We Moved to Disneyland!! Now What ? Stories from New DLR Locals - Updated 1/15

[tayalltheway]

Fantastic to get into RSR last thing.

That pizza looks good. I think I'll put it on my list for September.

We were very glad we timed the single rider line just right that night.

I definitely recommend getting the pizza, and maybe try to go during the dinner rush so that it hasn't been sitting out for too long...

Sorry to hear about dapper day

I love Monsters Inc too I'm not a big fan of the Ghost Galaxy overlay (it makes it too bright in there and kinda ruins the coaster-in-the-dark effect for me) and I'm glad it's only there for about a month.

Sooooo cool that you got to ride RSR at closing. I need to try to do that someday!

Yeah, Dapper Day wasn't great, but we moved past it as best we could.

I'm not remembering how bright the ghost effect was during Ghost Galaxy, but that's probably because we had never been on the ride in its normal incarnation before when we rode the overlay. I'll have to see how we think it compares this year.

RSR at closing is definitely fun! I just love the ride at night in general, and it's nice when it doesn't feel QUITE as crazily busy.

Wow you are certainly making good use of your new AP sounds like you're having a great time xx

We've definitely been having a great time with our passes! Now I just need to find the time to catch up on the months of visits that I still need to report on!!

I read your trip reports and now your "life" report. All very interesting and wonderfully retold. You are a talented storyteller

 

[PrincessInOz]

Always take the left fork!!....to the RSR fastpass machines.



So sorry to read that you had an early morning episode.

And I am sympathetic of GAC guests; just as I am sympathetic of people with scooters. If Disney implements a system to help them enjoy the Happiest Place on Earth and there are processes in place for the issue of the card, then it really isn't anyone else's business. And if there is inconsistency in the implementation of the process, then that is all about being human.

So glad you got it off your chest (and allowed me a little support rant as well).

 

[Apopper74]

Awesome life report.

Everything you wrote about how you feel about the using the GAC, I feel the same. I have MS. While I am still mobile and have more good days than not, Disney touring is hard and takes a lot out of me in little. Having 2 young kids one in a stroller, I need to be on my feet not on an ECV or wheelchair. Besides, knowing my eventual fate I want to enjoy my legs & I want my kids to remember me a certain way at Disney. If people who abused this system only knew how selfish they are and others understand there are a lot of invisible disabilities.

 

[AussieMumma]

I'm glad you wrote that post about your experience with the GAC. I hope some of those people that 'speak before they think' read it also and realise that what you see is not always what you think it is.
I have no experience with the GAC, but I work with additional needs children that "look normal", and the stories their parents have told me about what certain know it all's have had the nerve to say to their faces, absolutely appalls me

Looking forward to reading more about your amazing adventures

 

[AbbyMarie]

I'm a newbie to the Disboards, but I have been reading about your adventures and really enjoying your report. My husband and I are also high school sweethearts - we met as Freshmen and have been married for 23 years. You guys are such a cute couple!

I'm terrible about commenting, but I had to come out of lurkdom to thank you for your recent insight on the GAC situation. My sister has a 14 year old son with many special needs, but from outward appearances he seems fine. He really wants to go to Disneyland, and they had been in the early stages of planning a trip when all of the GAC problems surfaced. Now she is afraid to pursue using a GAC, but there is no way he would be able to handle the lines. She has even had friends comment "I guess he's just not meant to go to Disney" - which is so sad and so wrong. There are so many other things he can't do, and in my opinion, everyone should be able to go to Disney!

Thanks for sharing your experiences with all of us!

 

[Happy 2 B Me]

You did an awesome report on the use of GAC for guests with invisible disabilities. A Dr. at the Mayo Clinic gave my husband some great advice right after he told him "You have ALS-- aka Lou Gehrigs". He told my husband to not use all his energy getting to the game, use an ECV saving your energy to enjoy the ball game. I remember going to WDW first time and having to show Guest Services a special note from Dr. explaining why husband needed use of wheelchair access. Disney was wonderful in making the parks easier for husband to enjoy. First few years he needed HM, pirates, Small world, the ride at the land where you ride a boat thru the growing areas, oh heck just anything that was moving when you get on. My husbands diagnosis is correct as there are tests that have confirmed ALS but for only God to know he has out lived this illness by far. We are planning a trip to DL that is coming up soon to celebrate his 81 birthday although he looks 60. We are those "old fogies" that still love the magic of Disney. He is no longer able to enjoy rides except maybe one -- Small World-- as they have a special boat that he can drive his Electric wheel chair right on. Just to be fortunate enough to make this trip possible we need to have a hospital bed in our room. This is one reason we stay on property as Disney hotels are wonderful in making sure room is ready and bed is set up for our stay.

I am surprised that a plaid would say they did not need to accommodate people with disabilities. . (within reason). There is the People with Disabilities Act that ensures access most areas that people without disabilities do. Nuf said on this.

Here is my this trip. I do home dialysis-- been waiting for a donor kidney for going on 7 years now --, have neuropathy of my feet-- think feet on fire with needles poking at my soles , I am recently insulin dependent. I to can walk so this trip I am going to get an EVC to get to the park then walk along side husbands wheelchair while in park. I would hate to think about the stares and whispers if both us were in EVC's although his is an actual electric chair. ( He has the one similar to what Christopher Reeves used).

I hope you and Tracey can enjoy the parks in a manner that lets you enjoy your time at the parks as most others are able to. I totally understand the stares and whispers that you might get taking a Wheelchair to access then standing up to get on ride. I always need to remember to take care of your health. The gawkers, mean people, stares, whispers are just sad but at the end of the day they will not be the ones to care for you. Enjoy what ever and however that works best for you and use my saying " Oh, heck with them-- they will never see me again" .

From a lurker, not a poster.

 

[AussieDisneyNut]

Sorry to hear about the GAC troubles. I was completely unaware of and/or oblivious to anyone using a GAC when we were in Disneyland, but then again I always assume if someone uses a wheelchair or enters a ride from the wheelchair access area that it is for a legitimate reason, even if I can't see what that reason may be. Some people are too quick to judge others.
I hope that you are able to still enjoy Disneyland as much as possible and look forward to hearing about your continued adventures.

 

[tayalltheway]

Always take the left fork!!....to the RSR fastpass machines.

So sorry to read that you had an early morning episode.

And I am sympathetic of GAC guests; just as I am sympathetic of people with scooters. If Disney implements a system to help them enjoy the Happiest Place on Earth and there are processes in place for the issue of the card, then it really isn't anyone else's business. And if there is inconsistency in the implementation of the process, then that is all about being human.

So glad you got it off your chest (and allowed me a little support rant as well).

Now we know about the RSR Fastpass method (though we've yet to make it back to another rope drop to do it right!)

I'm glad to hear you have some of the same opinions on the GAC as well, and thanks for reading my rant

Awesome life report.

Everything you wrote about how you feel about the using the GAC, I feel the same. I have MS. While I am still mobile and have more good days than not, Disney touring is hard and takes a lot out of me in little. Having 2 young kids one in a stroller, I need to be on my feet not on an ECV or wheelchair. Besides, knowing my eventual fate I want to enjoy my legs & I want my kids to remember me a certain way at Disney. If people who abused this system only knew how selfish they are and others understand there are a lot of invisible disabilities.

Thanks so much for sharing your story about dealing with an invisible disability as well! I think it's great that you are able to tour the parks as much on foot as possible and make great Disney memories with your kids Hopefully you continue to have mostly good days for many years to come

I'm glad you wrote that post about your experience with the GAC. I hope some of those people that 'speak before they think' read it also and realise that what you see is not always what you think it is.
I have no experience with the GAC, but I work with additional needs children that "look normal", and the stories their parents have told me about what certain know it all's have had the nerve to say to their faces, absolutely appalls me

Looking forward to reading more about your amazing adventures

I too hope that at least someone who might have been too quick to judge in the past reads and maybe changes their attitude. That's the best thing I could hope for with my post. Thanks for reading and supporting Hope you continue to enjoy hearing about our adventures.

I'm a newbie to the Disboards, but I have been reading about your adventures and really enjoying your report. My husband and I are also high school sweethearts - we met as Freshmen and have been married for 23 years. You guys are such a cute couple!

I'm terrible about commenting, but I had to come out of lurkdom to thank you for your recent insight on the GAC situation. My sister has a 14 year old son with many special needs, but from outward appearances he seems fine. He really wants to go to Disneyland, and they had been in the early stages of planning a trip when all of the GAC problems surfaced. Now she is afraid to pursue using a GAC, but there is no way he would be able to handle the lines. She has even had friends comment "I guess he's just not meant to go to Disney" - which is so sad and so wrong. There are so many other things he can't do, and in my opinion, everyone should be able to go to Disney!

Thanks for sharing your experiences with all of us!

Thank you so much for coming out of lurkdom and commenting! I love that you and your husband have been together for so long!

I agree that it's terrible when people try to insist that someone with special needs shouldn't be able to enjoy Disneyland too, and I really hope that your sister finds a way to still take her son! I continue to have faith in the folks in charge at Disney, and I think that the current GAC controversy will be worked out in a way that everyone will still be able to find a way to enjoy the parks. So hopefully they'll be able to book the trip soon and really experience the magic.

Thanks for sharing your story. I hope you keep enjoying reading along.

You did an awesome report on the use of GAC for guests with invisible disabilities. A Dr. at the Mayo Clinic gave my husband some great advice right after he told him "You have ALS-- aka Lou Gehrigs". He told my husband to not use all his energy getting to the game, use an ECV saving your energy to enjoy the ball game. I remember going to WDW first time and having to show Guest Services a special note from Dr. explaining why husband needed use of wheelchair access. Disney was wonderful in making the parks easier for husband to enjoy. First few years he needed HM, pirates, Small world, the ride at the land where you ride a boat thru the growing areas, oh heck just anything that was moving when you get on. My husbands diagnosis is correct as there are tests that have confirmed ALS but for only God to know he has out lived this illness by far. We are planning a trip to DL that is coming up soon to celebrate his 81 birthday although he looks 60. We are those "old fogies" that still love the magic of Disney. He is no longer able to enjoy rides except maybe one -- Small World-- as they have a special boat that he can drive his Electric wheel chair right on. Just to be fortunate enough to make this trip possible we need to have a hospital bed in our room. This is one reason we stay on property as Disney hotels are wonderful in making sure room is ready and bed is set up for our stay.

I am surprised that a plaid would say they did not need to accommodate people with disabilities. . (within reason). There is the People with Disabilities Act that ensures access most areas that people without disabilities do. Nuf said on this.

Here is my this trip. I do home dialysis-- been waiting for a donor kidney for going on 7 years now --, have neuropathy of my feet-- think feet on fire with needles poking at my soles , I am recently insulin dependent. I to can walk so this trip I am going to get an EVC to get to the park then walk along side husbands wheelchair while in park. I would hate to think about the stares and whispers if both us were in EVC's although his is an actual electric chair. ( He has the one similar to what Christopher Reeves used).

I hope you and Tracey can enjoy the parks in a manner that lets you enjoy your time at the parks as most others are able to. I totally understand the stares and whispers that you might get taking a Wheelchair to access then standing up to get on ride. I always need to remember to take care of your health. The gawkers, mean people, stares, whispers are just sad but at the end of the day they will not be the ones to care for you. Enjoy what ever and however that works best for you and use my saying " Oh, heck with them-- they will never see me again" .

From a lurker, not a poster.

Thanks so much for sharing your experiences! It always helps to get a little insight from other people who actually have experience doing Disney with disabilities.

It sounds like you and your husband are great troopers and are doing your best not to let anything stop you from enjoying the magic of Disneyland. I find that so admirable, and I hope your upcoming trip turns out great!

Sorry to hear about the GAC troubles. I was completely unaware of and/or oblivious to anyone using a GAC when we were in Disneyland, but then again I always assume if someone uses a wheelchair or enters a ride from the wheelchair access area that it is for a legitimate reason, even if I can't see what that reason may be. Some people are too quick to judge others.
I hope that you are able to still enjoy Disneyland as much as possible and look forward to hearing about your continued adventures.

I think that most good people have the same reaction as you in that they don't even really pay it much mind when they see someone using the GAC. It's the judgmental ones we have to watch out for!

We have definitely still been able to enjoy Disneyland in so many ways (and the assistance from the GAC has been a major part of that), so I have MANY more adventures that I look forward to sharing! Hopefully you'll enjoy reading about all of them too

 

[PrincessInOz]

Great pictures of Carsland.

Glad that you had a better time in the queues.

 

[tdashgirl]

I never judged anybody with the GAC card, I always figured it was on them, their own personal sense of integrity, if they actually were abusing it. Such a bummer that the Today show "expose" of this caused so many deserving people problems. I guess it's true that all it takes is one person to ruin it for everyone

 

[dizneefan13]

I'm glad the GAC made the rest of your day more pleasant.

I've never given any thought to those I see "going in the back door". Many times they have to wait as long as the rest of us, or longer. Like on POC for example. That wheelchair entrance gets crazy sometimes!

So we know that you have your AP's and you are able to visit The Happiest Place on Earth quite often.

Some of us, like me, are wondering how other things are going.

Are you still working from home? Tracy still liking her job? Are you happy to be in Orange now after living there several months?

We will be there in November and I'm sure going to be keeping my eye out for you too!

 

[Turbanator]

Many thanks for the great report and awesome pics tayalltheway

 

[AussieDisneyNut]

Some of us, like me, are wondering how other things are going.

Are you still working from home? Tracy still liking her job? Are you happy to be in Orange now after living there several months?

Good questions ... I'm interested to hear too!

 

[Belle83]

I am slowly getting all caught up! I love that you are writing about this experience, thanks for sharing it.

I wanted to say that your Estes pictures are beautiful! My fiancé (boyfriend at the time) and I lived there temporarily at his parents' house. We still go up there to celebrate or get away, and are going up next weekend for my birthday!

Also, with the free Qdoba lunch...I truly feel Tracy's pain about the age thing. Story of my life. I'm glad you guys were able to get freebies out of it though

 

[tayalltheway]

Great pictures of Carsland.

Glad that you had a better time in the queues.

Thanks! I was glad too

I never judged anybody with the GAC card, I always figured it was on them, their own personal sense of integrity, if they actually were abusing it. Such a bummer that the Today show "expose" of this caused so many deserving people problems. I guess it's true that all it takes is one person to ruin it for everyone

Like you, I had never given it a second thought before I started reading some of the comments on Twitter and the like. Oh well, as they say, "haters gonna hate." Hopefully Disney will figure out a good plan of action that won't mess things up for us too badly.

I'm glad the GAC made the rest of your day more pleasant.

I've never given any thought to those I see "going in the back door". Many times they have to wait as long as the rest of us, or longer. Like on POC for example. That wheelchair entrance gets crazy sometimes!

So we know that you have your AP's and you are able to visit The Happiest Place on Earth quite often.

Some of us, like me, are wondering how other things are going.

Are you still working from home? Tracy still liking her job? Are you happy to be in Orange now after living there several months?

We will be there in November and I'm sure going to be keeping my eye out for you too!

Good questions ... I'm interested to hear too!

You are indeed correct about some of the GAC lines being much longer (especially PotC), but at least there's a place to sit!

Don't worry, I certainly won't be abandoning reporting about everything else that's gone on in our lives simply because we get to go to Disney now. It's just taken a while to report on the first few days of our passes because they were so action-packed.

Anyway, I'll have longer answers in future updates, but the Cliffs Notes version:
Yes, I am still working at home, but I'm doing something I never would have predicted before and for which I can actually thank all of you (that's a tease, I know, but more on that later). Tracy still really likes her job. The company has some really great benefits including the ability to travel to a very convenient location for us (again, more on that soon). And yes, we definitely still like Orange--though these last few days it's been like 600 degrees and 150% humidity, so we haven't liked that one bit.

Hopefully we'll get to meet up with you when you're here in November. If you see us in the parks, please come say hi!!

Many thanks for the great report and awesome pics tayalltheway

Thank you for reading!! I'm so glad that I have this outlet to share our pictures and stories!

I am slowly getting all caught up! I love that you are writing about this experience, thanks for sharing it.

I wanted to say that your Estes pictures are beautiful! My fiancé (boyfriend at the time) and I lived there temporarily at his parents' house. We still go up there to celebrate or get away, and are going up next weekend for my birthday!

Also, with the free Qdoba lunch...I truly feel Tracy's pain about the age thing. Story of my life. I'm glad you guys were able to get freebies out of it though

I'm so glad to hear that you're enjoying reading along!

Glad you like the Estes pictures. We were actually just there again about a week ago, and it was still as lovely as ever. Hope you enjoy your weekend trip, and Happy Birthday!

We really enjoyed profiting a little from Tracy looking like she was 14 years old. Of course, they didn't question my age either, so apparently we just both look that young

 

[PrincessInOz]

Those beignets from Ralph Brennan's are great!

I'll be at DLR 15 - 16 September so I hope to hit up RB for some. If you're at the parks those days, hope to bump into you!

 

[AussieDisneyNut]

Great update, good to hear that real life is going well, look forward to getting the details! Lovely picture of the Blue Bayou dining area.

We loved the Bengal BBQ when we were in DL, whilst it did seem pricey, everyone enjoyed their skewer and the food was tasty and fresh. And on reflection, I am happy to pay a bit extra for tasty, fresh and healthy options!

My oldest daughter was obsessed by Sleeping Beauty when she was aged 4 - 5. We watched this movie over and over again. She would jump behind the sofa/lounge whenever Maleficent appeared, but wouldn't stop watching. I actually won $50 from a magazine by quoting her reaction to the movie: "I don't like Maleficent ... but I love her dress!".

As always, looking forward to hearing more!

 

[tdashgirl]

Yes, thank you for the teaser update

I agree with you about the skewers - yes, tasty and yes, expensive and yes, far too easy to just duplicate at home. I tried them once and while I loved them, I prefer to spend my Disney dollars on things not so easily duplicated (such as those tasty corn dogs you mentioned )

How cool that you got to do the special Fantasyland thing even though you didn't see the movie...looks like it all worked out

Love the celebrity sightings and the fact that you guys got hooked on The Bachelor One of my guilty pleasures too

 

[heaven2dc]

Chapter 59
After-Hours in the Kingdom

Tracy and I were both jonesing for a snack and realized we could get one for free by taking the Bakery Tour.



As we entered the building, we were handed our slices of sourdough bread. It was really quite delicious! We had tasted the bread before when we got bread bowls at Pacific Wharf Café, but we had never done the tour before.​

I haven't even seen the Pacific Wharf Cafe - I really need to go in there as I love to watch bakers!

We noticed the beauty of the lit up Snow White fountain on the way out.

Love this photo - you are really encouraging me to stay longer after dark!

Favorite Guilty-Pleasure TV Show
The Bachelor (Ugh, I feel dirty even admitting this one. I’ll admit that we started watching just because we never had before and wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Then all the ridiculous personalities combined with such a ridiculous premise had us tuning in week after week. In the end, we’re also just hopeless romantics, and found ourselves wanting all these people to find SOMEONE they could live happily together with, even if we don’t REALLY have that much faith in the process of The Bachelor/Bachelorette)

[/COLOR]

I am guilty of loving The Bachelor or Bachelorette shows - every Monday night that it came on I made certain I had my dinner and dishes finished by 8 o'clock lol

 

[franandaj]

I'm glad you shared your feelings on the GAC card. I'm sort of on the weird end of the fence on this one. I totally agree with you and your needing the GAC and that you should have access to it. We have never pursued it because Fran has been so pathetic for the past 15 years, there has never been a doubt about her disability.

What I appreciated was you candor about how you can't see another person's disability. Technically I am not disabled. My doctor will not give me a plaque and I really don't deserve one. However, I can not walk around the parks for a day and be able to do it again the next day, or do anything the next day for that matter.

I broke the fifth metatarcel in my left foot back in 1999, and while I was fine for the first six or seven years, I can't walk more than one mile in a day before I end up paralyzed for the next couple days. My partner Fran has RA and it is very obvious that she is disabled. Technically I am not disabled, but I'm not willing to kill a week of my life for a day at the parks. Because of that, I get my partner's "hand me down" scooters.

We both use the scooters when we go to the parks. Now we don't regularly go on rides, normally we just go for dining and shopping. Occasionally we go on rides, but mostly when we go we use fast passes, we don't pull the GAC FP (which isn't required when you are in a scooter), but I completely understand you thing about the stigma from other guests. I look like I am completely well, and for the most part I am. Unless I walk over a mile. When that happens, I can't function for days afterwards.

So back to the whole regular discussion, but I completely understand and wanted to let you know that I am on your side.

On the Bengal BBQ, that asparagus skewer is my absolute favorite in the park. I understand about how you could make it at home for much less, and I plan on doing that. I don't even have time to go out and enjoy the parks as much as I would like, I used to stuff asparagus with goat cheese and wrap them in prosciutto, at this time, I'm barely able to cook up the Hams, Tri Tips and Turkeys in my freezer before we move. Making skewers wrapped in Bacon is so far beyond my radar (although I have many pounds of bacon in the freezer that I need to use up before we move!).

Anyways, love your updates and hope to run into you soon. I will be at the park all day Wednesday, and we are doing the Aladdin show at 4:45. I'll probably take off after that....but I'll be around the parks with another DISer Pinckoto....