I'm scared to fly!!! How am I going to get to WDW and Hawaii????

[letitsnow]

I am clausterphobic and get really bad anxiety attacks. I am soooo scared to fly that even when I went to the airport to pick up my mom and saw the airplanes I got an anxiety attack.

What do you do get over this? I'm in California and really want to take my kids to WDW and Hawaii!!! We have been visiting Disneyland several times a year and they are still not tired of it...but they have been asking about going to other places.

I would appreciate any suggestions as we will soon be DVC members!! just waiting on the paperwork!

Thank you in advance!

 

[YourEveryDayAdam]

Have you considered getting therapy for your anxiety? Get some recommendations for a psychiatrist and they can do some exercises to get you comfortable with air travel.

Another option: Just have your significant other bop you over the head and drag you on the plane.

 

[DisDaydreamer]

First... I don't like your username.... If you lived here it would probably be letitmelt.

You might consider the train to Florida.

Hawaii.... Perhaps you could have them drug you into a minimal state of consciousness and then bring you out when you have arrived. Just a thought.

 

[Lynne M]

Are you getting treatment for your claustrophobia and anxiety attacks? There are effective treatments for both, and also for fear of flying.

If flying is just impossible, there's always Amtrak, or driving cross-country to get to WDW.

 

[rentayenta]

.5 mg Ativan is how I fly. Enough to take the egde off but in no way knocks you out. Maybe some mental health therapy as well?

 

[jlewisinsyr]

No drugs, get therapy. Fears are irrational, when you can face them head on, you will live a much more productive life.

 

[Cinderella1122]

Arrive at the airport early and visit the airport bar


I know it sounds silly, but a good friend of mine is terrified to fly and having a couple of cocktails gives her liquid courage.

 

[Monte Cristo]

Xanax....works wonders.

 

[dopeygirl76]

I am a licensed therapist and deal daily with anxieties, panic, etc in addition I had a fear of flying myself. Actually we did not go to WDW on our honeymoon bc I couldn't fly!!!

Therapy can help. However if you are not having issues in other areas of your life - talk to your PCP to get a prescription for something just for the flight. I took Xanex - we went from PIT to Lincoln, NE for my DHs Grandparents 50th wedding anniversary - necessary and important - but I was terrified!!! I did it and actually learned to enjoy flying. That was in 2000 and since then I have flown many, many times. I don't take Xanex before my flights anymore - it is amazing how a little help to get through the initial panic can help you wee how strong you can be!!!

Just as a side note I also have an intense fear of heights and that is my new projext because BOTH of my DDs LOVE roller coasters and I don't want them to miss out - I rode Goofy's Barnstormer on our last trip to WDW!!!! Kids can be a great motivator!!!

Good Luck and positive thoughts!!!

 

[Arthur27]

My fear is how am I going to afford Hawaii!!

 

[krmgator]

Take the train to Florida.
Take medication to Hawaii.

 

[nunzia]

First... I don't like your username.... If you lived here it would probably be letitmelt.

You might consider the train to Florida.

Hawaii.... Perhaps you could have them drug you into a minimal state of consciousness and then bring you out when you have arrived. Just a thought.

You cannot take the train to Florida in any reasonable way since Katrina. The southern route stops at New Orleans, and as they say, "you can't get there from here". They have been talking for years about re-opening the route, but there was more serious talk lately, so maybe they will. ( you can go to DC and then down if you have forever to travel) I also HATE to fly...the whole expereince sucks to begin with and has just gotten worse over the years. We have driven to WDW (from NM and it took almost 4 days, but it was pretty neat..the kids saw alot and we had alot of adventures.) Is there a ship that goes to Hawaii? We had a thread about this awhile back, and someone said the Pacific was awfully choppy, but still. I understand how you feel...

 

[nunzia]

Xanax....works wonders.

I took that after I hadn't flown for 20 years (and I flew in early Ocotber 2001..eek). It just made me yawn a ridiculous amount..annoying..

 

[Brian Noble]

I'd encourage you to speak with your physician about this to see what your options might be. It's one thing to get restaurant advice on the DIS; it's quite another to get recommendations for benzos .

 

[Judique]

I am clausterphobic and get really bad anxiety attacks. I am soooo scared to fly that even when I went to the airport to pick up my mom and saw the airplanes I got an anxiety attack.

What do you do get over this? I'm in California and really want to take my kids to WDW and Hawaii!!! We have been visiting Disneyland several times a year and they are still not tired of it...but they have been asking about going to other places.

I would appreciate any suggestions as we will soon be DVC members!! just waiting on the paperwork!

Thank you in advance!

I don't know but I am going to get over it and fly to Disneyland. So let me know what works for you. Lucky for me, I've never had a desire to go to Hawaii. My fear is recent - I've flown literally hundreds of times, but in the last few years I'm hesitant.

 

[Chuck S]

First... I don't like your username.... If you lived here it would probably be letitmelt.

You might consider the train to Florida.

Hawaii.... Perhaps you could have them drug you into a minimal state of consciousness and then bring you out when you have arrived. Just a thought.

The train USED to be a good option. After Katrina, service East of New Orleans has still not been restored. You would waste an extra day or so each way taking the Northern Amtrak route.

 

[Princess&CowboyMommy]

How about taking the Amtrack to New Orleans - then rent a car and drive the remainder of the way? New Orleans to Disney is only about 10 hours of driving. It's considered 11 because you'll cross from CST to EST about an hour west of Tallahassee.

It looks like from LA to NO, it's about a 48 hour train ride, but if the timing is weird, you could hop off the train in San Antonio or Houston/Lafayette/etc and probably cut a big chunk out of the train stop/wait time.

We drive from the Austin, TX area to WDW every year because 1) I'm also afraid of flying (I've flown over 50-60x, but had some really awful flights in the last 5-10 or so) and 2) it's cheaper for us to drive and stay 1-2 nights on the road as we have reward points saved for free hotel stays. Plus, my kids really are learning about geography/states/capitals/towns, etc.

 

[Quilter007]

DMIL was terrified of planes, tunnels, mountains, boats, large buildings, bridges and cities. She lives in So. Cal -- so I don't understand the city thing. Well, we moved away -- with the grandkids. In order to see them, she comes to stay with us for about 10 weeks in the summer & we usually take her with us on our family trip -- that involves flying. Again -- So, in the last five years, she's been to:

- Black Hills -- Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Pig Tail Bridges, Mountains, single lane blind tunnels
- Rocky Mountains -- over bunches of times -- we live on the other side
- Tunnels -- longest tunnel in the US
- Boston -- Big Dig Tunnel -- Amphibous Vehicle "Duck" Tour, Tons of bridges, Salem, Cambridge, Plymouth -- layover @ JFK -- she bought herself a t-shirt
- WDW -- big bridge to get to the Space Center! she closed her eyes on that one!

She wants to know where we are taking her this summer. We've created a monster you see! Now she's become quite the traveler and really looks forward to these trips and knows that these are experience she'll treasure. These are truly once in a lifetime experiences for her and she gets to experience them with her baby boy and his family.

So, you should plan a short trip -- like a weekend trip on a short flight. Ease into it. Try a trip to Vegas, San Diego -- something like that. There are also some things you can do to make flying easier. When I'm traveling alone, I love my Bose headset. However, I don't use it when I'm traveling with the kids, because I can't hear them -- so I let the kids use them -- DH thinks it's crazy to let the kids use the $250+ headphones, but I'm right there. Honestly, my DMIL used to make herself physically ill before car trips. I was very concerned about the Boston trip. She wanted to go -- she sat next to DH and I sat next to our kids. The only time she'd ever been on a flight in her life had been our wedding 14 years earlier. She did just fine. I say go with someone you trust on a short trip and be brave. If you need some counseling get it, but if I were you, I would only get a prescription a last resort. There's a lot more places you can go if you allow yourself the freedom to go there! You can do it!

 

[Telcogirl]

My fear is how am I going to afford Hawaii!!

 

[El&Asmom]

I feel your pain. I hate to fly and have anxiety about upcoming trips months in advanced. I read somewhere that women of childbearing years often develop anxiety because of the "mother bear" instinct of protecting your young. I've almost always disliked flying, but got much worse in my 20s.
The way I get through is thinking about past trips and how much I cherish them, and would have regretted missing them if I did not go simply because of my fear of flying. My family and I would have missed out on so many memories, (although we'd have a little more $ now if we didn't have this WDW addiction).
Even though I stress about future trips, I just think about how much fun we'll have on our vacation. It will be worth it for the stress that flying causes me.

(And in case you're Catholic, you can get a St. Christopher charm who was the saint of safe travel. We have one, and hold on to it during every flight).