The Big Deal, Big Challenges, Big Fun Trip - A Nov/Dec 2011 PTR

[EvangelineG]

~A Special Needs, Special Person, Autism & Allergies, Harry Potter Loving, Extended Family Inviting, First Timer Pre Trip Report~

I have been waffling back & forth about doing a pre trip/trip report. But my BFF just told me that he thinks I "need the outlet"...which I suspect is code for "shaddup about Disney & Universal already!". So here goes nothin'.

People outside of the DIS just don't seem to get WHAT A VERY BIG DEAL THIS IS. A lot of people go on vacation to far more exotic destinations. Going to Orlando is pretty tame, and is more than a little passée.

*yawn*

Why make such a big deal of it?

Do you feel my pain DIS brethren? Of course this is a big deal! This is THE VERY BIG TRIP (henceforth known as TVBT).

BIG money. We are folks of moderate means. We're of that disappearing middle class I keep reading about in the papers, squeezed from every side, and taxed to death. We don't go on vacation every year. We don't go on vacation every second year. We can't afford to. This will be our first vacation since 2008, when we went to southern California after MiL and FiL kindly gifted us with airfare.

BIG group. It's not just my immediate family going. My parents, 3 sisters and one BiL will be joining us too. It's the first time we've all travelled together...enough said.

BIG challenges. Well...I hate to think of them as "big" challenges. "Big" sounds mountainous and insurmountable, and they're not that. How about "many perfectly surmountable challenges we can handle with grace and panache on a day to day basis, but that all add up to a significantly challenging vacation"?
Too long?
List of challenges include mobility issues requiring 1 wheelchair, and diagnoses ranging from William's Syndrome to Aspergers to anaphylaxis to just plain orneriness (that would be me! ).

BIG fun. A major impetus for this trip was our love of the boy who lived ...well, that and our love for our kids of course. But kids, schmids - harrypotterharrypotterHARRYPOTTER! We, and especially me, are big HP nerds. We had to go to mecca (otherwise known as the Wizarding World of Harry Potter), we just had to. And we love the mouse. I didn't used to think we were the type of people who would love the mouse -generally preferring Gollum to Pumbaa, Dr. Who to Doc the dwarf, and Hermione to any princess. We are also introverted types who hate crowds, bristle at rampant commercialism and get toothache from forced sentimentality, and yet defying all logic, we LOVE the mouse! It was that 2008 trip that did it for us, we marched into Disneyland all blasé suspiciousness, and wafted out all starry eyed and rainbow-wrapped (or should I say pixie dust covered?). We were completely won over! So our expectations are high (oh no!), and we are expecting big ol' memory making magic.

I've been plotting, scheming, thinking and dreaming for many months now. I try not to talk everyone's ear off about The Very Big Trip, but honestly it's a losing battle. I am more than a little obsessed. I vacillate back and forth between joyful anticipation and stressed out overworking of every little plan, but TVBT is never far from my mind. So before I drive everyone I know crazy (you mean not everyone cares about exactly what we will eat at the Liberty Tree Tavern? Whuhhhh?), I'd better write it all down and share here at the DIS where people truly understand the BIG nature of all this.

So welcome to anyone I may not have completely scared off with my long windedness, and please wish me luck, I think I'm gonna need it...

Next up: The Cast of Characters

 

[EvangelineG]

Sorry, images removed due to family's privacy concerns.

The following pictures are from the Harry Potter party we had last year. It was a combined birthday party for 3 of us sisters who all have b-days in December. The party was set during early book 7, and the premise was that we were meeting in secret to celebrate the boy wizard...



That's me. And let's get this out of the way right now. I am not photogenic. Apparently I am always, ALWAYS blinking or grimacing or making some sort of awkward face. In this photo I am explaining that most of us have had our wands confiscated by the deatheaters...horrors! I loathe pictures of myself, but have agreed to smile as purty as I can and let the flashbulbs fly while on TVBT. The done thing seems to be to choose a Disney/Universal related code name for yourself in these trip reports that reflects your personality. I'm stuck between Hermione or Mrs. Weasley, with a pinch of both Alice & the White Rabbit thrown in...so for simplicity's sake I'll stick with Evangeline.



That's my crew. The DH with twin DS's, and all disgustingly photogenic. Of course, the boys are Fred (on the left) and George (on the right). They are both 11yo, and just happen to have Aspergers (high functioning autism), and a few other letters & labels. Again, very hard to choose a name for the DH. His fav HP character is Snape...but that hardly seems appropriate personality-wise, so how about ...um...DH?

From youngest to oldest my "little" sisters:



My very youngest sister at just 18yo. She is full of big emotions and big enjoyment! She has William's Syndrome, and although she is technically a young adult, she functions at more of a 9-12 yr old level. She is just as obsessed with this trip as I am, and calls me everyday to talk about it. Her online handle has always been the DQ, short for Dancing Queen, back from when she was ABBA obsessed. No sense messing with the established order of things, DQ it is.



Next youngest sister and her husband, just celebrated their 1 yr wedding anniversary last month. Easy choice here...it's Cinderella & Charming. C&C for short.



And last sister but definitely not least, another easy naming choice...lovely, determined and smart as a whip -we'll call her Belle.



So I was all set to upload the goofy pics of my parents in wizard togs...but then took a moment to think about exactly how much my mom would hate that...so here's her looking pretty on her birthday a couple of years ago instead. My dad is full of boundless energy, and Mom has been calling him Tigger for years, but you know what? Plain old Mom & Dad are going to be the easiest to remember.



And for extra credit, just because I really love this picture. One more of Gred & Forge.

That's the cast of characters. We're not the most easy going of families, quite the opposite really, but we love each other a lot, and communicate well (or at least with enthusiasm). I hope that love & openness smooths over the inevitable bumps & bruises of travelling and especially theme-parking together...and if not, we are renting a really big vacation villa...

Next up: The Genesis of TVBT Plan

 

[lovethattink]

Am I first? Great start! What a fun bunch of people and party!

 

[EvangelineG]

They are a fun bunch, and really good sports for all the crazy stuff I plan!

Thanks so much for stopping by Lovethattink! It's a little nervous-making when you first post one of these things isn't it? I felt the same way when I made my very first blog post way back when, and it just hung there out in the ether all alone with no comments! I really appreciate the company.

 

[lovethattink]

~A Special Needs, Special Person, Autism & Allergies, Harry Potter Loving, Extended Family Inviting, First Timer Pre Trip Report~

I have been waffling back & forth about doing a pre trip/trip report. But my BFF just told me that he thinks I "need the outlet"...which I suspect is code for "shaddup about Disney & Universal already!". So here goes nothin'.

I get that all the time! "aren't you sick of Disney yet?" UM NOOOOOOO!!!

People outside of the DIS just don't seem to get WHAT A VERY BIG DEAL THIS IS. A lot of people go on vacation to far more exotic destinations. Going to Orlando is pretty tame, and is more than a little passée.

*yawn*

Why make such a big deal of it?

Do you feel my pain DIS brethren? Of course this is a big deal! This is THE VERY BIG TRIP (henceforth known as TVBT).

They say ignorance is bliss, but in this case, ignorance is lack of bliss. Think of it this way, let them stay away then you'll have more availability for ADRS and less crowded parks!

BIG money. We are folks of moderate means. We're of that disappearing middle class I keep reading about in the papers, squeezed from every side, and taxed to death. We don't go on vacation every year. We don't go on vacation every second year. We can't afford to. This will be our first vacation since 2008, when we went to southern California after MiL and FiL kindly gifted us with airfare.

A Disney vacation does not come cheap for most folks. Especially til you add in airfare and food! Sweet MIL and FIL!

BIG group. It's not just my immediate family going. My parents, 3 sisters and one BiL will be joining us too. It's the first time we've all travelled together...enough said.

This should be an interesting first! Do you all have the same type of likes when it comes to theme parks?

BIG challenges. Well...I hate to think of them as "big" challenges. "Big" sounds mountainous and insurmountable, and they're not that. How about "many perfectly surmountable challenges we can handle with grace and panache on a day to day basis, but that all add up to a significantly challenging vacation"?
Too long?
List of challenges include mobility issues requiring 1 wheelchair, and diagnoses ranging from William's Syndrome to Aspergers to anaphylaxis to just plain orneriness (that would be me! ).

LOL on your issue! Disney is a great place for special needs. We've found Universal to be a bit more challenging, but I think that might be because we don't go there as often and we're just beginning to understand their processes.

BIG fun. A major impetus for this trip was our love of the boy who lived ...well, that and our love for our kids of course. But kids, schmids - harrypotterharrypotterHARRYPOTTER! We, and especially me, are big HP nerds. We had to go to mecca (otherwise known as the Wizarding World of Harry Potter), we just had to. And we love the mouse. I didn't used to think we were the type of people who would love the mouse -generally preferring Gollum to Pumbaa, Dr. Who to Doc the dwarf, and Hermione to any princess. We are also introverted types who hate crowds, bristle at rampant commercialism and get toothache from forced sentimentality, and yet defying all logic, we LOVE the mouse! It was that 2008 trip that did it for us, we marched into Disneyland all blasé suspiciousness, and wafted out all starry eyed and rainbow-wrapped (or should I say pixie dust covered?). We were completely won over! So our expectations are high (oh no!), and we are expecting big ol' memory making magic.

I've been plotting, scheming, thinking and dreaming for many months now. I try not to talk everyone's ear off about The Very Big Trip, but honestly it's a losing battle. I am more than a little obsessed. I vacillate back and forth between joyful anticipation and stressed out overworking of every little plan, but TVBT is never far from my mind. So before I drive everyone I know crazy (you mean not everyone cares about exactly what we will eat at the Liberty Tree Tavern? Whuhhhh?), I'd better write it all down and share here at the DIS where people truly understand the BIG nature of all this.

I will have to duck and cover here. I'm a not HP fan. I've never had the desire to read any of the books, and didn't care for the first movie. Maybe that was because we were watching it while rocking like crazy on a Disney cruise ship during rough water.

So welcome to anyone I may not have completely scared off with my long windedness, and please wish me luck, I think I'm gonna need it...

Next up: The Cast of Characters

My responses in purple

 

[EvangelineG]

Do you all have the same type of likes when it comes to theme parks?

Tastes vary widely throughout the group, but I think the unifying factor is that we are all used to tailoring our plans to meet the DQ, and the boys needs (I'm sure you know what this is like!). So I think as long as the three with the most complicated needs are happy, we'll all be happy. I did send out a trip survey a little while ago to get an idea of what each person is looking forward to the most, and I will try to make sure that everyone's top wishes get covered. Also we plan on touring together some days (like for MK!!!), and splitting up on others, so hopefully everyone gets an opportunity to do their thing.

LOL on your issue! Disney is a great place for special needs. We've found Universal to be a bit more challenging, but I think that might be because we don't go there as often and we're just beginning to understand their processes.

I was sooo nervous before that 2008 trip to DL, about how the boys would do in a loud chaotic environment. Of course, we did have our ups & downs and a meltdown or two, but it was an overwhelmingly positive experience! DL knocked my socks off, especially in their handling of allergies! And yup, feeling that Universal is more the wild card here. We're hoping to have a great experience special needs and allergy-wise, but I am definitely reading mixed reviews here on the DIS...

I will have to duck and cover here. I'm a not HP fan. I've never had the desire to read any of the books, and didn't care for the first movie. Maybe that was because we were watching it while rocking like crazy on a Disney cruise ship during rough water.

LOL I can see how that would put anyone off! I am not an enormous fan of the HP movies, it's the books that have my heart. We knew this 13 year old girl back when our boys were toddlers, who was absolutely crazy about the books. I got curious about any books that could get kids so involved and passionate, and got them from the library to read myself. I thought the first 2 were cute, but after the 3rd I was hooked! And my enthusiasm spread like measles through my whole family as they read them too (other than the BiL -but we're working on him!).

 

[EvangelineG]

I had a wee seed of an idea back in 2008, right after our first DL trip, all bright eyed and Disneyfied and wishing for more. We were, of course, following the building of WWoHP with great interest, and I said "we should go to Orlando in 2011 after WWoHP has opened and go to WDW too!", randomly grabbing a date out of the air that seemed far enough away to stave off reality (reality being it was financially out of the question), but near enough to sustain some hope. My idea was that maybe Belle and the DQ could come with us too (they had been to DL the year before together and were now confirmed mouse lovers too). The DH and I talked occasionally about it at first, but talk died out as funds remained stubbornly low and I just kind of forgot about it.

In February of last year one of Fred & George's friends came back from an Orlando trip with his mom. Being a huge HP fan as well, he regaled us with tales of how cool WWoHP was, which started the boys talking about how much they wished they could go. Now we are not the type of parents who worry about keeping up with the Joneses, and we're actually quite content in the fact that there are things our sons don't have. I'm not talking basic necessities here, but things like each new gaming device, game and lego set like their friends seem to have, and we're OK with this. Not aiming to raise any Dudley Dursleys here. So my first response was to shrug and say, "well, maybe someday", but then it struck me like a tonne of bricks, like a punch to the gut, like a Hallmark commercial at Christmas -our "somedays" were running out! Our sons had just turned 11 and shot up at least a half a foot, how many more years did we have until they weren't dying to go on a family vacation with us anymore? Until they wouldn't be caught dead? Until they were too busy with jobs and school etc to even be able to go with us? I realized that the window for them being kids is closing fast, and suddenly I very, very badly wanted to make this trip happen. Not someday. Now.

Disneyland 2008
(The boys now come up to DH's shoulder! Not little boys anymore.)

We crunched the numbers and did a cursory budget, and surprise, surprise could not really afford it. So we decided to do something that we don't often do, and that I don't necessarily recommend. We decided to follow the great North American way of using credit to enjoy life now and pay later. I know, I know. Not the smartest, but we are fortunate to have very little debt outside of our mortgage, and even though it is completely out of character for us, we decided to just go for it.

We invited Belle, and she was 100% on board, like I knew she would be. We invited the DQ via Mom & Dad. We were thrilled and surprised when they decided that all 3 of them could come. Then we were even more thrilled and surprised when Cinderella and Charming, said they could come too...I highly suspect that Charming got kind of shanghaied into it, but Cinderella is soo excited, who could blame her?

Inevitably (Murphy's law) soon after this decision we got a $4000 tax bill because of a mistake Dh's company had made, and then had to shell out $5000 to fix our roof, and then DH was plunged into job uncertainty as pressure mounted from his company to move. We were/are determined not to move. Our sons are doing so well at their school. It is very important to us to give them as much stability and support as we can. I am at home full time so that I can meet their needs, which makes Dh our sole breadwinner, so job uncertainty for him is really not good. Loooooong story short: thought TVBT was dead on the table, despair, gnashing of teeth, rending of sackcloth, DH gets shiny new job, much better wage, tax adjustment in our favour (just like Monopoly!), and the trip was/is very much still on. Yay!

I don''t know if there is a moral to this story...probably you shouldn't spend money you don't have would be a fine one, or don't take on unessential debt because in these uncertain times you just never know. But I suspect the lesson was more like "occasionally you just have to seize the day and chance the consequences and sometimes, but only sometimes it all works out."

Next up: Digs & Dates; Where & exactly when get answered...

 

[EvangelineG]

The search for the *perfect* vacation villa was exhaustive and exhausing. Exhaustive because it is just my personality to make decisions in that way, gathering as much info as I can and carefully considering all possibilities. Not a "by the seat of my pants" kind of gal. Oh no, no. And exhausting because of all the mee-lee-yons of options available. Google "vacation villas Orlando" and you will get a good 12 million or so hits. There are scads and scads, and often the ads are very similar and the website search engines poorly designed, so you have to sift through them oh, so slowly. I thought my head might explode!

But first, the reasoning behind a villa vs hotel, onsite vs offsite in the first place. Although the general consensus seems to be that staying onsite at a Disney resort is the most m-m-magical way to go, it quickly became apparent that the space vs price ratio was going to make our decision simple.
Fred & George need space.
Oceans of space.
Like Neptune from Earth amount of space.
Just like most Aspie kids they do not do well when smooshed in with a bunch of other people, and need more solitary downtime than your average Joe. Coming back to a single hotel room after a long day of fighting crowds and over-stimulation at a theme park would be a recipe for misery for all of us. And the prices on the larger villa type accommodations at WDW made me need to sit down and breathe into a paper bag, and they are still pretty squishy compared to a vacation home.

So offsite and a home rather than a hotel. This way we also have our own kitchen so that we can save some money, and best meet needs. Fred & George have a laundry list of serious allergies. Life threatening allergies. The type that make you almost die if you even have something cross contaminated with a minuscule amount of your allergen. George and the DQ also have some pretty significant sensory issues around eating...this is fancy talk for being very, very picky about textures and smells. And poor George also has OCD issues around eating, and has trouble eating around other people because he worries his food will be contaminated (oh yes restaurants will be challenging...more on that later). Also, Cinderella has erratic blood sugar and DH has mild hypoglycemia, and they both have to eat the right thing at the right time. So yup, our own kitchen and lots of space very necessary.

With Belle's help & encouragement (she is my right hand woman!), we slowly and laboriously narrowed it down to a short list of 5 villas that met our requirements and the fambly voted. Link below to the winner...

Penny From Heaven

Looks great. Reasonable price. Good neighbourhood. Excellent reviews. I think we'll be very comfortable here.

A note about dates:
We had narrowed it down to late October, early November or early December based on weather and crowds. (Fred & George can't do heat) November 26th-December 7th ended up working out best for everyone's schedules. Falling in December this will be our Christmas present to each other this year, and our only opportunity to be all together around the holidays. Gosh, no wonder I am feeling so much pressure to plan it well!

Where's that paper bag I had mentioned earlier?

Next up: Making Dweams Come Twue, telling the DQ about the trip!

 

[EvangelineG]

Wow, it sure didn't take me long to abandon my pre trip report! I find I am just too busy with getting the boys settled in for their new year at school etc. Sorry to my one reader!