Remembrance trip to DL

[VandVsmama]

A very dear friend of mine (we've been friends for >20 years) passed away last week under very tragic circumstances. She lived in So Cal about an hour away from DL. Her memorial service is in a week and a half and I'm travelling out there to attend. My friend was an AP holder and would often go to DL after work 1-2 times a week. She often referred to DL as her happy place...where you could just escape the outside world for a little while. My family isn't going with me on this trip. My DH is going to man things on the home front so our kids don't miss school. This will be a solo trip.

Anyway, the day after the memorial service (Fri 11/4), I'm planning on going to DL just for the one day to honor & remember her. I don't want to shell out $150 for a park hopper ticket to both parks, so this will be just a DL day. Other than going on her favorite rides (HM & Pirates), I don't really have much of a touring plan, which is very different than my other DL visits. She used to love the parades and fireworks, so I really want to see those.

When DH & I took our kids to DL for the first time 4 years ago, my friend met up with us and my kids got to ride HM for the very first time with her. It was really great because my kids were a little scared and she gave them a very sweet pep talk and they rode in the Doom Buggy with her. Because of her, my kids totally love HM.

I'll be staying in Riverside, so will be driving to DL on the morning of Friday 11/4 from there. Does anyone have any advice on what time of day to depart for Anaheim? I'd probably like to avoid sitting in a ton of rush hour traffic. And I'm planning on staying at DL all day at least until the fireworks are over, but probably about an hour after fireworks. I'm spending Friday night with friends near Riverside.

Have any of you done remembrance-type of trips to DL after a loved one has passed away? Was there anything special that you & your family did on that trip? What was it like? I'm looking for feedback/suggestions. Thanks

 

[SMD]

When I cleaned out a family member's home I found several souvenirs from past trips, so I took them to the park and had a PP take my photo with them in front of the castle and with Mickey. Maybe you could ask the family if you could have or even borrow something Disney related of hers to take to the park.

 

[becky_AK]

I am actually en route to Southern California today. It's a business trip at the Anaheim Convention Center, but my grandmother, whom I am very close with just passed away. Her service was this morning. Although this is a work trip I decided I'm going to DL each evening after work because she loved family vacations with us there and also because I just need a place to escape right now that is happy rather than just sitting in a hotel room at night.

 

[my*gracie*girl]

Two of our very close family friends went to Heaven 3 years ago...they were 6 & 11 at the time. Their mom, another family and our family have all taken what we consider remembrance trips for them. Their mom's was the following October when they had planned to go as a family....she went on her own. And then the rest of us have gone since. We all did things we knew they would have wanted to do on their first trips to DL. Visited their favorite characters and rode the rides we knew they were excited about or thought they would enjoy. We also all share Love Rocks which their parents started doing after they went to Heaven. I know we have all given Love Rocks to most of the characters in the park. You can find Love Rocks on facebook or google, but basically it is a small token (rock with fabric heart mod podged on) that we leave or give as a way to brighten someone's day, say thank you, etc. One of our friend's purchased the big mickey head balloons and released them in the esplanade....I think releasing balloons is generally frowned up nowadays, but she still did it.

I know other people sometimes do a kind act....you could grab fastpasses for her favorite ride and gift them to someone at the end of a long standby line, buy someone a treat, buy a kid a souvenir, etc. For me, being there and listening to the music and seeing the castle and all the things our young friends had missed, was very emotional. Just sitting and being still and thinking about them each time we have been there has been important to me.

I think it is very wonderful that you are planning to do honor your friend in that way. I am so sorry for your loss.

Oh, I am not super familiar with CA traffic, but my brother recently moved to Riverside and he said it is an hour usually with decent traffic. If during rush hour, it can be quite a drive. I could be wrong about that though!

 

[FloridianNY]

So sorry for your losses. The 'act of kindness' idea is really beautiful.
Just want to say, it is not a good idea to release balloons. My husband is an air traffic controller and says they do pose a hazard. Plus they can be dangerous to wildlife.

 

[VandVsmama]

I like that love rocks idea. I've been doing some thinking this afternoon since reading some of your suggestions and I really like the idea of paying it forward and spreading a little bit of Disney magic around when I go. Like...instead of releasing a balloon, I might buy a child a balloon 'just because.' I could write up some thank you cards in my friend's memory and hand them out to CM's to say thanks for all of their hard work. I can go to the dollar store this weekend and stock up on some glow necklaces and give them out to kids sitting nearby when I'm waiting for fireworks to start. And maybe I'll buy somebody's meal for them at a CS restaurant.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Someone we know bought Disney stickers and other inexpensive items to give away to kids in the parks. She wrapped the things in small bags, explained to the parents why she was doing it and asked to make sure that it would be okay, then picked kids at random all day to receive her goodie bags. She said seeing the smiles and getting little hugs all day really was a special memory.

 

[Malcon10t]

A very very dear friend of mine passed away suddenly about 3 years ago. We knew each other because of our shared love of Disneyland. She was well loved and we still talk about her. About 50 of us joined together to remember her at DIsneyland. She was an avid pin collector. After she passed, her husband sent me a large selection of her pins. I made sure everyone got one of her pins and we shared memories. I still have pins from her, and I give a few away each trip.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

When my mom was in the hospital, she gave me a night in Disneyland for my 35th birthday. She didn't make it, and passed away in May that year. I used her gift on the night before the 40th birthday, and my kids and I stayed for the first time at the Disneyland Hotel, and we took the monorail in to the park for the 40th birthday. I spent that whole day with my two young children .... and my mom in spirit. It was bittersweet, and special at the same time because she and I shared that love of Disney. So, I did a lot of the things she enjoyed doing, and remembered her laughing. I got a little figurine in memory of my mom.

 

[VandVsmama]

I'm probably going to be a teary mess most of the day. Especially since even on a NORMAL family trip to DL, I always cry on our last day there. I like the idea of buying a memento...perhaps something HM or Maleficent because they were some of her favorites.

On the bright side, one thing I *am* looking forward to is having time to browse in all the shops. I never have time to do that when I'm at DL with the rest of my family.