Sarah's Gradapalooza; Dream,WDW,and the Magic 10/15-29

[minnieandmickey]

This is my first trip report. Although I have been on several DCL cruises, and trips to WDW, this trip is special. My daughter is special needs, high functioning mentally disabled. For those of you with children of special needs you know the struggles and triumphs during their school years. This past May my DD Sarah "graduated" with the Class of 2011. We went back and forth from doing a trip in the summer, to a Christmas trip, and when finally the school schedule for this year came out (she's now in the districts adult program) we moved it to October and with the price difference, we are now doing a 4 night Dream, 2 nights WDW at OKW and MNSSHP, and 7 night Eastern Caribbean with some great Diser's we have cruised with since 2007.

So here are some details:
Traveling-DH and very proud Dad, Sean
Myself, very proud Mom, Becky
The reason for the whole trip, DD Sarah (18)
and AL (as in Big AL) our family mascot

Dates: October 15 -29
4 night Dream (inside cabin)-Oct 16-20
2 nights at OKW and WDW Oct. 20-21
- MGM, HDDR, EPCOT Food and Wine, MNSSHP
7 nights Magic Eastern Caribbean (sideways cabin) - Oct. 22-29

I will be giving details of our perspective of the Dream, what it's like to travel with an adult with special needs, and all and all fun and craziness we are planning to have during our 2 weeks in the Bahamas, FL, and the Caribbean.


Some pre-planning is up next! Stay tuned.....

 

[runskyhy]

Sign me up for this!! Oh wait. I just did...

 

[minnieandmickey]

So first off let me get the bad news out of the way; well at least some people think this is a bad way of planning. I my friends did not book through DCL, or Dreams Unlimited, no ladies and gentlemen I booked my cruise through DVC. That's right I used my DVC points to book both cruises. I know the horror right, bad planning, waste of points, etc etc blah blah blah. Well last time I looked it was mine and my husbands name on our contract so I get to use my points the way we like. Now that that's out of the way.

Flights- I booked our flights out of Sacramento to Orlando in May. I booked them on Southwest. Technically this was a little more expensive just looking at price alone, but when you add in luggage charges on other lines, it was about the same price and what I think is a better airline. At the time, we paid $1400 for the 3 of us to fly; which was over $500 more than what we paid for the same time frame in 2007. But in July, SW came out with a special and I wound up saving almost $600 on our flights that we will get to use in January to see our granddaughter!

Hotel(s)- With our flight being 6+ hours, I have always wished we could stay at the Hyatt in MCO. Unfortunately, the prices always kept me from staying there; until this year. I love the DIS! I love the vast amounts of advice you can get here, and the best one I got for this trip is last minute travel dot com. A DISer posted about this website and said to look up hotels and check out the pictures posted to get the hotel you wanted. I got the Hyatt for $113 in May! So we are staying there and taking DCL transports to the port.
Once off the Dream we are headed to WDW. Back in March I did my first WDW trip w/out my family and stayed at Old Key West. I fell in love with that resort and told my DH we needed to stay there so he can see if we would want to eventually buy more DVC points there. We will be staying 2 nights in a studio, before going back to the port to do our Magic cruise.

Rental Car- We have rented a mini van through Dollar at their Port Canaveral site. Although expensive, I haven't seen a better rate than what we have at any other rental car place so far. $186 for the 2 days.

WDW- We have a jam packed 2 days at the World. Once off the Dream we are renting a van from Dollar and heading to WDW. We will check into OKW, buy 3 2day MYW passes, and head to Disney Studios. (our daughters choice) That evening we will go to Hoop Dee Doo for dinner where we will meet up with a dear friend and her niece (Hi Heather!). After dinner, we will go get some sundries we need, and then possibly back to Disney Studios for EMH Hours.
On Friday, we will get up and go to EPCOT for the Food and Wine Festival (DH choice). Here we will meet up with a few more DISer friends that we have known since 2007 (Hi Mike, Robin, Nancy, and Chuck!) and possibly meet some new ones as well (Hi Parleyers!) We will take a short break for DD to get into her Halloween costume (Glee Cheerleader) and head to MNSSHP with Heather and Wendy. Shooooo, I'm just tired thinking about those 2 days.

Magic- Up and at 'em early on Saturday, pick up Heather and Wendy, and head back to Port Canaveral for our 11:00 - 11:30 time frame to get into the port. This is our third cruise with Heather, second with Robin,Mike,Nancy, and Chuck, and first on the Eastern Caribbean with the Parley gang. I am excited about this cruise as I have always wanted to go to St. Thomas, and am praying that the hurricane season FL has been having calms way down by then.

Home- The downer part. We have a 12:15 flight, which means being the first off the ship to get to the airport. Flights were cheaper this way, and although I don't want my vacation to end, it will be nice to relax a little before going back to work on that Monday.

 

[Dyerneeds]

well sign me up!!

 

[cntkg1]

Presente!

 

[minnieandmickey]

Got our Dream docs today!!!!

 

[tow-mater-1]

count me in!

 

[wilma-bride]

I'm here Great start - we are in a sideways cabin as well and I am really excited about that fact

We need photos Becky - please say there'll be pictures...

 

[minnieandmickey]

We need photos Becky - please say there'll be pictures...

As you wish. Here is Sarah, Sean, and I at her graduation

(please also note I have lost 17lbs since I have taken this picture, now wear contacts, and my hair is shorter (can you say midlife crisis ) )

Here's our pal Al and a former girlfriend that broke his heart (hussy)

 

[minnieandmickey]

Here are pics of the shirts I have made and are planning on wearing:
Dream
Sarah and I will be wearing matching ones of these

Sean and Al's shirt

Magic
Sarah and I

Sean

Al

 

[wilma-bride]

Great pictures Becky - my goodness, you and Sarah look alike

 

[Dyerneeds]

Here's our pal Al and a former girlfriend that broke his heart (hussy)

hey, i know that chic! She was caught flirting with Underdog on our last cruise.

 

[minnieandmickey]

So I was reading on the Theme Park board that there is a Haunted Carriage Ride. Sarah is a HUGE ghost hunter and haunted/ghost story fan. So today I booked a carriage ride for her and us after Hoop Dee Doo on the 20th. From what I read it is going to be a great surprise for her! I was even surprised that even the hubby was ok with the price ($60 for the 3 of us)

I've finally started packing and feeling so far behind. I am usually packed by now and well with so much going on I just know I'm going to forget something. One thing we won't forget; our new DSLR camera we got! We currently have a Canon, but it doesn't have the video feature on it and I really wanted that. Plus Sean is always wanting to go out somewhere and take pics. Now that the kids are older we have the time to do this, so now we each have a nice camera to take pics.

 

[Tink rules]

well sign me up!!

Hi Mike!!!

hey, i know that chic! She was caught flirting with Underdog on our last cruise.

(What??? Planky's not in there???? )

 

[tony64]

We are on the magic at the same time so I hope we get to meet up.

 

[Dyerneeds]

Hi Mike!!!



(What??? Planky's not in there???? )

well hello there!!

who's Planky?

 

[Tink rules]

 

[SoCaOC-Mom]

Congratulations to your daughter on her big accomplishment- and to you on your resent weight loss. I wanted to lose 20-25lbs before my cruise but now since clock is winding down, I'd settle for 5.

I am looking forward to hearing about your trip. Will your DD be trying Palo on this occasion?

 

[minnieandmickey]

Congratulations to your daughter on her big accomplishment- and to you on your resent weight loss. I wanted to lose 20-25lbs before my cruise but now since clock is winding down, I'd settle for 5.

I am looking forward to hearing about your trip. Will your DD be trying Palo on this occasion?

Thank you for your kind words. I too have always been one to put a goal int he works and it doesn't come through. Not sure why it worked this time, but somehow (probably the power of prayer) it did.

Her one request was to do Palo on the ship. We will be doing dinner on the Dream, and brunch with friends on the Magic. She's very excited about it!

 

[minnieandmickey]

.....and I'm freaking out! I have so much to do to get ready and so overwhelmed. My son last night teased me saying "what are you worried about you probably have 6 lists". I don't even have one!!!!!!! This weekend will be about getting packed, when not getting my hair done, babysitting for a friend, and going to Ikea Sunday to get Sarah some dressers. I have 1 more tshirt to do and several other gifts to finish before Wednesday so that I can mail them out to OKW. I know in the end I'll get it done, but Needless to say I have butterflies on top of my butterflies. First things first all docs and passports are getting packed in the travel purse