The Un-Christmas! Dec 15-27 The Magic and Universal

[Ciciwoowoo]

First, let me start by telling you and your family how sorry I am for your loss. I think your decision to go away for Christmas was exactly the right one! I'm glad you and your family had such a nice time.

I have enjoyed your trip report and look forward to reading the Universal part!

And, I would like you to know I appreciate your bathroom tip! I'm a potty obsessed person (you know, the person who knows where EVERY potty is located, for good reason!) and am in the pre-preplanning stages of a Disney cruise in the next few years!

 

[outlander]

Was Dustin really sick? How was Universal? Did they continue to be the magic sunshine people?

All those questions and more will be answered, my friends, over on The Dark Side (the DIS Universal Board). I'll post a link to it here.

Final, very profound, thoughts and conclusions will follow sometime today I expect.

Where's the link you tease!?

 

[ReggieB]

Best trip report ever! I have really enjoyed it. Now going off to see if I can find your universal one. Also need to check to see how Dustin is!

Thanks so much for sharing it all.

 

[fairfax]

Oh my gosh, poor Dustin! I can't wait to read more. I love Universal and hope you had a marvellous time there.

 

[Katy Belle]

Hi Dianna!

I found your report last night and stayed up way too late reading the whole thing! You really have a gift for storytelling, what a great report.

Hugs to you for continuing to make life fun for your son, husband, and yourself. You are really a very smart lady! Maybe you should write a book to replace the one you read after your son's death. Many could learn from you!

Katy

 

[sillysully]

Dianna - what an amazing trip report; I am so touched. I agree w/the previous poster who suggested you consider writing a book about your experience.

Strange, but I lost my Mom 10 years ago on New Year's Eve and my sister and I decided that we couldn't "do" Christmas or New Year's the following year, so we took our families to Disney World! My DD's were 1 1/2 and 3 mo's at the time. Christmas for the older one was sorta like Easter w/presents hidden around the room. We ate Christmas dinner in the Mexican pavillion complete with 'ritas, then tried to go to McD's outside the park for DD - but it wasn't open and we wondered why. Oh, we finally realized, it's Christmas! Perfect, we had wanted to forget and we did. New Year's was equally uneventful in a good way. Amazing how Disney can make you forget the real world for awhile.

Best to you and your family!

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Thank you so much for sharing your story and trip experiences with us! I hope Dustin wasn't too ill and got better very very quickly! I look forward to reading some more from you!

 

[purplepeg]

I almost died laughing at the elevator/trash can/people part Poor kid. Loving your TR. I agree with everyone else...you are an awesome writer and you did what was best for you and your family. No one can tell what is "right" to do, you will know, and if you don't you'll figure it out. I'm anticipating the rest of your TR

 

[pamouselover]

Hi my heart goes out to you and your family. In 1998 we lost my nephew tragically and our family has never been the same. In 2005 we want to WDW during his birthday, others felt it was weird to want to get away during that time. But it was what we need to heal. I am sure your son was with you on the this trip.

 

[Disney owl]

wow what a great report & a fantastic way to spend such a sad time fro you all.

Many. many thanks for sharing

 

[naner]

What a wonderful story so far. I am touched by it so much. It reminds me of when my father died when I was 14 and my mom took us to WDW to help us make it through that first summer.

I am looking forward to the rest of your report.

 

[dicar123]

Ohmigosh! I never got even one e-mail telling me that y'all were posting here! Sorry!!

Thank you all so much for sharing this experience with us! All of you have been so kind and I really do appreciate all the nice things you've had to say.

Even looking back, I have to say, this is still the best thing we could have done. Our families and friends, overall, were very supportive of our plan. Had too many pitched a fit over missing Christmas it would have been a very difficult thing to do.

We've met another family through a Grief Group and let me tell you what they did for the first anniversary. They went to the place where their daughter died and stood on that spot, at the exact time of her death.

I'll be honest, that sounds like torture to me! However, that act did SO much for the mother! She was the one who really pushed for the idea and it brought her quite a lot of peace.

So, we're all different. We all grieve differently and have different needs. If you find yourself in this situation, I say go with your gut. You'll know what you need, even if it's hard to explain to others.

Ok, that's as profound as I feel like getting

I just posted Day One over on the Dark Side! Here's the link!

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=22932686#post22932686


See ya there!
Dianna

 

[dicar123]

Because I have given a plug to the Occidental Hotel, I feel I must give the following warning.

The year after the Occidental opened, an 8 year old boy drowned in one of their pools. Apparently, there were drainpipes of some kind without a grate over them and the boy was sucked into the pipe. The little boy was thought to be missing and it wasn't until later that night that he was found inside the pipe.

According to the family's website, the hotel people and the Mexican officials were totally uncooperative.

www.brentmidlock.com

WARNING: In the section, "Recovery of Brent", the second picture caption says it was taken after Brent was removed from the pipe. Frankly, to me, it looks like there are toes and a face in that picture. I recommend skipping that section altogether.