The vacation of a lifetime!

[Susie63]

I am so sorry.My prayers are with you and your family.

 

[mariezp]

So sorry Riahsha. Sending prayers your way. I hope you share a most amazing and magical time with your family. God bless you.

 

[Isatricia]

Isatricia
The kids are little, but their mama has cancer.

I'm so sorry. Prayers out for you and your family.

 

[hootey]

We stayed nine days a couple years ago, we usaully stay for seven to eight days. Have been doing it this way for years. I think a long, long stay for you would be a great idea. I will recommend the disney hotels, the extra's you get from disney hotels are priceless. Two weeks at DL sounds great..

 

[hootey]

I would suggest contacting disney travel about your travel plans. Ask them to explain ALL the benifits you would recieve booking the trip with them. Staying on site is great, the disney rooms just have to be seen, and the new pool and waterslides at the disney hotels are beyond description for young boys. We have stayed on site many times and off site three times, the on site visits are much better trips for us.
You can treat a trip to disneyland as you would a trip to a local amusement park OR you can treat it as a vacation to a resort, having a true disney experience. All the little thing you recieve using disney travel do add up. Which new car would you like to have, a bare bones GEO or a top of the line, fully loaded Volvo. Look at it that way. Both vehicles will get you where you are going, I prefer the volvo myself. Going to DL for fifteen days as a disney guest will have its advantages. We have been there and done that, as the old saying goes. Just offering my two cents worth. All our best.....

 

[taniapacheco]

I don't think it is too many days. Days to just let them play at will sounds heavenly. I think you will have a wonderful time with many memories for them and pictures pictures pictures don't forget pictures. Have a wonderful trip.

 

[hootey]

Pictures, pictures, & more pictures. As Taniapacheco stated, be sure to take lots of pictures. Also be sure to take full advantage of the "Photopass" system disney uses, they can take some great pictures as well. Looking back at our trips with our children, I believe my favorite photos are from toon town morning madness. The one on one time with the main disney characters makes for some great pictures. ask the Disney Travel rep about TTMM.
Take your time and look at everything, it will amaze you at all the little things that are there. Things that a lot of people miss due to the "Big Hurry" they are in to see everything. Good luck..........

 

[Amy&Dan]

I am so sorry for what your family is going through. All the more reason to take this trip just the way you want it for the length you want it!

There is something very special about taking Disney at a slower pace. Knowing you don't have to rush and can take in all the details. I have never regretted a long Disney trip to either DL or WDW. People think we are crazy, but if they came with us, they'd get it!

Best of luck to you and your family and have a wonderful vacation.

 

[Riahsha]

Isatricia
I am so sorry. I cannot send a private message as I haven't written the minimum requirement of messages yet.
I hope it's ok with you that I answer you here.

Thank you, it's alright. To be honest I thought I could simply say how long I was going to be there and then with just a few details about my family I'd get some great advice that I couldn't read on all the basic Disneyland websites. I didn't want to bring anybody down or make anyone feel bad. I see now it was a mistake to omit things and I probably should have just explained everything better in my original post.
Please don't feel bad. I'll make a better post and hopefully the thread can get a fresh start. Take care of yourself and ask anything you'd like.

 

[Riahsha]

Thank you everyone!

Let's try this again...

The bad news is I have an infiltrative glioma in my right temporal lobe.
The good news is I have had craniotomy surgery and chemotherapy.
I don't know how long the remission will last, but I hope all is well until after the trip. I feel it is important to take this trip with my family.
I have osteoporosis from the chemo and walk very slow, but I can walk and am determined to do so.
I have never been to Disneyland and really want the boys to see that there is still magic. I was born in San Francisco and want to show them my birthplace also. I will be taking lots of pictures and video. I will be keeping a journal of our trip with my thoughts and feelings. It really is a vacation of a lifetime.
Please help me with the planning. We will go on rides, but this isn't all about the rides. You have already given me so many wonderful ideas and helpful advice. I do appreciate it. We have 11 months. Anything you can think of, please add it. I'll be constantly reading new threads and updates also.
I really do want to hug Mickey although I know it's just a costume.

Don't feel bad for us, we're going to make some memories that you will have helped create.
Thank you again!

 

[larina]

Isatricia
...Thank you, it's alright. To be honest I thought I could simply say how long I was going to be there and then with just a few details about my family I'd get some great advice that I couldn't read on all the basic Disneyland websites. I didn't want to bring anybody down or make anyone feel bad. I see now it was a mistake to omit things and I probably should have just explained everything better in my original post.
Please don't feel bad. I'll make a better post and hopefully the thread can get a fresh start. Take care of yourself and ask anything you'd like.

Thank you everyone!

Let's try this again...

The bad news is I have an infiltrative glioma in my right temporal lobe.
The good news is I have had craniotomy surgery and chemotherapy.
I don't know how long the remission will last, but I hope all is well until after the trip. I feel it is important to take this trip with my family.
I have osteoporosis from the chemo and walk very slow, but I can walk and am determined to do so.
I have never been to Disneyland and really want the boys to see that there is still magic. I was born in San Francisco and want to show them my birthplace also. I will be taking lots of pictures and video. I will be keeping a journal of our trip with my thoughts and feelings. It really is a vacation of a lifetime.
Please help me with the planning. We will go on rides, but this isn't all about the rides. You have already given me so many wonderful ideas and helpful advice. I do appreciate it. We have 11 months. Anything you can think of, please add it. I'll be constantly reading new threads and updates also.
I really do want to hug Mickey although I know it's just a costume.

Don't feel bad for us, we're going to make some memories that you will have helped create.
Thank you again!

You really didn't owe us an explanation, but thank you for sharing your story with us. What an incredible thing to do with your family, what a gift to give your boys. I hope you have a ball every single step of the way! I'm glad you're planning here and getting tips and secrets so you get to do all the 'stop and smell the roses' DL stuff, like the typewriter at the end of the ally, Snow White's echo in her well, etc.

The staircase is narrow, but if you can make it up, don't forget to ask if you can steer the Mark Twain. We did and it was awesome! My dad and my son thought they won the lottery!

 

[barbaraann]

I always take the park slow. I remember my very first day in the park. It was July 16, 2005. We stood outside before we went in taking a whole lot of photos and just soaked in the atmosphere, We stopped at the floral, and took photos there as well. The next photo stop was the sign that is over the tunnel..

We then didn't run down Main Street. Instead, we climbed the stairs to the train station, and waited for the Ward Kimball train to arrive. It had recently begun running on the DL Railroad, and I was anxious to ride it. Jiminy Cricket is my favorite Disney Character, and Ward Kimball was the animator who brought him to life.

We did a lot of very special things those first few hours in the parks. No rushing past it all in search of a ride. There was plenty of time for that later.

My grandson always asks me if I am going to be bored when I go to Disneyland by myself. I tell him "No Way". It's the best place in the world to vacation alone, and of course the best place to vacation with others,

I have done it solo, and with friends, and family. I look forward to my next solo trip of 4 days coming up in a little less than three weeks time.

When exactly is your trip? If you mentioned that, I must have missed it. I will miss Carsland, but there's always something new and wonderful to explore. I am definitely never bored. That's for sure.

Have a wonderful time with your family.

 

[Riahsha]

This thread died on me.

barbaraann
What do you do different on your different trips? I guess I'm thinking solo trips would be different than trips with others.
Our trip will be next April, first day in the park on the 14th.

 

[dana278]

Best of luck to you and your family!

I know you already said you plan on visiting and photographing every shop on Main Street, but one to get excited about is the Silhouette Studio. (I don't think I saw anyone mention it in this post, but I could be wrong.) It will be just one of many special memories for your boys.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/disneyland-silhouette-studio-anaheim

 

[arthur06]

Susie63

arthur06
Hello to you, Neighbor! I'm in C.B. Just a bridge away from Omaha. You'll be going to DLR way before I will. Can I get a TR when you get back? I'm excited for you! You have a wonderful time!!!

I usually try to do a Live TR, but I am not sure if I will get it accomplished on this trip. I will, at worst, do a TR when we return home.

 

[Riahsha]

I was wondering what you all think about pictures. We'll be using our digital camera and thinking of bringing our printer and photo paper. Already planned on bringing the laptop. I want us to make our photo/autograph albums while we're there. Something great for the evenings to relive the days and not forget anything, especially with the boys' young age. If I wait until we get home they will agree with everything I say instead of having any real opinions. I want this to be something they remember.
Is that good or do you have a better idea?

dana278
Thank you very much! We'll be sure to stop in there. I heard about the portraits in NOS also and am thinking of getting those.

arthur06
Whatever you can do will be nice. Let us know about the new lands.

 

[revwog1974]

This sounds like a joyous trip. A year ago I went with my parents, husband, and 2 daughters, ages 5 months and 5 years, for my mother's last trip to Disneyland. We were there 6 days and with her health and 2 little kids we missed so much. That's a different situation from yours, of course. So, not that it's really any of my business but I totally understand the need to take it slow and take as much time as you can. 15 days sounds great. Everybody on the message boards said we were taking too long too, but it was the right trip for us under the circumstances and I hope your trip gives all of you as many happy memories as ours gave us.

Take pictures, lots of pictures, but not just with your camera. When you can, have the Disney Photopass photographers take your picture. They will happily take pictures with your cameras too. But their pictures are better quality. You can buy the pictures at Disneyland but a much better deal is ordering one CD with all the pictures for a flat fee. You may want to wait to do your photo albums or leave space for your photo pass pictures. You can find lots of Photopass info here.http://allears.net/dlr/tp/dl-ppass.htm


You should spend some time poking around the Creative DISigns board. The folks there can help you make all kinds of things to make your trip extra-special: notes from the characters, "coupons" for treats, and graphics that you can use to make t-shirts and guidance on how to do it. When we were there a year ago my daughter got a note from a different character every day along with a coupon identifying her "treat" for the day. The treats were varied like a Dole whip or her choice from the bakery but also included an hour alone with mommy or daddy or a glow stick I had brought from the dollar store. She never figured out these things were from me and even now she says the "mail" was her favorite part of the trip. Most of the designers do things for Disneyworld but many will customize for Disneyland too.

Good luck!

 

[revwog1974]

I also made a journal that my daughter worked on each day. I helped her do the writing and she drew lots of pictures. She liked having something that she created to remember the trip. PM me if you want a copy.

 

[barbaraann]

This thread died on me.

barbaraann
What do you do different on your different trips? I guess I'm thinking solo trips would be different than trips with others.
Our trip will be next April, first day in the park on the 14th.

Since I don't go that often, there are always new things happening in the parks that I haven't done before.

I am leaving for my trip tomorrow, and I am excited to be doing some things that I have never done before.

I have never seen Magical, and it is a top priority for me.

I am planning on seeing the new group (new for me) that are playing at the Golden Horseshoe.

I must check out the new Bakery on Main Street.

I will most likely spend my very first evening in the Esplanade just taking pictures of the new entrance to DCA. It wasn't there the last time that I was there.

I understand that the monorail has something special going on with it. I must make sure to ride it, and take a lot of pictures of it.

Star Tours is new and different, and I hope to ride that first thing, come Wednesday morning.

Traveling solo means that I have no one to answer to, but myself. However, I will be meeting up with a few other people throughout my trip.

I am sure that I will try and do something that I was too scared to do on a recent trip, Maybe when I am with a friend, I will get brave enough to ride Space Mountain.

 

[nunzia]

Best of luck to you and your family!

I know you already said you plan on visiting and photographing every shop on Main Street, but one to get excited about is the Silhouette Studio. (I don't think I saw anyone mention it in this post, but I could be wrong.) It will be just one of many special memories for your boys.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/disneyland-silhouette-studio-anaheim

absolutely..you can also get double silhouettes..of you and your kids..a great momento.