us, framed it and surrounded it with the silhouette trading pins we had collected. It's the neatest thing! We had to buy a frame at Target so it would have a matted area for the pins but they do sell frames in the silhouette shop too. Nice ones and they aren't that pricey. I think I will get one for my Mom this weekend, so I can send her the other silhouette.

I hope you have a wonderful trip, I wish I had some suggestions for you but really just have fun together. That's the best advice I can give.

 

[justkeepswimmin]

Thanks for all the feedback about those silhouettes. I am excited to get ours done.

I called Vacation Planning and arranged for balloons and character photos but I was quoted a price so I guess they are not always free. I am going to make my own "Welcome" basket I think.

My Mom is really excited. They are not the type to stay in nice hotels so this is a big treat for them. I affirmed my room requests today but am going to call a few days before we arrive too. We paid for standard rooms but I am hoping for connecting rooms in the Sierra Tower. I am really hoping it all works out but am just happy the trip is happening at all.

Thanks again for all the kind words and suggestions.

 

[bulldoggrl]

My biggest advice is to just call Disney and let them know, they really are a wonderful organization and go out of their way to make trips memorable. See what they can do for you and your family.

Take photos, get character autographs, do EVERYTHING.

BTW, the silhouettes are awesome, I have one of my boyfriend and I from our first trip to DL.

Have the best time ever!!

 

[toocherie]

Thanks for all the feedback about those silhouettes. I am excited to get ours done.

I called Vacation Planning and arranged for balloons and character photos but I was quoted a price so I guess they are not always free. I am going to make my own "Welcome" basket I think.

My Mom is really excited. They are not the type to stay in nice hotels so this is a big treat for them. I affirmed my room requests today but am going to call a few days before we arrive too. We paid for standard rooms but I am hoping for connecting rooms in the Sierra Tower. I am really hoping it all works out but am just happy the trip is happening at all.

Thanks again for all the kind words and suggestions.

One thing to consider--which may or may not be in the budget--is whether you should rent a wheelchair or ECV while you are there. The DLH is still quite a hike (IMHO) to the front gates and then walking around the park all day can get quite tiring for someone with a terminal disease like your Mom. If you want a wheelchair, I think you can arrange to use one for free from the hotel and take it into the parks. If you rent an ECV from Disney it can be quite pricey, and you can't take it anywhere other than the two parks. You can rent an ECV from an off-site company (Deckert's and OC Medical are the two I have used) which gives you use everywhere. It's still not cheap, but having the benefit of being able to use the off-site rental outside the parks is a bonus.

Good luck.