Need Direction for CHEAPEST trip (dying cancer patient family)

[mrsklamc]

One that I know of is the Dream foundation.

 

[Straitlover]

If you can do offsite and book last minute, here's one option:

http://www.endless-vacation-rentals.com/last-minute-vacations.html

Alos, you can usually get some good last minute deals for timeshare/condo accomodations on skyauction.com.

 

[NotUrsula]

Hello I am brand new here ( a friend directed me here )

I need direction on where to go and book the CHEAPEST possible way for a trip for 3 to Disney staying 5 nights in June a family of 3.

My cousins husband has cancer and has taken a turn for the worse they have a 7YO daughter and have NEVER gotten to take a family vacation..EVER
The girl has said several times she wants to go to Disney with her daddy before he dies
Our family is trying to chip in and get $$ together to send them but I could use some help here.

They need to stay on site. With him starting Chemo it will be MUCH much nicer if he has to go back to the room to lay down if he is weak ect.

I am still waiting to hear from someone about a timeshare so that maybe an option

Thanks in advance

Don't have them wait until June. I can tell you from personal experience that school can wait, but a dying parent cannot. If she tries to wait until summer he will probably be too ill to travel. (I was 12 when my father died. My mother took me out of school once it was clear that he was in final decline. I was out of school for six months, from September through early March, and I caught up and finished the year after he died.) Tell your cousin to take her daughter out of school for the trip. It will be quieter in the parks if they go in early May, but definitely they should go before school lets out. Also, he may not be able to go there once he starts chemo; there are often restrictions on where you can go during treatment, because your immunity will be compromised.

What I would do if I were you is to contact WDW's Disability Services to find out what they recommend in the situation where a guest is terminally ill. It happens, and I have even seen severely ill patients watching parades from gurneys. Also, call Give Kids the World and find out what they recommend as well; the patient isn't a child, so staying there isn't an option, but they may have information to give you on similar situations. Special dietary requests are available, but you need to know to ask for them.

Onsite isn't going to come anywhere close to being the cheapest way to visit, but for these folks cheap really is not the way to go. Have fundraisers, do whatever you can, but get them on site and with as many comfort amenities as possible. Try to save money where possible, but be careful of really cutting corners, because if the trip is a nightmare it will not make the memory you want it to be. If a DVC point rental is an option, plan the trip for weekdays only; DVC is MUCH more expensive on weekends.

PS: One other thing: if a third adult could go along with them it might well be a very good thing to do that. He is probably going to be unable to reliably get around between parks under his own power, and if his wife is the only other adult in the party, they will all have to go back to the resort if he's feeling ill. An extra adult to help out with logistics and taking the DD around when her parents need a break could make a huge difference. Obviously, that person would need to be able to manage the expense of personal travel without outside help.

PPS: Forget YES tickets; these folks don't need to be messing with jumping through hoops to qualify for their ticket price. Just buy regular multi-day tickets via AAA or a MouseSaver's recommended source.

 

[LuLuO]

It is not always true that onsite= faster transportation. It takes less time to go to WBC or Windsor Hills in your own car than it does to wait on Disney transportation- and having control over their own transportation may be important if he is feeling nauseousness.

I agree with this. I like Disney Transportation, but if for example my mom, who tires easily and has bad arthritis, were to come back with us, we would rent a car whether we stayed onsite or offsite. We stayed offsite once and onsite once and the car was much faster.

Also, I agree with going on the trip ASAP and worrying about the money later. Things can change so quickly. Better to go sooner.

 

[SamSam]

If at all possible (cost wise) I would suggest renting a DVC 1-bedroom so that if dad needs some quiet time there is a separate bedroom for him to relax in.

 

[Her2cool]

Try calling the airlines to see if they can offer discounted tickets for the family. Explain the situation and perhaps they can help.

You are allowed to bring food into the park. (no glass) That may be a way to save some money and have more appealing food.

Disney rents power scooter and wheelchair. If you stay at a Disney Resort ask if they have a wheelchair available. Once my mother in law injured her foot and we were able to use one for the rest of the trip for free.

Call Disney directly and see if there is any advice or help they can offer.

Perhaps you could hold some type of fund raiser (pancake breakfast, car wash, etc.) at home to help with trip expenses.

Hope your family is able to have their vacation.

 

[torinsmom]

The URL for the Dream Foundation is here
http://www.dreamfoundation.org/dream-faq

They can process requests in 3 weeks or less(quicker if you have a life expectancy of 8 weeks or less) I would have the dad give this a try.

 

[hsmamato2]

so sorry for your family... I hope you can all make this happen!
I'd avoid the YES ticket thing,(too much hassle for a trip this quick)
Just buy from mousesavers site,not hoppers.

I'd take the daughter out of school,and go in May if possible - Check around these boards for notes on crowd levels on different dates-
I'd vote for staying onsite at a smaller place like Port Orleans etc, it's a nice moderate,but wherever you stay,RENT A CAR. It can be so difficult navigating the buses when you're extra tired and not feeling well.
I've read REALLY good reviews for Wyndham Bonnet Creek, but for the money,I'd check out dvcrequest.com There's a board here for DVC info- you can rent a studio, and have a small kitchen which they may need in their situation-
Also the rooms are nicer than the plain values. I think of it this way,it's the only trip they (may) ever take to DW,so it's worth some money if it can be done.
Plus,the grounds at the mod and nicer hotels are SO relaxing.....
I'm with a pp, I spend carefully,but in a situation like this,I'd spend,and then pay afterward.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Try calling the airlines to see if they can offer discounted tickets for the family. Explain the situation and perhaps they can help.

That's a nice idea, but it's not going to happen. Airlines do offer bereavement fares, but these are for last minute travel for a death or imminent death in the immediate family, not to go on a vacation. They are no bargain anyway.

 

[lisagirl88]

Both times we have been to Disney we have stayed at All Star Music(Value Resort) in their Family Suite. It was inexpensive,had a separate bedroom(in case the dad needed to rest and mom and daughter still wanted to watch TV or something), has a small kitchen(no oven, but microwave and fridge), and 2 full bathrooms(in case the dad is nauseous and needs to use a bathroom asap). WE loved it both times we stayed!!!

 

[Coll0610]

Someone else suggested this already but I want to make sure you saw it. Go over to the Disability Boards and talk to them. They will give you great advice and recommendations.

Remember that if you plan on renting an ECV at the parks, you only have it in the parks. And walk back to the bus and then from the bus to your room are the longest walks of the day! It's also cheaper to rent from an offsite company, and you don't have to worry about a park being out of them either.

I'm so sorry for what you are going through and I wish you luck raising the money so they can take this trip.

 

[gk90]

Good luck with whatever you can do for the family. The Dream Foundation link looks promising; I hope they can do something.

 

[AnnaS]

Cancer sucks big time - I just lost three family members to it. Many great suggestions here. My only suggestion is to not waste time and book something now for as soon as possible.

When my sister was diagnosed and we knew it was terminal we wanted to do something for her. She was a huge fan of All My Children. One of my other sisters contacted many foundations and I think it was Granted Wish (can't remember this minute, can get the name) foundation that got back to her. After many calls, letters, reviews, etc, she was granted a wish to fly to CA for two people, hotel, car, watch a taping of the show and meet Susan Lucci. We had to postpone the first time since my dad was also dying. He passed and we re-rescheduled. By the time we had the airline tickets in our hands, etc., my sister at this point was too sick to travel and never made it. She passed 11 months after being diagnosed and my dad 10 months after being diagnosed - he passed three months before her.

Perhaps some other family and friends can contribute a few dollars.

 

[DSNY4ever]

I would highly recommend booking through Dreams Unlimited Travel (it is owned by the people who run this site). The travel agents are FREE and VERY helpful. I would think in this circumstance they would go above and beyond to ensure a great trip, provide some good money savings tips and make sure everything is hassle free.

-After checking out the value resorts, look into Buena Vista Suites- large rooms very close to Disney with a good free breakfast usually for around $89 per night.

-Consider having them do a grocery delivery so that they can have food/snacks in their room in case Dad is too tired to go out.

-check into park tickets from Undercover tourist. I agree with skipping park hopping or any of the other ticket options (not necessary in this case).

I like the ideas of trying to do a fundraiser at home like a pancake breakfast or something. Best of luck and best wishes to this family, may they make wonderful memories to hold onto.

 

[mamabirdcardinal]

HI there. We are planning the same trip for my sister in law who has a three year old and she has stage IV cervical cancer. Several of us family members are going to share in the special trip. We did a lot of research of places to stay close to the park and decided on the Anabella hotel. When I called reservations, they brought down the room rate a little, I think to their senior rate or something like that. They have some nice ADA rooms. I spoke with the concierge at the hotel and they gave us a company to contact for a rental of a wheelchair or scooter that will be delivered before we check in and then picked up when we check out. We looked in to finding a way to get financial help with the park tickets but not much luck here. I hope your cousin and her family have a great time. Blessings.

 

[Kaylasmomma]

Well thank you everyone for your input
I think i may have missed the last few posts.
I am new here I dont know how to get email updates when someone replies to your thread lol

Update- The family went to Disney the first week in June
The flight down was a nightmare they decided to do buddy passes (where you fly discounted but on stand by) it took them ALL day literally like 15hrs to get there but they made it
They stayed at Old Key West (3 different family members chipped it) for 3 nights they did 2 days in the parks. Not much but all he could handle.
They went to Clearwater where they stayed for 4 days at the beach.
It all worked out
Since Sept he has spent more nights at the hospital than at home
He now has a 2nd form of Cancer
Still not giving up hope but so glad they got that week in Fl as a memory

 

[Disneyhayes]

Thank you for the update! I am glad they were able to go. Beach time was a great idea!

 

[AnnaS]

I am happy to read they were able to make the trip. Thank you for the update.

 

[Lewisc]

I started to post then realized this was an old thread bumped due to an update.

Obviously this advice is of no value to the OP since the trip already occurred. Several of the posters suggested renting DVC points or renting something at BCR. The cancellation and payment terms are much more strict then renting a room from Disney. You have to prepay and you run the risk of losing your entire room payment if you need to cancel. Trip insurance is essential. Finding trip insurance which covers pre-existing conditions is essential. Even then you might need to cancel the trip due to a reason which makes sense to you but not to the insurance company.

edit to add--Also glad they had a great trip.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Glad they had a good trip