THE FINAL TRIP: I-AKL (w/ lots of photos)

[michellex2]

This was a special trip as, due to my Mother's increasing frailness, it was unlikely that she would be able to make another extended vacation trip. As it turned out, it was her final trip – a trip that brought her joy and left memories that will always remain. We (84 year old DM, a frail senior in a wheelchair with mild dementia, and myself, her adult daughter) were at Disney from December 7th through December 14th. This board was exceedingly helpful in the planning that was needed to make this trip a success given my mother's health and stamina issues, and my limited knowledge of Disney.

We flew from Madison, WI without incident, picked up our rental car (a small Chevy SUV from Alamo that fit her wheelchair nicely) and headed on to Animal Kingdom Lodge. Here we hit the first (and only) near disaster of the vacation. All of the arrangements had been previously made thru special services for a wheelchair accessible room with a roll-in shower, savannah view and a twin daybed. The room was supposed to have been blocked out for us and was not. Instead a regular room with two queen beds was blocked out without the needed roll-in shower and other accessible features. AKL was full and initially it looked as though the only option would be to move several times during our week long stay. Due to my mother's medical equipment and dementia, moves would have been VERY difficult and stressful. Fortunately our wonderful check-in cast member, Steve, spent over an hour working with the manager and others, tracking down alternatives, and somehow managed to free up a handicapped, roll-in shower room with a king bed and pull-out daybed on the fourth floor, not too far from the lobby, with a view of zebras on the largest savannah. He wasn't able to secure a twin daybed (vs. pull-out) but given that he had worked a near miracle, we gladly accepted the newly freed up room. Steve also offered to credit a dinner at any Disney restaurant of our choosing (not something I asked for, something he just offered), to offset the lengthy check-in process, which we later used for a wonderful meal at Jiko. He located our shipped medical supplies and had them immediately delivered to our room. Steve is my hero.

Here are views from our balcony:

The pelicans had a water area immediately to the right of our balcony and there was a feeding area almost directly in front of us, so there were constantly animals in view. The pelicans would occasionally do a “dance” in unison as you can see in the final photo. My Mom loved watching the animals. We named the giraffe in the bottom picture Curious George as he seemed to enjoy looking in our window. A baby giraffe had been born at AKL and was just allowed out on the savannah the week that we had checked in – very, very gangly and cute.


AKL has tremendous Christmas decorations. Although we looked at many of the other resorts, AKL was my favorite due to its beauty and its uniqueness. Here are some lobby photos:

The restaurants were excellent, as was the food court, Mara. The following are two counter-service meals from Mara (a drink was included as well):

On the left, African Stew, Fruit Salad and Zebra Domes and on the right Chicken Tandori Pizza, Salad, Zebra Domes



The food was uniformly wonderful. We were on the dining plan and made reservations for two Candlelight Processional Dinners - - one with the meal at Chefs de France and the second with the meal at Le Cellier. We saw the show first both times (a 5 pm show and a 6:45 show), then had dinner, which was wonderful as there was no worry about being late for the show. The food and service at both restaurants was impeccable, and although they were quite crowded, we had no more than a 10 minute wait. Since we wanted to see Illuminations after the meal at Le Cellier, the waiter served our meal in a little over an hour at our request with no sense of being rushed. The Candlelight Processional was spectacular. We arrived early for both shows. The first show, as you will see in the pictures was performed in the rain and we were very glad to have front row seats under cover. (We had incredible luck with rain. For example, it rained all day the day we had manicures, pedicures and massages booked. When we left the salon, presto, no rain! Similarly, by the time the Candlelight Processional show was over, the rain stopped.) In the second show we sat at the back of the front covered area. Here are some photos from the Candlelight Processional:

The service in all of the restaurants was very good – counter-service and table service. We only had one wait over 10 minutes, at Jikos, and that was about a 20 minute wait. However, the manager and waitress were great when I let them know that we had a time deadline as my mother needed an injection in her room within a certain period of time. The dishes were picked up and the next course served as soon as we finished with the previous course, but no sense of being rushed. Jikos had tremendous food and a quieter atmosphere – very relaxing.


Next – Animal Kingdom Park...

 

[michellex2]

We went to Animal Kindom and rode the Kilamanjaro Safari three times, seeing different animals on each trip. The cast members were excellent with my mother’s wheelchair, strapping it securely on-board. She did fine in the wheelchair, as it is padded and designed for her, but the ride would have been too rough for her without the chair. We saw lots of animals. These were taken with a regular 50mm lens, so you get an idea of how close the animals were:

Animal Kingdom was actually a good park for a senior as it had excellent shows and rides that were not too extreme. However, there is a lot of walking, so for a senior who is not in a wheelchair, the distances could be problematic. The bird show was interesting and the birds were beautiful:

Animal Kingdom also had the Lion King show – a combination of dancing, acrobatics, tumbling, masks and music. It won the award for the best Disney show on any Disney property and it is clear why when you see this show. It’s impossible to capture a show like this with photos, but you can at least get a hint:

Part of the fun of Animal Kingdom is just strolling around, looking at the animals and the theming. There were quite a few characters out that we just happened upon without waiting or looking. Here’s Mickey decked out for Christmas and some wild Bears we happened upon:

Next – MGM Studios and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party...

 

[michellex2]

We had never been to MGM studios before. We initially went to see Osborn Lights during Evening Magic Hours at MGM. Aughhh. Very bad mistake. (Note to self: Never, ever, go see Osborn lights during extra magic hours over the Christmas season. Don’t do it! Don’t even think about it!) The crowds were frightening, and with someone in a wheelchair it was a real problem – it was so crowded, people didn’t see her and kept bumping into her. She bruises so easily, that she ended up with two very bad bruises on her calf and her arm from people knocking into the wheelchair and her. By the lights, there was one solid mass of people; you couldn’t walk, needless to say see anyone. As soon as I could navigate my way out, we left. We went back the next day, and it was almost empty (at least in comparison). It was a beautiful day with sunny skies and minimal crowds:

My Mom’s favorite show of all times since her dementia started in the last few years is Who Wants to be a Millionaire. She will watch 4 episodes in a row. So, we headed for the first show of Millionaire. When we went in, I mentioned that it was my Mom’s favorite show and the cast member asked her if she wanted to sit in a “hot key seat”. I, not being a Millionaire devotee, had no idea what they were, but my Mom was very excited. So, we got to sit in the seats right on the stage and had a wonderful view of all that was happening. The show was very realistic and the host was funny – a good time was had by all, except, as my Mom announced at the end, “Shoot. We didn’t win.” Here we are at Millionaire:

That night, we went to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. It was forecast to be cold, but was not, and rain was predicted, but it was dry and nice all night. (So, for all of you who stress out about forecasts, stop it, right now! If they get it wrong that day, 12 day out predictions are not accurate enough to devote any appreciable stress energy.) We ate at Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom, with 4:30 pm reservations before the party. The food was excellent and we had a chance to mingle with all of the characters several times each. My Mom loved the characters and they were all very kind to her. I’m not sure she understood that they weren’t real and she told them how nice they were and how much she enjoyed meeting them. Here’s some photos from the Crystal Palace:

Next, on to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. We went on a Sunday night, and there were no lines at most of the rides we wanted to ride. We did the Haunted Mansion several times, It’s a Small World, all of the shows, the parade, the fireworks of course, and numerous other rides, as well as pictures and hot chocolate and cookies. My Mom loved the parade and we found seating in a handicapped area that allowed her an excellent view from her wheelchair. She was so excited that several of the characters stopped to say hello to her which gave her quite a thrill. The parade was delayed, but they did a nice job of keeping the crowd entertained. Here’s a few parade highlights:

Next – Soarin’ in Epcot: Our Very Favorite Park...

 

[michellex2]

Epcot is my mother’s and my favorite park, so we went early several days and also went several evenings for the Candlelight Processional and dinner. We saw Illuminations twice, both times from handicapped sections across from the arched bridge – wonderful view. The first time, the air was muggy and there was very little breeze, so smoke obscured a lot of the globe and lower fireworks. The second time, which was an unscheduled viewing was perfect -- we finished dinner earlier than anticipated, and there were seats available right on the water in the handicapped area. I would be hard pressed to pick which I like better, the Magic Kingdom Christmas fireworks at MVMCP or Illuminations – they are both great and my mother loved them. Having her wheelchair was helpful as waiting didn’t exhaust her and I’d brought a blanket from the hotel to tuck around her and keep her warm.

Epcot is a wonderful park to just wander in – admire the scenery, the flowers, the shops, the Christmas decorations and people watch. The little things are what make this park, not just the “big ticket” rides. We ended up being at Epcot for extra evening magic hours and found it not crowded and beautiful with the evening Christmas lights. We rode Spaceship Earth which my mother enjoyed. She did not understand that the “people” in the ride were wax dummies and was very upset that they kept that paper boy up so late – ‘he was way too young to be working that late,’ she exclaimed. We also listened to lots of music at Epcot – the carolers in America were probably our favorites:

Japan was our favorite landscaped area in Epcot. The gardens are serene and simple – a good place to linger. Here’s a daylight view and a sunset view:

We had lunch at the Tangerine Café one day. With the dining plan, they automatically add on Baklava to your order which already has a lot of food – very good food, granted, but still, A LOT of very good food. We gave one of the baklavas as well as an untouched side dish to a young family who was unpacking sandwiches at the table next to us and they were happy and very gracious. Uniformly, we found people to be quite friendly and warm at Disney. Morocco had interesting shops and architecture. Here’s a shot of Tangerine Café:

We had dinner at Citricos one of the days that we were at Epcot. With the wheelchair, I found that having a rental car made life MUCH easier on my Mom. If she started getting over-tired, it was easy to get back to the handicapped parking area, and head back to AKL for a nap. Also, staying at a deluxe resort with the valet parking was amazingly helpful as with just the two of us, dropping her off would have been a problem without valet parking. It turns out there is no charge for valet parking if you have a handicapped parking permit, as well. Citricos had amazing food. We ate at Citrico, Jiko, Le Cellier (CP), Le Chefs de France (CP), Boma, Crystal Palace, and Garden Grill for sit down meals – all dinners, except for the Garden Grill where we had lunch. We had a free meal at Jiko thanks to our check-in snafu and very helpful check-in cast member and somehow ended up with 2 extra table credits as well. When I tried to sort that out at the desk, the cast member said just to consider it an early Christmas present. So… we ate very well. We had been planning on sharing meals at Citrico and Jiko, and had not planned on Garden Grill, but with the abundance of table service credits, we did not need to share. Here’s pictures of Citrico’s meal:

IN THE LOBBY OF CITRICO, in the middle, COFFEE AND HOT CHOCOLATE MADE TO ORDER, and, CITRTICO's HOME-MADE BREAD

APPETIZERS - CRAB GATEAU WITH HUGE HUNKS OF CRAB and on the right, SHRIMP WITH FETA

MAIN COURSES - VEAL SHANK WITH GRILLED VEGGIES and on the right, GRILLED SWORDFISH

DESSERTS - CITRICO's 50TH CELEBRATION CHOCOLATE DESSERT and on the right, CITRICO'S CREME BRULEE



Epcot is also home to Soarin’, The Land (which my mother liked – she really enjoyed the greenhouses and the tomato tree), the Garden Grill which serves food from the land, and the Norway Maelstrom ride which was a real hit. Mom’s all time favorite ride was Soarin’. She used to be a pilot, so it didn’t scare her, and she loved the ride. We rode it 5 times! (That was accomplished by going first thing, getting a fast pass and riding. By the time you do The Land, it’s time to use the fast pass, and then you can get another fast pass on your way out for later in the afternoon.) The elevator in The Land area is very small and poorly designed for maneuvering ECVs, so there are often long lines to use the elevator. The only other option is an escalator which was not an option for my mother, hence, we planned to go early with this ride to avoid the lines. We ended up giving away our 6th fast pass, as the elevator lines were too long. Here’s some photos of Soarin’:

MEETING GOOFY ON THE WAY TO SOARIN’ and, on the right, STRAPPED IN AND READY FOR TAKEOFF

THE SCENERY FROM UP HIGH (taken without flash)



Another favorite ride of my mother’s was the Maelstrom boat ride in Norway. She also liked Mexico’s ride, but enjoyed the Norway ride more. It has a very slight drop, cool thunder storms and other things she enjoyed without frightening her. We rode it four times. The one problem with the Maelstrom ride is that there is a fairly steep step down onto a seat, then from the seat to the floor, and the wheelchair cannot go on this ride. However, I learned a technique to make it doable for her. I would locate a large friendly looking man waiting to load onto our boat, and ask him if he could assist with my Mom. (Cast members are not allowed to help people load on and off rides.) With two of us helping her, it was much less frightening and dangerous. Every single time, the person I had asked to help getting on the ride, came over on their own, to help us get off, and we ended up having some good conversations while waiting for the movie doors to open. Here’s a picture of some of the Norway Highlights:

Epcot wouldn’t be complete without visits to the technology playgrounds in Innovations, where you can see music, play with computers, and of course, do the required morphed postcard home. Mom went with a Lioness, and in keeping with the cat theme, I chose a tiger:

Next - Characters, Tips for Enjoying Disney and A Very Sad Ending...

 

[michellex2]

Traveling with a frail senior forces you to slow down a bit, and enjoy the smaller things that Disney has to offer rather than rushing from ride to ride. Often many of those little things – finding a pair of sun glasses that fit just right, listening to the drummers outside of Japan or the Scottish music players, finding out how many tomatoes were produced by the tomato tree during its last harvest, talking with an AKL cast member about their home in Africa, visiting with the couple from Britain sitting next to us while waiting for Illuminations to begin, relaxing in the sun beams for a little while admiring the gardens at Disney -- were as much fun as the “big stuff”. Here’s a picture of the “just right” pair of sunglasses and the youngest tomato tree:

My mother fell in love with the characters, and they, in turn, seemed to spend extra time with her, somehow sensing that she needed a little extra care. She especially loved Tigger and Pluto and would hold their paws and stroke them. She seemed to get a special kind of comfort from their touch and their hugs. Here is a picture of Mom with Pluto:

One last thought: During the short time I was on the discussion board preparing for this trip, getting information about ride access, and other thoughts to make this trip doable with my Mom, I saw several discussions about wheelchair users, with differing opinions as to the extra special efforts Disney goes to in order to allow access and accommodations for those who need them. Undoubtedly, that does result in a few people who abuse Disney’s unusual degree of consideration for special needs folks.

The entire time that I was at Disney, I was grateful for their philosophy. This trip simply would not have been possible without the easy access Disney offers those who cannot always do things the ‘usual’ way. From the helpfulness of the First Aid Station staff, to the consideration of the housekeeping staff, to the visitors who let my Mom go first at the restroom when she couldn’t hold it any longer, to the guests who helped us on and off rides where the wheelchair couldn’t go, all made this trip doable, and without them it would not have been possible. Only once did I hear a negative comment made about my Mom’s wheelchair, and that was when she stood to give Tigger a hug at Crystal Palace. Fortunately, my Mom did not hear the comment, or we might not have gotten the wonderful picture of Tigger bending down to give her a final hug after she was again settled in her chair.

We flew back to Madison on December 14th, arriving in the midst of a blizzard. Mom was well enough to visit family for Christmas and to participate in a lovely Christmas caroling party. I made her a scrap book of the trip on the night before we left Disney, as due to her dementia, she had trouble remembering names of the things we did. She showed it to so many people, that I had to repair the binding. Here’s a picture of the book:

As I said, this story has a sad ending. On New Years Day, Rita had what seemed to be a mild illness, but on January 8th, it progressed to acute liver failure. Hospice was involved that night, managed to get her pain stabilized and she died, peacefully, without struggle or pain, four days later on January 12, 2006. Although I will miss her terribly, she had a very good life, and died quickly and peacefully, while she was still herself, still able to experience life and feel happiness and joy.

So it turned out to be her final trip in a time frame that I had not anticipated, but it was a wonderful trip that gave her joy at a time of her life when joy is harder to come by and gave me memories that I can keep forever. Here’s my favorite picture of Mom with Tigger:

Thanks for all the pre-trip help and advice!

 

[pepperw23]

Wow!! Where to start.

Fist of all, I think you Mom was just AWSOME!! She rode Sorin!!!!

Second, I think you are an AWSOME daughter.

I am so very sorry for your loss. I am a Christian, and I can promise you that if you think Disney is cool, wait till you see where your Mom is now!!! I am sure your Mom is watching over you with a smile remembering the wonderful time the two of you had together. You are blessed to have had such a wonderful vacation with your Mom.

God Bless you.

 

[dairyou]

What a wonderful daughter you are. Words can't describe your dedication, love and fondness of her. If only we all had a wonderful relationship like that with our moms.

My dad had dementia also. Seeing him cry when we came to visit him was unbearable. I wish I would have had the lasting memories you had with your mom on this trip. What a blessing it was to share your time together with her.

for you and your family!

Deb

 

[Forevryoung]

All I can say is WOW

I lost my popop (grandfather) Nov 7th and I keep thinking of the great memories we shared together. They keep me going. I am sorry for your loss but I am glad you had one final trip together.

 

[Twende]

Oh I am so very sorry about the loss of your mother. Your post needs a tissue warning! I hope you do not mind that I am in tears for you.

I really loved the way you put the log of your trip together. I know I read every word. Your scrapbook is priceless!

I was in Disney about the same time as you, actually a week later but things were much as you descibed them for us too.

I also made this trip with my mother who is struggling with health problems and Alzheimers. We figure this was our last trip to Disney with her, so I so understood your story.

You did a great thing taking your mom on this trip and I am so very happy that you were able to do it and make all those wonderful memories!

Thank you for sharing your mother with all of us.

 

[TIGGER'SFRIEND]

How wonderful you were able to enjoy your trip with your Mom, it sounds like you had a great time. Know that your Mom is at peace now and you can hold on to those awesome memories.

 

[deide71]

I was so touched by your trip report. How wonderful you have this last memory of your mother. May she rest in peace. I'm sure she was so proud and happy to have a loving daughter for friendship and comfort.

Amazing story. Thank you.

 

[JoAnnPan]

I too have tears streaming down my face right now...how wonderful it is that you had that last vacation together in Disney...that picture of her kissing Pluto is pricless!!! Thanks so much for sharing your trip with all of us (great pics also!).

 

[wilma-bride]

Firstly, I am so very dorry for your loss. The one thing that stands out from your report is that your Mum looks so very happy in every single picture. You must be so pleased that you got to make that final trip with your Mum and you have such wonderful memories from it.

I was choked up just reading some of what you wrote. You sound like a very special daughter and I'm sure your Mum was really grateful for the magical trip you gave her

 

[WDW Poly Princess]

Looks like you two were there right after me!

Love your AKL pictures (and all of them! Your sunset picture in Japan is beautiful!)- I can't wait to stay there again- mmm, zebra domes!

I'm so glad that you two got this last trip in, and hopefully built some great memories. I just lost my dad two years ago, and even when the person is old and has had a full life, I know it is still really hard! Thanks for sharing your journey with us!

 

[doccath]

thank you for sharing your story. I was in Disney the same time you were and reading your story I thought of my own family. Each time we do something together we should be savoring it since none of us knows if that ist he last time we will have that memory. You clearly brought joy to your mother and I hope even in your grief for your loss you will know that you made her life happy.

 

[RadioFanatic]

I have read many trip reports over the years and have enjoyed them so much. But that was the sweetest report I have ever read. I had tears in my eyes throughout the whole report. I'm so sorry for your loss; but I am so VERY happy for you that you have some amazing wonderful memories with your mother. And what a sunny, brave woman your mother was! She was smiling in every single picture and to go on the rides she did - wow! And she is very lucky to have you as a daughter. Thank you so much for sharing. BTW, AMAZING pix!

 

[Grammyof2]

I am so sorry for your loss. I am so glad you had this wonderful trip to remember. You are a wonderful daughter

I took my mother, dd (24), and dgd (4) in August. I wanted her to experience one more time the magic through the eyes of a child. She is in poor health and I thought she needed one last trip to the world. After reading your report, I think we need one more trip. Just her and I.

Your mother was very blessed.

 

[Dreamer04]

I can only imagine the mixture of sadness and gratitude you feel. Losing herl, yet having such wonderful memories. You are an example to all of us daughters. Thank you for your trip report.

 

[SueM in MN]

What a wonderful report - even with the sad ending.
It's obvious from the pictures how much your mom enjoyed her trip and you have wonderful memories (and wonderful pictures) of your special time with her in a special place.

 

[never_enough_pooh]

What a beautiful trip report and story!

I'm so glad to hear that you were able to get in this last trip, and it sounds like your mom really appreciated it and had such a great time.

Plus, you know have such great memories from this trip (and the scrapbook!)
that you can always refer to whenever you are feeling down.

Thank you for sharing your story and pics of you and your mom with us all!