The Trip that Almost Wasn't (Sept. 2015) | Making Magic out of Sadness (Canceled, but not over!)

[MouseketeerKelsey]

Well guys, it's official, this is the trip that almost wasn't. It wasn't looking good. My health hasn't been great which has meant that I haven't been working which means that I can not pay for the entire trip on my own. I was devastated, but I was ready to cancel.

Enter the best mom in the world.

About a week ago I told her with tears in my eyes that I was going to cancel Disney. For this to make sense totally, let me give you some background on the family dynamic of Disney in my house. My parents started collecting Disney movies before I was born, when they had no kids. I grew up watching Disney movies. As I got older, my obsession with Disney grew and grew. When I got sick 5 years ago, I used Disney as a happy escape from the real world. I would watch the behind the scenes shows on Disney Parks that were on Netflix any time pain got bad as a way to distract my brain. I sat in the hospital watching Disney movies and the one week I got so bad that my mom put an extra bed in my room and essentially "moved in," she sat with me and watched ride throughs of my favorite rides. Disney is something that always makes me happy, except when I am too sick to go and have to cancel a trip. That's not so happy. My mom, however, loves Disney, but goes to Disney because it makes me so happy. It's not that she doesn't enjoy it, it's just that she enjoys how much I love it. She would pick somewhere more relaxed for her vacation, haha.

As soon as I told my mom that I thought we should cancel, she jumped into mom mode. She knows what Disney means to me and what it would do to me emotionally to cancel this trip so close to when we were going. As she said, things are hard enough right now with how I am feeling, let's not take away something positive. We will make it work.

At first I didn't want to talk about it. I didn't see any way I could go and thinking about it was too upsetting. I took a day and went back to talk to my mom. I said that maybe I could handle one day, in a wheelchair. She suggested one night, because having the hotel to go back to eliminates an over 2 hour car ride home after a long day and something that may seem weird is that sitting is very painful for me. I thought it was a good idea.

I looked at my fastpasses and thought about what parks I wanted to go to the most. Thursday was Magic Kingdom and Friday was Epcot, my two favorites. I told this to my mom and she said that she thought we should do those two days, and stay both nights in the hotel so we didn't have to drive home.

This morning I changed the reservation to that plan. I was so excited that Disney was still happening.

Then my mom and I talked tonight. It started by her saying, "Wouldn't it be better to stay the night before (Wednesday night) so that we could go to the parks if we wanted to? Since we will already be there?" We have weekday passes. Staying Friday night meant no parks on Saturday. It made sense to me so I went online to change the reservation for the second time today.

That's when I saw it.

$75 pass holder rooms at All Star Movies. Now, I obviously have wanted to stay at AoA since it was announced, but this was so significantly less that I brought the idea to my mom.

She pointed out that all value rooms are essentially the same and that since we have a car, we can still go check out AoA. Plus, we have never stayed at All Star Movies and I have always wanted to.

Then my mom suggested that since it was so much less, we stay Friday night as well.

So now here is the plan...

Wednesday, September 2 - Saturday , September 5 at All Star Movies!

To put the price difference in perspective, it was going to be $285 for 2 nights at Aoa. It is $271 for 3 nights at All Star Movies. Changing just to a different value resort meant that we could stay another night and day!

I am feeling really good about the change. I am more excited than ever to be heading to my favorite place in the world and to be completely honest, with everything that has been going on with my health the last few months, both my mom and I could use this time together somewhere fun.

I think I will share my specific plans in my next post, but I wanted to fill you guys in on the changes that we have made so far.

I am really happy. What was going to be a canceled trip turned into my longest stay on Disney property ever.

 

[MouseketeerKelsey]

It is almost here!!!

I am so excited. Still not feeling very good, but I am determined to go anyway! Last night I started decorating our MagicBands. I will show you guys when they are done, but I am really excited about them!

I so need this trip. The last few months have been rough for my family and myself and this is just going to be such a welcome source of joy.

I feel like I don't have a ton of updates right now, so I thought I would show you the daily schedule i have! At this point, it's just what parks, fast passes, and reservations we have!

BUT FIRST I HAVE SOME AMAZING NEWS FOR YOU GUYS! As some of you will know, I haven't been working since April. One aspect of it has been good since my health has been bad, but having no money sucks. Yesterday, I was offered a wonderful job. It will be almost entirely from home which means I can do it even on days when I am at doctors or in the hospital. I could not be more thankful.

This is how excited I am.

Now, on to Disney plans!

Day 1!

I got us late FP+ for DHS. I love Star Tours and TSMM, so I thought it would be great to get to sneak in a ride on them. I would also love to check out the Frozen Fireworks, but I am not sure if they happen every night or what the deal is with those.

I don't imagine we will head over to DHS much before 5pm. This gives us lots of options for what to do with our day, since we are going to be heading up early. I thought it may be fun to just check out resorts we have never been to. This way it is a relaxed day. The other option would be something very cool, but I am afraid it may be too much for me physically.

I have still never been to Animal Kingdom. There are morning EMH at DAK starting at 8am. We could do something like 8-12 at AK, head to the hotel to chill for a while, check out some resorts if we feel like it, and then head over to DHS.

Who knows. We probably won't have a firm plan for this day until we are there. I am happy with whatever we do.

Day 2!

Magic Kingdom day!!!! I don't think I could go to Disney without going to Magic Kingdom. I love it so much. I am really happy with the FP+ for this day. 7DMT has quickly become one of my mom's and my favorite rides. It also lines up perfect for our lunch at Be Our Guest! We loved our meal last time and loved that it gave us a nice break! Once again, there are morning EMH. I would love to see the Welcome show. I have never seen it before. I love my mom, but she typically is running late. I am hoping that since she will know the EMH mean we can get so much done that we will be on time for it! Later in the day we have FP for my all time favorite ride, THUNDER MOUNTAIN!!!

I wasn't sure what other FP we would want. The crowds are supposed to be low that day so I didn't feel like "wasting" it on something like Buzz which I know at some point, will be a walk on, so I did something new. I got a FP for Wishes. I don't know how many of you have gone to the parks in a wheelchair, but I never get to see the fireworks well. I typically only get to see parts of it around heads. I am hoping I may have more luck with a FP.

My goal (I don't know if it will happen), is to pace myself with walking and standing outside of my wheelchair all day so that hopefully I can stand through the fireworks and actually see all of Wishes for the first time ever.

I'm probably going to cry.

I will cry.

That probably means my mom will cry too.

Day 3! Last Park Day

I am so excited for this day! I have always loved Epcot, but this past trip was the first time that I actually took a lot of time to explore the countries. We didn't even make it through half. We started the countries at like 2 pm and left the park by 8 pm. This time the countries are my main priorities!

But before the park, we have one of my favorite things ever. CHARACTER BREAKFAST BEFORE A DAY IN THE PARKS!

There are literally no words for how much I love doing this. I think it is a great way to make sure that you 1) get an early start, 2) get a good meal before a long park day, and 3) start your day with some characters!

We have never been to the Beach Club. I thought it would be fun to go to a Boardwalk hotel on our Epcot day. The reservation is nice and early which means we have plenty of time to get to the park at opening for our favorite ride, Soarin'!

Yes, we rode this a month ago at DCA. No, that doesn't mean we won't ride it again.

Then we are off to one of my favorite rides, Mission Space! I hadn't been on this until April and I LOVE IT! We rode it 5 times that day. I haven't gone on the side that spins yet, I am afraid it may be a bit too intense, but I might try it this time. Who knows. We probably won't use our 3rd FP since we are meeting the characters at breakfast that morning, but there wasn't a ride I would rather have a FP for.

We may try to squeeze in a ride on Test Track before Soarin', or we may wait until nighttime EMH. I think we will play that by ear.

Besides that, the goal of the day is just to enjoy the countries.

Last day!

First matter of business, sleep in! This is our last day, we drive home whenever we feel ready. I assume we will probably leave by about 5pm. I have never been to DisneyQuest. I am *considering* going this day before it closes but honestly at this point, I am thinking we will probably skip it. We have a reservation at Raglan Road, which I have always been more than happy with and will probably just shop and have fun the rest of the time until we head back to Sarasota.

I AM SO EXCITED. I have been talking Disney nonstop and I am sure I am driving my mom crazy.

Basically I am Lilo and she is Stitch.

But she is a good sport and humors me when I am this excited.

I am planning on putting together touring plans for the days which again, I only use as a loose outline so that I don't get distracted by every ride I see and end up not getting to do everything I want to.

 

[MouseketeerKelsey]

Money problems...the gift that keeps on giving.

As I said before, I am so excited to have a new job. However, I am not sure how many hours I will have or be paid for before the trip.

I have an eBay store and I have a big ticket item about to sell, but I also have a big bill coming up.

I have an amazing opportunity to go on a cruise with my favorite band, Paramore, in March. It is called Parahoy. I didn't get to go on the first one and I jumped on the chance this year. The only thing is that I paid the first payment of $150 when I had my job and now the second payment which I thought was also $150 is $250 and due while I am at Disney. It just is bad timing.

I know it isn't a problem. My mom doesn't want or expect me to pay for everything on this trip, but I really want to. My parents do so much for me and I really want to cover as much as possible.

I am happy that I have half of the hotel is already paid for since I had the deposit on the more expensive hotel.

I really want to treat my mom to this trip, I just have to hope that I get some good, paid hours before then!

Story time, another thing that is making this hard is that I was just ripped off for a $1,000 web design project. It is the first time I have ever dealt with anything like this and the person is truly acting like a child, but I am in such a rough position because it is my old boss's best friend and I am still going to be working for this boss in the future.

It's such a rock and a hard place situation.

UGH BEING AN ADULT IS HARD. I'M SO READY FOR A TRIP TO THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH.

 

[MouseketeerKelsey]

Everything in my brain is 100% Disney, 100% of the time. I have a bunch of items in my eBay store that are finishing auction in an hour and a half, some of which are big items, and I am excited to see if maybe some of the prices will go up last minute!

I also got a one day job doing some work for a family friend. It's boring and it's hard work, but its $100!

Now, on to the updates.

I switched around our fastpasses for Wednesday, the first day we are there.

They went from this

To this!

I know, it doesn't look like much but I think it is big. This means we really do not need to be to HS before 7pm. There isn't a ton at HS that we would want to do. It would honestly just be to ride TSMM and Star Tours (one of my favorites), walk around a little and maybe see the Frozen Fireworks if they are happening.

Because of this, our whole day is free. I talked about some of our options for the day in my last post with plans but I am thinking we may go explore hotels, there is the option to hit up AK early in the day. Who knows.

I am very close to finishing my MagicBand. I was almost done with my Mom's but I think I am going to try to take off what I have done and start over. I am not loving it.

ONLY

DAYS LEFT!

I have so much to do between now and then.

My room is truly a disaster zone that needs to be cleaned. I am having a HUGE yard sale on Saturday morning and I am not even close to ready.

But, it will be good when it is all finished!

Here is my question, I am trying to decide what hotels to check out on our first day if we don't go to the parks and just resort hop. We have been to the monorail hotels recently, but that's pretty much it. Which ones would you guys suggest?

 

[MouseketeerKelsey]

Going to try to make it through this update without getting emotional, but I have a bit of a life update that I am praying doesn't end up ruining my trip. It just feels like this is the trip that isn't supposed to happen.

As some of you may know, in early march, right before my abdominal surgery, my dad and I were in a horrible car accident. We were at a red light and some idiot flew through a yellow light at to turn, saw that he was about to kill a person walking and then slammed into my dads door at 65 mph, twice. It threw us up over the curb. The car was totaled. I thought my dad was dead.

We ended up being very lucky. My dad broke many ribs. We were pulling glass out of our arms, legs and my head for months. I had a bad concussion and both of my shoulders are still really, really messed up and I may be looking at surgery.

I have also been dealing with PTSD from the accident. I have a hard time even riding in a car. If one of my parents is late coming home I start fearing the worst, and I can't drive at all.

I've been working with my therapist on it and I've been getting better. I've been working with my physical therapist and my physical pain from the accident has gotten a bit better.

Then the unthinkable happened last night.

My dad and I were on our way to visit my grandma who is in a nursing home now. We were at the same red light, at the same intersection, on the same corner. Once again, the first car waiting to turn.

Someone slammed into the back of our car at full speed.

I knew what happened as soon as I felt it and I went into full sensory flashbacks of the first accident. My dad was driving. I was talking to my mom on the bluetooth on the car at the time, she heard the whole thing on the phone from the accident to my screaming to the point where I had lost my ability to breathe because I was so terrified.

We are okay. Both of us are in a lot of pain. My already a mess shoulders feel so much worse, I can't even imagine how much it set me back. I either broke my hand or sprained it badly, I am going to see the doctor Thursday morning.

The seatbelt caused a lot of pain through my chest and then of course my abdomen which is still healing from surgery.

THIS IS WHERE I GIVE A PSA

This is our 2nd Toyota Camry. I can say without a doubt, the first one saved my dad and my life. It was truly a miracle that we were not both killed.

This time the person hit us HARD from the back, and there is barely a scratch on the car.

THESE THINGS ARE LITTLE TANKS.

We truly owe our lives to Toyota, I'll never own anything else.

But here is how it ties in with Disney.

I am in so much pain I can't even believe it. I have to decide in the next 2 days if we are going or not so that I can cancel the hotel. Part of me feels like I need this trip so much, but the other part doesn't want to go and be in too much pain to do anything. I don't know what to do.

I am so stressed and upset. I am so thankful we are both alive, but I just can't believe another accident at the same freaking corner.

 

[BibbitybobityLu]

Going to try to make it through this update without getting emotional, but I have a bit of a life update that I am praying doesn't end up ruining my trip. It just feels like this is the trip that isn't supposed to happen.

As some of you may know, in early march, right before my abdominal surgery, my dad and I were in a horrible car accident. We were at a red light and some idiot flew through a yellow light at to turn, saw that he was about to kill a person walking and then slammed into my dads door at 65 mph, twice. It threw us up over the curb. The car was totaled. I thought my dad was dead.

We ended up being very lucky. My dad broke many ribs. We were pulling glass out of our arms, legs and my head for months. I had a bad concussion and both of my shoulders are still really, really messed up and I may be looking at surgery.

I have also been dealing with PTSD from the accident. I have a hard time even riding in a car. If one of my parents is late coming home I start fearing the worst, and I can't drive at all.

I've been working with my therapist on it and I've been getting better. I've been working with my physical therapist and my physical pain from the accident has gotten a bit better.

Then the unthinkable happened last night.

My dad and I were on our way to visit my grandma who is in a nursing home now. We were at the same red light, at the same intersection, on the same corner. Once again, the first car waiting to turn.

Someone slammed into the back of our car at full speed.

I knew what happened as soon as I felt it and I went into full sensory flashbacks of the first accident. My dad was driving. I was talking to my mom on the bluetooth on the car at the time, she heard the whole thing on the phone from the accident to my screaming to the point where I had lost my ability to breathe because I was so terrified.

We are okay. Both of us are in a lot of pain. My already a mess shoulders feel so much worse, I can't even imagine how much it set me back. I either broke my hand or sprained it badly, I am going to see the doctor Thursday morning.

The seatbelt caused a lot of pain through my chest and then of course my abdomen which is still healing from surgery.

THIS IS WHERE I GIVE A PSA

This is our 2nd Toyota Camry. I can say without a doubt, the first one saved my dad and my life. It was truly a miracle that we were not both killed.

This time the person hit us HARD from the back, and there is barely a scratch on the car.

THESE THINGS ARE LITTLE TANKS.

We truly owe our lives to Toyota, I'll never own anything else.

But here is how it ties in with Disney.

I am in so much pain I can't even believe it. I have to decide in the next 2 days if we are going or not so that I can cancel the hotel. Part of me feels like I need this trip so much, but the other part doesn't want to go and be in too much pain to do anything. I don't know what to do.

I am so stressed and upset. I am so thankful we are both alive, but I just can't believe another accident at the same freaking corner.

Oh my gosh!! How awful! So glad you are okay

 

[MouseketeerKelsey]

I so don't know what to do. There's a good chance my arm is broken. I'm in so much pain from this accident but also from my normal health problem. I could use the money from the hotel deposit for whe payment I have to put down on my cruise.

That's the logical side.

The idea of canceling this trip is killing me. I literally have to decide tonight.

I never want to be a complainer, I am so blessed and I know that, but so much in my life has completely fallen apart, I needed my happy place which is Disney.

I would typically suck it up. For years I have always sucked it up when I though I was in too much pain to go, but this is a whole other level.

I know what I should do, it's just so upsetting. I don't know what to do. I would love some input if any of yall have advice. I know I have too decide, I'm just so stuck.

 

[RunnerMommyof4]

Joining in! Trying to learn everything and see it all before we get to WDW for the 1st time. Love your visuals its cool to see the FP+ and reservations will show up once we get to make them!

 

[MouseketeerKelsey]

Alright, it's official.

I tried not to cry. Then I cried a lot. It's been 5 minutes, I'm still crying. But at least now I am crying and listening to Ed Sheeran music.

I don't even how words for how devastated I am. It would be one thing if I had to cancel because of money, or scheduling or anything like that. But this is so different and it is hard to explain to anyone who doesn't live with chronic pain or illness.

I had to cancel this trip strictly because I, physically, couldn't go.

Yes, that stupid car accident was the last nail in my coffin, so to speak, but we aren't going because I am too sick.

And that sucks.

There isn't anything else to say, it just sucks a lot.

Maybe I will have other thoughts when I stop crying, but for now, it just sucks.

A lot.

 

[MouseketeerKelsey]

I took a little time off of the boards to deal with my sadness.

I'm the kind of person that sort of represses things instead of dealing with them so since I canceled, I would feel myself start to get upset, my mom would sense it because she is just that way, she would ask me what I was feeling, I would say something along the lines of "it's really not a big deal like yeah i had to cancel the trip, but I could have died in the car accident and I didn't" to which my mom would point out that was true, but that I had every right to be sad about Disney not happening. Then I would cry, she would hug me and I would pull myself back together and move on.

It happened a few times.

However, something really wonderful has come out of this sadness. I spoke with a publishing company and I am going to be writing a Guide to Disney World with Disabilities. I want to do something to help people like myself get the most out of their trip, even though we have to do it differently. I signed the agreement this morning.

There is a ton of work but I am so excited. It literally isn't about potential to make money at all, I just know how hard my first trip to Disney was after I got sick and how much I wish I knew then, that I have learned and how much there still is for me to learn.

I have the chance to make Disney possible for people that otherwise may have thought it was unobtainable, and that keeps making me cry of happiness.

Other good news!

I am actively planning my next trip. I sort of was toying with a trip in March which is in my signature. It is a little weird because I already have a place to stay, kind of. It's weird. I'll talk all about it in my new PTR which I will link right here once I start it later today.

As hard as having to cancel my trip at the last second has been, it is 100% for the best.

This is truly what pushed me to do this book and that may chance things for others as well as myself.

Plus, I get to start the planning process all over again for a new trip, which I always love! I am also saving really hard for this trip seeing as it will be my first ever solo trip (SPOILER!!!) and I am going to make sure to treat myself to some things I have wanted to do forever!

I hope some of you guys will come with me to my new PTR which I am about to start right now!

Thanks for coming on this journey with me, even if the end wasn't what we were expecting.

 

[MouseketeerKelsey]

It's started! New PTR!!!!

Ahoy, Mickey! It's Just Me! | First Solo Trip | March 2016 PTR

I am excited to get really into the planning for this one! I am just over a week out from the 180 day mark and I can not WAIT to make some ADRS! Hop on over there with me to join me!

 

[MouseketeerKelsey]

Well, even though the trip didn't happen, it made me smile a lot going back through and reading this.

In case you haven't checked it out, my new PTR (in the post above) is in full force. It is the most amazing trip I have planned yet!