Ways to Honor Loved Ones while at Disney?

[hoodedenchantress]

Hi everyone. This is my first time posting on the Dis boards. I will be going to Disney world Sept 17-22, 2014 with my boyfriend. This was originally going to be a birthday trip (turning 27), but recently my father passed away this last May. It was sudden, unexpected and heart wrenching, and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of him.

He was a huge Disney fan and often took my sister and I when we were little. I want to make this trip about him and honor his memory as best I can. I found an old Mickey Mouse pin of his that I plan on wearing throughout the trip, but I was wondering- Does Disney offer any kind of memorials, plaques, etc. to honor loved ones? Does anyone else have any suggestions as far as ways to remember loved ones while at Disney?

 

[got2sammies]

Sorry to hear about your loss... Welcome to the disboards.. People on these boards have all sorts of ideas.. The one I like the best is to buy a balloon and write something about your loved one and then release it into the air...

 

[anniemae]

Sorry for your loss. It will be a tough trip, but try to enjoy too. The folks on these boards should have some great ideas. I would not however do the balloon release. It is awful for the environment and can kill animals. Disney is very environment conscious so I don't think they would encourage that. Not sure though.

I'm not sure if you can still buy the bricks or etching at Epcot.

 

[hoodedenchantress]

I really like the balloon idea (made me tear up), but Annie is probably right in that it can be hazardous to the environment/animals. Do you know more about those bricks/etchings?

 

[anniemae]

One suggestion I have heard about is giving a donation to Give Kids the World in honor of your loved one.

 

[Sunday]

My daughter passed away unexpectedly on Boxing Day 2012, at the age of five and a half. She loved Disney World with everything she had. We now return each year on her birthday in August, as it is the only place we feel right being at such a precious, difficult, and memorable time.

We have purchased stacks and stacks of biodegradable Thai lanterns, similar to the ones in Tangled. We take them out on August 18th after it gets dark, we light them and we release them over the water.

It is a very moving and fitting tribute to our lost Princess.

 

[hoodedenchantress]

My daughter passed away unexpectedly on Boxing Day 2012, at the age of five and a half. She loved Disney World with everything she had. We now return each year on her birthday in August, as it is the only place we feel right being at such a precious, difficult, and memorable time.

We have purchased stacks and stacks of biodegradable Thai lanterns, similar to the ones in Tangled. We take them out on August 18th after it gets dark, we light them and we release them over the water.

It is a very moving and fitting tribute to our lost Princess.

I am so sorry for your loss. What a beautiful tribute to her memory.

 

[lam0037]

Hi everyone. This is my first time posting on the Dis boards. I will be going to Disney world Sept 17-22, 2014 with my boyfriend. This was originally going to be a birthday trip (turning 27), but recently my father passed away this last May. It was sudden, unexpected and heart wrenching, and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of him. He was a huge Disney fan and often took my sister and I when we were little. I want to make this trip about him and honor his memory as best I can. I found an old Mickey Mouse pin of his that I plan on wearing throughout the trip, but I was wondering- Does Disney offer any kind of memorials, plaques, etc. to honor loved ones? Does anyone else have any suggestions as far as ways to remember loved ones while at Disney?

I am so sorry for your loss. My father passed away October 18, 2012 unexpectedly as well. I think about him every day and miss him so much. I was 19 when he passed and I'm an only child and a daddy's girl so it was really hard. My dad also loved disney, and that first trip back is hard. In fact, we just had cancelled a trip that was to be the weekend before he died.

My mom and I went back March 2013 for my spring break and it was difficult. His favorite saying was Hakuna Matata and he sang " in the big blue world" from Nemo show and ride all the time. So we avoided FotLK and Nemo show and ride, but of course Hakuna Matata is played a lot at Disney. There were tears, as we realized how much we missed him and how much fun he would have there. But we also spent time laughing about funny things that happened there, etc.

We released balloons at home on the anniversary of his death, but I too am interested in a plaque or something at Disney. His marker has Hakuna Matata written on it actually.

I'm going again in December with my boyfriend, and expect there will be tears and laughter once again. I'm still trying to come up with other things to do to honor him while we are there, our march trip we were still in shock and honestly didn't that of that beforehand. I think we are making shirts to wear one day, but don't have a design nailed down yet. But when I come up with more stuff, I'll let you know!

Sending you lots of love. It's always tough to lose a loved one, but little girls and their daddies are close and special so that loss is hard

 

[Seeker615]

I love the lantern idea. What a beautiful tribute.

Where can you purchase those? We are doing a bon fire in the fall and would love to have those to honor the people who are no longer with us.

 

[hoodedenchantress]

I am so sorry for your loss. My father passed away October 18, 2012 unexpectedly as well. I think about him every day and miss him so much. I was 19 when he passed and I'm an only child and a daddy's girl so it was really hard. My dad also loved disney, and that first trip back is hard. In fact, we just had cancelled a trip that was to be the weekend before he died.

My mom and I went back March 2013 for my spring break and it was difficult. His favorite saying was Hakuna Matata and he sang " in the big blue world" from Nemo show and ride all the time. So we avoided FotLK and Nemo show and ride, but of course Hakuna Matata is played a lot at Disney. There were tears, as we realized how much we missed him and how much fun he would have there. But we also spent time laughing about funny things that happened there, etc.

We released balloons at home on the anniversary of his death, but I too am interested in a plaque or something at Disney. His marker has Hakuna Matata written on it actually.

I'm going again in December with my boyfriend, and expect there will be tears and laughter once again. I'm still trying to come up with other things to do to honor him while we are there, our march trip we were still in shock and honestly didn't that of that beforehand. I think we are making shirts to wear one day, but don't have a design nailed down yet. But when I come up with more stuff, I'll let you know!

Sending you lots of love. It's always tough to lose a loved one, but little girls and their daddies are close and special so that loss is hard

Your story really moved me- Thank you for sharing. It's never easy losing someone you are so close to. I suspect there will be many tears when I visit this fall, but I hope most of those tears will be from remembering such wonderful times I shared with him. We made a point to stay at All Star Sports- which was my dad's favorite, so I know I will definitely be walking those grounds and paying homage when we first arrive.

 

[Sunday]

I love the lantern idea. What a beautiful tribute.

Where can you purchase those? We are doing a bon fire in the fall and would love to have those to honor the people who are no longer with us.

Thank you.

We purchase them online. Just google biodegradable sky lantern or chinese sky lantern and you should be able to find them.

 

[BethA]

So Very sorry for everyone's loss. I lost my mom 3 months ago and we just spent 2 days at the park prior to a Disney cruise and it was hard- especially for my dad. We have spent many vacations over the years at WDW and would love to hear all the tribute ideas. My mom is not buried anywhere near where I live and I have been trying to think of something. The lantern idea is beautiful.
My prayers go out for all of you who have lost someone you love. I know I miss my mom constantly.

 

[disnut8]

Hi everyone. This is my first time posting on the Dis boards. I will be going to Disney world Sept 17-22, 2014 with my boyfriend. This was originally going to be a birthday trip (turning 27), but recently my father passed away this last May. It was sudden, unexpected and heart wrenching, and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of him.

He was a huge Disney fan and often took my sister and I when we were little. I want to make this trip about him and honor his memory as best I can. I found an old Mickey Mouse pin of his that I plan on wearing throughout the trip, but I was wondering- Does Disney offer any kind of memorials, plaques, etc. to honor loved ones? Does anyone else have any suggestions as far as ways to remember loved ones while at Disney?

Each family will have a different way of remembering their loved ones. What was one or two things your father loved the most about Disney World? What is something you and your sister remember about Disney World with your father? For me, I'd like for my family to just simply gather at that bridge where you can see the logs coming down off Splash Mountain and then celebrate my life. The point is - what would your father have liked?

 

[monaleigh70]

I really like the balloon idea (made me tear up), but Annie is probably right in that it can be hazardous to the environment/animals. Do you know more about those bricks/etchings?

I think they stopped doing the bricks/etchings in 2007, which is kind of a shame, imho. And I agree about the balloons even though it is a cool idea. Why don't you go to some of your favourite rides that you did with your dad and say, this is for you, Dad, thanks. You'll probably cry a few times while you're there but you'll feel close to your Dad because he gave you some amazing memories. I am very sorry for your loss.

 

[Altoqueenkelly]

My daughter passed away unexpectedly on Boxing Day 2012, at the age of five and a half. She loved Disney World with everything she had. We now return each year on her birthday in August, as it is the only place we feel right being at such a precious, difficult, and memorable time.

We have purchased stacks and stacks of biodegradable Thai lanterns, similar to the ones in Tangled. We take them out on August 18th after it gets dark, we light them and we release them over the water.

It is a very moving and fitting tribute to our lost Princess.

This is absolutely gorgeous and completely moving. So sorry for your loss! Such an amazing way to pay tribute to her, absolutely beautiful!

 

[kurdav]

The first time I ever went to Disney I was a junior in high school. I rode space mountain with a guy who was a very close friend. He screamed like a girl the whole way through the ride. Every time I ride Space Mountain I think of him. He passed away suddenly a month ago. In memory of him I plan to ride space mountain in November and scream like a girl the whole way through the ride. I don't scream on roller coasters I laugh continually. My own personal way of telling him good bye.

 

[Altoqueenkelly]

The first time I ever went to Disney I was a junior in high school. I rode space mountain with a guy who was a very close friend. He screamed like a girl the whole way through the ride. Every time I ride Space Mountain I think of him. He passed away suddenly a month ago. In memory of him I plan to ride space mountain in November and scream like a girl the whole way through the ride. I don't scream on roller coasters I laugh continually. My own personal way of telling him good bye.

So very personal and so very cute You could also make a shirt with the friends picture or something with a cute saying on it about space and screaming. Love it

 

[Bamagirl43]

Sorry for your loss. I believe the Touring Plans blog had a post about this recently with some nice ideas on how to pay tribute to lost loved ones.

 

[lauratd]

Sorry for your loss. I lost my mom just over a year ago. She loved Disneyland and so do I. That year had been a hard one as I had thyroid cancer (I am now cancer free) and my mom was battling dementia (I guess she is now dementia free), so I had bought myself an AP to help me cheer up between my operation and her hospice care and the various other fun things related to the two events. About a month after she passed I took another trip to Disneyland and wanted to do something to honor her. I remembered when I was a kid she would bring soap bubbles for us to blow in line (we had no iPhones back then in the stone age). So I ordered a bunch of small party favored sized bubble bottles and had them shipped to my motel (can't take them on the plane because they are a threat to democracy as we know it). Every day I would bring a gallon baggy of bottles into the park with me (bag check always looked at me funny- but oh well- if they asked I explained, if they didn't I just smiled and let them think I was crazy). I would blow bubbles whenever I was in line to go in the park or just sitting on a bench relaxing. Little kids would come up and scream "Bubbles!" and I would ask their parents if I could give them a bottle of their own. If they asked why I had so many bottles I would tell them it was in honor of my mom, if they didn't ask, I just enjoyed watching the kids getting excited over a cheap little bottle of bubbles and knew that my mom would love seeing their faces brighten up in her honor.

One night at the hub I was blowing bubbles and an older man and his adult in body but child in mind and heart son came over and the son was very excited about the bubbles. I offered him some and the dad asked so I told. The dad misted up. His wife had died the same week my mom did. She was supposed to be on that trip with them. "Disney was more her thing....but my son wanted to still come and how could I not..." We both shed a tear or two or twenty. I asked the son to help me give people bubble bottles and he handed them out around the hub. We watched the fireworks together and, it being the summer show they had Dumbo and therefore played the song "Baby of Mine" The dad and I wept while the son jumped up and down in excitement at seeing Dumbo fly. I am tearing up again just remembering that shared moment with that man. If I hadn't brought the bubbles we would probably not have found out about our shared loss and there was something very healing about crying with someone who had been a stranger just an hour before but now shared something with me that most of my friends didn't share.

I had a lot of very nice connections with people because of the bubbles. None as deep as that one at the fireworks, but a lot of smiles and hugs and kind words from people I had never met before.

Think of a memory you have with your Dad at Disneyworld. Think if there is a way to share that with others at the park. I don't think there are physical plaques or things like that being offered any more at the park, but you can imprint his memory in the minds of people you meet.

 

[palmtreelover08]

My mom has terminal colon cancer. She loved the big steamboat ride and I can't stand it and have not ridden in it the last 15 visits. Someday soon I will stand on the bow of that boat and know she is watching over--- find something special to you and your family and claim it as your own- (a special meal, a special place to reflect, pixie dust for others, etc)