Need advice please

[quakechicago]

Dumb question, and I really appreciate the help because I called Disney and the CM I talked with only confused me worse.

We rented a car last time and are this time too so we've never used MDE to get to our hotel. We're flying to Orlando in the morning from Chicago and my Mom is meeting us in the afternoon at the GF from Arizona (also via Orlando).

How do I arrange MDE for just my Mom? Will I need to forward her MB to her?

And what is the easiest, simplest way for her to get to the GF? Taxi? MDE? I'm worried because while my Mom is a fully functional 65 yo adult, she also can get lost walking our dog around a regular rectangular city block (Sadly, not kidding. And she's not even dyslexic like I am!)! Last time we had a carservice pick her up at Midway airport she missed them despite the big sign with her name on it and called us frantically about ten times -- it's a small airport. sigh.

 

[Gracie09]

Yes you can set it up just for you mom. No you don't need to send her her magic band early. They can look up her reservation when she gets to the desk

 

[gericoronado]

You know your Mom and if you say she gets easily lost (and MCO is HUGE!), have her take a taxi. For your peace of mind.

 

[quakechicago]

Thanks! These were both really helpful. I was told I'd have to fedex her MBs and all this other stuff. I might set it up and then let her decide when she gets there. She is also extremely stubborn (but VERY excited to go back to Disney after years away).

Getting lost is kinda almost a skill my mom has. I can't tell you how many days my husband or I have to go find her when she insists on walking the dog. It's a border collie who gives me this look like, "oh no here we go again!"

 

[pooch]

And just cuz Disney loves confusing acronyms, the airport to resort transportation system is DME ( Disney's Magical Express). MDE is My Disney Experience, the new "tie it all together" vacation planning system.

 

[quakechicago]

And just cuz Disney loves confusing acronyms, the airport to resort transportation system is DME ( Disney's Magical Express). MDE is My Disney Experience, the new "tie it all together" vacation planning system.

Sorry! I am dyslexic (really!).

 

[leebee]

I would sign your mom up for Disney's Magical Express bus service to get her from the airport to the Grand Floridian. You will have to sign her up for it through her MDE account, and tell them her flight number (the one that arrives in Orlando) and date. They will send yellow luggage tags (not sure if they send them to you, or her- you'll have to send them to her if you get them). She can put these tags on her checked luggage before she checks the bags at her home airport. Disney will take care of it from there; they'll collect her bags for her in Orlando and get them to the Grand Floridian. When your mom lands in Orlando, all she has to do is find her way (or get an airport person to show her) to Disney's Magical Express (on the ground floor of the airport, on the ground transportation level). They'll get her to her bus and drive her to the Grand Floridian. Magical Express will also deliver her luggage to the room within a few hours of arrival.

 

[bumbershoot]

I like to just use this site because you don't have to talk to peole who might not know what they are talking about.

But I'm nervous about sending your mom through MCO alone, when she gets lost on dog-walking routes. Will she ask people at the airport for help? Does she read signs? There are many helpful signs at the airport, but if her glasses aren't the right prescription or she doesn't think to read them, they won't help much.

If she asks for help she can get help.

Will she know to put the luggage tags on BEFORE checking them in at her airport?

 

[quakechicago]

I would sign your mom up for Disney's Magical Express bus service to get her from the airport to the Grand Floridian. You will have to sign her up for it through her MDE account, and tell them her flight number (the one that arrives in Orlando) and date. They will send yellow luggage tags (not sure if they send them to you, or her- you'll have to send them to her if you get them). She can put these tags on her checked luggage before she checks the bags at her home airport. Disney will take care of it from there; they'll collect her bags for her in Orlando and get them to the Grand Floridian. When your mom lands in Orlando, all she has to do is find her way (or get an airport person to show her) to Disney's Magical Express (on the ground floor of the airport, on the ground transportation level). They'll get her to her bus and drive her to the Grand Floridian. Magical Express will also deliver her luggage to the room within a few hours of arrival.

This sounds like the best plan. Thank you! I can forward her luggage tags if need be. Our trip is in November and I'll see her in September and October so those aren't a problem.

 

[quakechicago]

I like to just use this site because you don't have to talk to peole who might not know what they are talking about.

But I'm nervous about sending your mom through MCO alone, when she gets lost on dog-walking routes. Will she ask people at the airport for help? Does she read signs? There are many helpful signs at the airport, but if her glasses aren't the right prescription or she doesn't think to read them, they won't help much.

If she asks for help she can get help.

Will she know to put the luggage tags on BEFORE checking them in at her airport?

See? I am worried too. She's not that old (60s) and only wears reading glasses. It's not like I'm sending my addled old mom through the airport all alone but then again....she gets lost so I'm worried! I said, Mom, to walk the dog, stay on this block, don't cross any streets, just make all right turns at every corner until you're back and the house. 45 minutes later I'm trudging through the snow with my infant to find her and the dog!

And then when I asked why she was three blocks up and across the street she said, well I had to cross the street, a man was walking a dog. Well of course, we live in a city. People walk dogs all the time. What does that have to do with anything?

So I think in this case she will follow directions, but then randomly SHE DOESN'T -- especially if she gets stressed out or is in a new place, and I'm not sure why not or what happens. She's not really a blonde but I can't tell you how many times growing up she would just bizarrely go the wrong way. And I'm severely dyslexic (I use a typing correction program) but she's not so for me it just confuses me completely.

I tried to get her to fly to Chicago first to visit for a few days and then go with us, but she didn't want a trip that long. And she insists we not go back for her with the car, that she'll be fine, but I don't want her stressed out or calling me frantic like last time.

Luggage tags will be fine, heck she'll probably wear them on her purse for days to show them off because she's THAT thrilled to be going!

Plus I'm thinking there will be a lot of signs directing her when she gets there. She might even be more familiar with MCO than I am giving her credit for because we flew to Disney when I was growing up twice every year (but she hasn't been back since 1989). She's REALLY excited to go on her first trip with her granddaughter (kiddo's 2nd Disney trip) and I'm hoping that excitement keeps her from getting into that weird stressed out place where she gets lost.

I was able to score us an Akershus for lunch the day we arrive, then our plan is to head back to the GF where she will hopefully be waiting, get mom, check in, then head over to our dinner at CRT! Hopefully this will all go as planned.

Thank you!

 

[sam_gordon]

You know your Mom and if you say she gets easily lost (and MCO is HUGE!), have her take a taxi. For your peace of mind.

Unless she has to collect bags and then find DME, the odds of getting lost would be equal whether she takes a taxi or DME.

I don't know how you can get much easier/cheaper than using DME.

 

[goofy4tink]

It's really quite easy to find, depending on what airline she is flying in on. Head to the overhead neon Side B sign...she arrives on level 3. Then, go down to level 1 (if she has properly tagged her bags, she can just take the elevator straight to level 1, with no stopping on level 2, baggage claim), and walk to the end of that area....DME will be on the right, just past the car rental counters.
Or...just bite the bullet and go back to the airport and pick her up. Yeah, that means missing a meal, but it might give everyone peace of mind.

 

[quakechicago]

It's really quite easy to find, depending on what airline she is flying in on. Head to the overhead neon Side B sign...she arrives on level 3. Then, go down to level 1 (if she has properly tagged her bags, she can just take the elevator straight to level 1, with no stopping on level 2, baggage claim), and walk to the end of that area....DME will be on the right, just past the car rental counters.
Or...just bite the bullet and go back to the airport and pick her up. Yeah, that means missing a meal, but it might give everyone peace of mind.

Thanks! This sounds very do-able even for her. She's on Southwest.

She stubbornly insists she can do whatever we set up. "I am a fully capable adult, you know!" and thus refuses to let my DH pick her up.

But if she gets lost, I'm going to hear about it for the next week because, you know, according to her, it'll be all my fault.

I guess I'll set up Magic Express for her (she'll love the bag thing and if she meets someone else the plane going to Disney that she can brag about her grandkid to she'll be in heaven). Meanwhile we'll go to our 1:30 Akershus, and have DH on alert to pick her up around 4-ish if need be.

Once she gets there, it'll be fine (as long as she doesn't try to go off and refill her mug herself ).

Thanks again for your help!

 

[bumbershoot]

She stubbornly insists she can do whatever we set up. "I am a fully capable adult, you know!" and thus refuses to let my DH pick her up.

But if she gets lost, I'm going to hear about it for the next week because, you know, according to her, it'll be all my fault.

This all sounds very very difficult.

And I hope you don't think I'm diminishing her as a capable person with my concerns; I'm a daughter in law helping to take care of someone who used to be much more capable and is growing less capable as time goes on. These are questions I'm dealing with weekly. If you're lucky you don't also have a language barrier like I do...and even her kids have that same problem, because she's losing both English AND Korean, and never taught her kids to speak proper Korean in the first place.


I would bet that MCO has changed enormously since 1989. "It is the second-busiest airport in the state of Florida, the 13th-busiest airport in the United States, and the 29th-busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic." Also, "In 1978, MCO handled 5 million passengers. By 2000 that number had risen to 30 million."

I feel a bit lost there, and I LOVE airports!

And I hate that sort of "help me find out where I am" phone call. the mom of DS's friend was trying to find my place. "go on x avenue towards the water, and when you cannot go any further because there's a building in the way, that is my building". She has lived in this town from birth. The avenue is a main one. She couldn't find it. She turned at the building instead of recognizing it as the building that prevents you from going further on that street. And wouldn't stop driving despite my telling her "please stop driving, just park somewhere and tell me what is around you". Mystifying. Maddening.



Sidenote....Akershus at lunch and CRT for dinner? I'm full just thinking about it!

 

[goofy4tink]

Thanks! This sounds very do-able even for her. She's on Southwest.

She stubbornly insists she can do whatever we set up. "I am a fully capable adult, you know!" and thus refuses to let my DH pick her up.

But if she gets lost, I'm going to hear about it for the next week because, you know, according to her, it'll be all my fault.

I guess I'll set up Magic Express for her (she'll love the bag thing and if she meets someone else the plane going to Disney that she can brag about her grandkid to she'll be in heaven). Meanwhile we'll go to our 1:30 Akershus, and have DH on alert to pick her up around 4-ish if need be.

Once she gets there, it'll be fine (as long as she doesn't try to go off and refill her mug herself ).

Thanks again for your help!

Here's what she's going to do...she is going to get off the plane, and proceed to the tram. Should be easy, just follow everyone else. Then, off the tram and to the center of the terminal itself...big lobby like area. She will look to the left, and up. She will see a bright neon Side B sign. She can take the escalator down to level 2, head over to the elevators (right in front of her) and take the elevator down to level 1. She can also take the elevator all the way down from level 3 (just walk past the escalators and right to the elevator bank). Off the elevator, go left and just keep walking! DME will be down on the right. If she has her MB in hand, she can do directly to the bus checkin area, where she will be directed to the proper bus line. Easy peasy.

I know exactly what you're talking about though. My step-mother can get lost on her own street!. She drove to her best friend's home about 15 years ago, with me in the car, and got hopelessly lost! She's much better now though! She started paying attention and doing more driving!

 

[quakechicago]

This all sounds very very difficult.

And I hope you don't think I'm diminishing her as a capable person with my concerns; I'm a daughter in law helping to take care of someone who used to be much more capable and is growing less capable as time goes on. These are questions I'm dealing with weekly. If you're lucky you don't also have a language barrier like I do...and even her kids have that same problem, because she's losing both English AND Korean, and never taught her kids to speak proper Korean in the first place.


I would bet that MCO has changed enormously since 1989. "It is the second-busiest airport in the state of Florida, the 13th-busiest airport in the United States, and the 29th-busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic." Also, "In 1978, MCO handled 5 million passengers. By 2000 that number had risen to 30 million."

I feel a bit lost there, and I LOVE airports!

And I hate that sort of "help me find out where I am" phone call. the mom of DS's friend was trying to find my place. "go on x avenue towards the water, and when you cannot go any further because there's a building in the way, that is my building". She has lived in this town from birth. The avenue is a main one. She couldn't find it. She turned at the building instead of recognizing it as the building that prevents you from going further on that street. And wouldn't stop driving despite my telling her "please stop driving, just park somewhere and tell me what is around you". Mystifying. Maddening.



Sidenote....Akershus at lunch and CRT for dinner? I'm full just thinking about it!

No, I appreciate it.

And we're dealing with real memory loss and pretty severe diminished capacity with my Mom's Mom so I understand how hard and heartbreaking it is.

No language problem here although that might be easier to explain instead of well, my mom is just randomly difficult and utterly stubborn....and who knew she would be the one who would turn out to be the BEST grandparent ever???

I'm sure this really drives me particularly crazy because with having severe dyslexia, I rely on GPS but also make sure I know exactly where I am going to the point of overcompensation.

My parents came to visit after my daughter was born and stayed at a downtown Chicago hotel (they had some kind of credit card miles they needed to use up) that was about fifteen minutes from my house. They rented a car with free GPS and when I was a kid, we lived for about 6 years in the suburbs with my Dad working downtown. We're now living off a main street with a direct exit right off Lake Shore Drive.

90 minutes late to get to our house with my Mom navigating I had the same thing, just stop driving and tell me what is near you!!!

So thank you again for understanding where I'm coming from!

p.s. and yeah, both meals, but you should see my 3 yo lose her mind over the princesses and other characters! This'll be our first CRT and a great first Disney meal for my Mom. When she gets there.....

 

[quakechicago]

Here's what she's going to do...she is going to get off the plane, and proceed to the tram. Should be easy, just follow everyone else. Then, off the tram and to the center of the terminal itself...big lobby like area. She will look to the left, and up. She will see a bright neon Side B sign. She can take the escalator down to level 2, head over to the elevators (right in front of her) and take the elevator down to level 1. She can also take the elevator all the way down from level 3 (just walk past the escalators and right to the elevator bank). Off the elevator, go left and just keep walking! DME will be down on the right. If she has her MB in hand, she can do directly to the bus checkin area, where she will be directed to the proper bus line. Easy peasy.

I know exactly what you're talking about though. My step-mother can get lost on her own street!. She drove to her best friend's home about 15 years ago, with me in the car, and got hopelessly lost! She's much better now though! She started paying attention and doing more driving!

Perfect. I'll send it via email and print a copy for her too. I may give or send her MB too so she has it as soon as I get them. She's good with jewelry lol

My mom drives, but she only goes to the same certain places she's comfortable with.... unless there's some big event or sale she REALLY wants to get to. Then her directional problems magically disappear

Thank you so much!

 

[abbydancer]

One thing you don't have to do is send her the DME packet. I just booked it for my sister (via DVC member services) and they are shipping it directly to her.

She's also getting all the magic bands for the second half of our stay so she'll have her 3 (two kids 2). We arrive 3 days earlier, and so are getting an earlier set. My understanding is that we can use the first set for the whole trip. Although, since the bands should arrive before Thanksgiving, she may be able to give us our second set then.

 

[quakechicago]

One thing you don't have to do is send her the DME packet. I just booked it for my sister (via DVC member services) and they are shipping it directly to her.

She's also getting all the magic bands for the second half of our stay so she'll have her 3 (two kids 2). We arrive 3 days earlier, and so are getting an earlier set. My understanding is that we can use the first set for the whole trip. Although, since the bands should arrive before Thanksgiving, she may be able to give us our second set then.

Great to know, thanks!

BTW I was told that you can activate a second set of MBs (like our earlier ones from February). I asked because I kinda wanted to decorate ours and am hoping for a backup set knowing my lack of actual artwork skill despite the glorious plans in my head. The husband was like, um, don't worry about mine, okay? I like it plain.

 

[abbydancer]

Great to know, thanks!

BTW I was told that you can activate a second set of MBs (like our earlier ones from February). I asked because I kinda wanted to decorate ours and am hoping for a backup set knowing my lack of actual artwork skill despite the glorious plans in my head. The husband was like, um, don't worry about mine, okay? I like it plain.

I have to laugh - I'm planning to decorate mine, I'm guessing once my nieces (and crafty sister) see a picture, they'll want to to theirs. My husband also said the same thing as yours, but I'm going to decorate his Mickey just a bit. Probably just outline and color.