Two little boys have a dream come true - 18 day holiday of a lifetime (Pop Century, AK & Others...) Pre & Post Trip Report - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Two little boys have a dream come true - 18 day holiday of a lifetime (Pop Century, AK & Others...) Pre & Post Trip Report
34 Days to go and counting the seconds.....
Well, our family last visited WDW back in January 1997. We then comprised of Pete & Kate (Mum & Dad) and Tom who was just one year old. Pete & Kate had been once before in 1994 on a really tight budget but fell in love with Disney and Florida. The 1997 trip was as a result of Tom being in hospital for 2 weeks prior to Christmas being diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and although he appeared normal, he'd just lost his balance and use of some muscles.
We were all obviously pretty fed up after the hospital and a trip to WDW would cheer us up a bit and get rid of our colds with the UK winter.
Ever since then, we've been awaiting the chance to re-visit.
Our second Son (Charlie) was born in 2004, he also developed Cerebral Palsy just before his first birthday and so we have two beautiful young boys who are both in wheelchairs but are very excited about coming to WDW.
We've visited Disneyland Resort Paris several times as our normal Summer Holiday is in France touring around and most years we do a couple of Disney days. However, every time we go, although we love it, it is nothing like WDW and so when we booked this vacation back in September this year, we were all VERY excited indeed.
We've researched & planned a great deal since our last visit and we really appreciate the help we've been given through the Passporter "Open Mouse" book and the Deluxe Passporter 2009 edition for WDW. We've also spent a long time on-line getting ideas and so here's our plan so far:
We fly from Manchester (UK) on Saturday the 31st January 2009 and arrive in Orlando about 3:30pm. Our first four nights are at Oak Plantation Villas as we thought we'd like to see what staying in a "house" is like as next time, that could be an option for us. During these first 4 days, we'll spend a day touring Kissimmee & I-Drive and visiting Universal, Sea World and possibly Islands of Adventure. I say possibly as it all depends upon what deals we can get on tickets and if there's enough there to entertain a 4 year old and a 13 year old in wheelchairs......your thoughts would be appreciated.
After that, it is off to Pop Century Resort for 7 nights and our main Disney part of the holiday. To help us recover from that, we then go down to Marriott Suites at Clearwater for another 3 nights for a break, some beach time and a relax away from the parks. We "could" do Busch Gardens whilst here but not essential, again, depends upon tickets, money and so on.
Our final 3 nights are in a Savannah View room at the Animal Kingdom before we fly off home on the 17th February.
Things we have ADRs for:
Hoop De Do Revue in Cat 1 seating for us all
Dinner reservation at Cinderellas Castle
Crystal Palace character lunch
The Land Character lunch
Play & Dine at Hollywood & Vine Character meal
Dinner reservation at Jiko
Dinner reservation at Rose & Crown to tie-in with Illuminations
Dinner reservation at Whispering Canyon.
I have also treated Kate to a Segway Tour of EPCOT. Would love to do that myself but I'm too heavy
I'm looking to do a tour myself, I've done the keys to the Kingdom but I don't want to do something that lasts all day so that Kate is stuck with two wheelchairs for a full day. Can't decide as yet so any suggestions would be appreciated.
So there we go. I'm planning to keep this thread updated as we keep planning and get ready to depart and maybe even update when I'm there. I'll be taking my iPhone & laptop so should be OK.
Feel free to drop me some messages, your help & views would be appreciated and thanks to everyone who has sent messages so far, there's a great bunch of people around here.
First off, your two boys are just beautiful! You're going to have such an exciting holiday with them I'm sure. You all deserve a nice break and hopefully will enjoy some warm Florida sun. I'm not a big fan of Universal Studios or IOA but there are some areas there that are geared towards children. Maybe some other PP's can let you know how wheelchair friendly those parks are. We all know just how wheelchair accessible WDW is. Can't wait to hear all about your trip.
What a great trip you have planned. Your boys are adorable by the way, what a smile on the little one . I love how you are breaking up the trip into different sections, I think the break at Clearwater will be a great few days and then ending the trip at AKL....what a way to wrap up the trip.
Your boys are adorable. I have a cousin with CP. She just turned 16 in September and is determined to drive a car. She has had so many operations. Her last one was earlier in the year and it was heart wrenching. I hope your boys are doing well. They both look so happy.
I hope you guys have a wonderful vacation and fill it full of great memories. I can't wait to read all about it when you return.
First, welcome to the PassPorter boards! Your boys are so handsome. Your trip sounds great. Hope you have a wonderful time, you've picked an excellent time of the year in my opinion.
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You have a great trip planned and a wonderful time of year to go. Your boys are beautiful and they are going to have the trip of a lifetime! Have a magical trip!
Well first of all, many thanks to everyone for replying with such nice messages. I've found the people on here to be so helpful and genuine, it really is a lovely community. Thank you.
Well, to update you on our planning.........
Yesterday, my Sister (Aunty Ruth) came round for tea with her husband. She is a Disney freak too and adores visiting Disneyland in Paris. We've tried and tried to get her to come with us to Florida but she won't fly and would even panic about taking the trip by boat. The journey to France is hard enough for her and that is a short ferry crossing, she won't even go on the tunnel from UK to France in case it leaks!
Anyway, she was reading my Passporter last night and loved it as do we and I think for the first time, she started to realise just how big WDW in comparison to Paris and how she is missing out. As many of you will know, it is so hard to describe to others the magic at WDW, even pictures or video do not do it justice.
We've made our ADRs and entered them into pur Passporter and I thought it could be also prudent to photocopy our passports too and put them in there in case they got lost.
We also recorded ourselves for the first time on the on-line ESTA system. For visitors from the UK, we used to have to complete a green visa waiver form when on the plane but this new system comes into play mid January and so I registered the four of us and thankfully, we were all approved! I don't know what I'd have done if it had rejected us.
Having said that, I'm sure we wouldn't have been rejected as I think I turn into an American when I visit the USA, I even have the hairs stand up on the back of my neck during the American Adventure presentation in EPCOT and have a sense of pride even though I am not an American!
So, my counter says 32 days and 5 hours to go, it can't go quickly enough for me but I guess it will and the more I read other people's trip reports, the more excited I get.
A big thank you to those of you who have replied saying you'd like to meet up when we're over there (1st to 17th Feb) I'd certainly like to do that and I will get in touch a little nearer the time to make arrangements.
The first time we ever visited WDW as just a couple in 1994, we spent the middle weekend of our holiday travelling up to Utica in NY State to visit a Scouting friend of ours. This was one of the highlights of the trip as we saw the real America and enjoyed his hospitality and learning about life in another Country to ours. Meeting up with others to chat would be lovely if we have the chance.
OK, that is it for the next few days. I'm hoping our tickets will be arriving soon which will make us even more excited. Final question, although we have Disney tickets sorted, our first 4 days will include visiting Sea World and Universal and possible Islands of Adventure. Anyone any tips for getting good priced tickets to last this period? We may or may not visit Busch Gardens depending upon what deal we can get.
And thanks again everyone for your best wishes & help & advice. It is really appreciated.
It's very hard for anyone who's never been to WDW and even those who've been to Disneyland Paris to comprehend how big WDW is. Let's be honest, it's in a different league to DLP!
I'm glad to hear the online filling in of those forms went fine... I guess I should go and do mine for May.
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Originally Posted by sturgess
The first time we ever visited WDW as just a couple in 1994, we spent the middle weekend of our holiday travelling up to Utica in NY State to visit a Scouting friend of ours. This was one of the highlights of the trip as we saw the real America and enjoyed his hospitality and learning about life in another Country to ours. Meeting up with others to chat would be lovely if we have the chance.
I got excited when I saw you mentioned Utica, NY. Thats about an hour and a half from where I live!
Your trip sounds like it is coming together and it will be here before you know it!
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I'm not a big fan of Universal Studios or IOA but there are some areas there that are geared towards children. Maybe some other PP's can let you know how wheelchair friendly those parks are. We all know just how wheelchair accessible WDW is. Can't wait to hear all about your trip.
Liz 
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