My first TR - Sept 2010 Three Adults "and Your Little Dog too!" About This Page:

[Sunshine Family]

Keywords: Boardwalk, GAC, special needs, small service dog, Sept, September, Halloween, MNSSH - if you’re searching on these terms, this trip report will cover them.

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So my first trip report I know it's old, but I figured it would be good practice so that I'm prepared to write up our next trip. Hopefully, at the end of this trip report will be my PTR for this September's visit

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After reading several trip reports, I decide to write mine up for our trip in Sept 2010, even though it’s been several months. I have a lot of notes written up in my notebook, but they aren’t going to be as detailed as this.

First up - the introductions:

• Me, Tink! The planner, the wife, the organizer. Also, I’ve been to the World more times than the other two. I love roller coasters and most thrill rides

• My Husband, DB. Last trip to Disney was our honeymoon 10 years ago. Not a thrill ride person at all, but did ride Rocking Roller Coaster with me on our honeymoon because he’s a sweetheart.

• My girlfriend, Stitch. Technically, she has been to Disney before, for an afternoon and only got to ride Space Mountain. I refuse to count that as a real trip - three hours at MK (two of which were in line waiting) do not count. Also a lover of roller coasters.

• The service dog, Little Dude. He is Stitch’s service dog, working his little butt off to help keep her in the here and now and make this trip work. Also not a lover of roller coasters, so he and DB had “male bonding time” while we rode

**Please note the lack of real names. There is a reason why we have a service dog - if you recognize our story, please respect the change in names and not use our real names here. Thanks!!**


(from top left around - DB, Tink, Stitch and Little Dude - my absolute favorite photo from the trip, at DHS, in front of the Hollywood Tower Hotel.)


A bit of background why we have the service dog: Stitch is an ex-EMT and was at the pile for several days after the towers came down. She was also assaulted approximately 4 ½ years ago (yes, it was that bad, no more details will be available.) Crowds are an issue, the smell of sweaty guy is a big issue, over stimulation, loud noises, off-hand references to 9/11 or the towers - any of these can start a trigger and turn into a disaster. Little Dude has been a life changer and has made a huge difference in all of our lives. In many ways, Little Dude gave Stitch back her life.


Our trip was specifically planned for September, we ended up traveling during the 3rd week. From my research, I knew that this would be a low crowd time. Combined with a 40% off package for the Deluxe Villas and I had a trip I couldn’t refuse! We stayed at the Boardwalk Villas (BWV). I had wanted to stay at the Beach Club, where we had stayed on our honeymoon, but they were completely booked. Staying at the Boardwalk was fun though. We’re from NJ and we’ve been to the shore (and no MTV’s “Jersey Shore” is not a documentary!). The Boardwalk is meant to be their version of Atlantic City in its heyday. And I think they succeeded.

[Sunshine Family]

Some how I manged to find the Passporter book. I believe it was the night I sat at Barnes & Noble and read through every book I could find on Disney to see which one I wanted. The fact that the book was built to be a trip keeper and travel with you sealed the deal - I bought it. Then got home, found the deluxe with the ability to take out the extra pages and bought that! (I returned the original Passporter). The deluxe book just makes my project management heart go pitter-patter I could organize, reorganize, bundle a small notebook in the deluxe case, use the pockets for the trip - I was in 7th Heaven. (Sometimes I can be very easy to please. )

Eventually I also bought “Open Mouse” to help with the questions we had with the service dog. As Little Dude is a non-standard service dog, he’s a Yorkie when most folks expect a lab, we’re used to being confronted every time we go some place new. Doing my research online, I knew that Disney would be different, but figured that more information is better - else we’ll just spend the time stressing.

I booked us at the Boardwalk, knowing that it was located between MHS and Epcot specifically. Sometimes traveling with a service dog is like traveling with a toddler - they’re fine and good to go until they aren’t. And once they hit that wall, they whine. Well, Little Dude doesn’t exactly whine, but he gets cranky. I figured that we’d be spending most of our time between Epcot and MHS, and that if we needed an afternoon break, it would be easy to do.

We have family discussion nights on what parks to do when, what rides were most important to folks, where to eat, what to see and do. Which was easy and hard. DB is one of those going along kind of guys and asks for very little. That translates into “I don’t care what rides I go on.” That’s good and bad, harder for planning, but we knew we could leave him with the Little Dude for the more extreme rides.

So, much planning, booking ADRs, talking with the airline about the service dog , booking a car through Priceline (best way to rent a car, btw - got car for just $13 a day ), re-arranging the schedule as we changed our minds...

I’m not getting into our list of what we wrote up as “must dos” as I’ve seen others write up, because it all got thrown out the window after our first full day. I’ll explain soon.

Eight weeks before the trip:

It’s August, it’s hot, it’s sticky and Disney seems so far away.

And then the bombshell - DB, my husband, is laid off. His last day would be the week after coming back from Disney.

Decisions needed to be made - should we still go to Disney? Obviously we did, as I’m writing this report.

I was grateful that I had pre-paid for the Photopass CD and album, as I wouldn’t have done it after the lay off (and would have missed out on some of my most favorite pictures of us). But it put a real damper on the planning.

DB is a good guy, and he is very good at handling difficult & stressful situations. Since there was nothing he could do about, he didn’t let it stress him out. He would work until the last day, then collect unemployment and hopefully something would work itself out before hand. (One of the reasons why we weren’t stressing out completely at this point was because it was indicated that as part of the upcoming re-org, there was a very specific space for him in another group - only after Disney, after being unemployed for a month, did this not happen.)

So, we’re off to Disney away, and we’ll do it on the cheap - yet at a Deluxe resort! Most things have already been paid for: air fare, hotel, dinning plan, car, and we’d be careful with the other expenses.

Lessons learned:

• You can plan too much (oops!), but if you keep it to yourself, your family will love you for it.
• Go to Disney when you can pay for it and not on a credit card if you can help it.
• And don’t believe them when they say “don’t worry, we’ll have something for you in a few weeks.”

[buzzspal2]

Great start.

[jennie622]

Great start, I am greatly interested in hearing about Little Dude's adventures too since I've not heard from anyone with a service dog at Disney. He sure is cute, does Stitch run into problems with everyone trying to pet him?

I think I'm the only Jersey native that loves Jersey Shore (I lived in Seaside Heights year round and can honestly say there are LOTS of people like that invading Exit 88 from Memorial Day thru Labor Day, makes life interesting!)

I see from your ticker, you have another trip coming very soon. Is this true?

[KCSunshine]

Originally Posted by jennie622

Great start, I am greatly interested in hearing about Little Dude's adventures too since I've not heard from anyone with a service dog at Disney. He sure is cute, does Stitch run into problems with everyone trying to pet him?

I think I'm the only Jersey native that loves Jersey Shore (I lived in Seaside Heights year round and can honestly say there are LOTS of people like that invading Exit 88 from Memorial Day thru Labor Day, makes life interesting!)

I see from your ticker, you have another trip coming very soon. Is this true?

Stitch here... Yes, people are always trying to pet Little Dude. And we are soo going back to WDW soon.

[Sunshine Family]

Originally Posted by jennie622

Great start, I am greatly interested in hearing about Little Dude's adventures too since I've not heard from anyone with a service dog at Disney. He sure is cute, does Stitch run into problems with everyone trying to pet him?

I think I'm the only Jersey native that loves Jersey Shore (I lived in Seaside Heights year round and can honestly say there are LOTS of people like that invading Exit 88 from Memorial Day thru Labor Day, makes life interesting!)

I see from your ticker, you have another trip coming very soon. Is this true?

I see Stitch already posted

One of the reasons why I decided to do this trip report, even though it's been months is because I didn't see one for a service dog. Now, I didn't go crazy searching the boards, I doubt we're first. But since Little Dude is a smaller dog, we find that our experiences differ a lot from those with "standard" service dogs.

Yes we are going back, and at the end of this report will be the bonus PTR for our next trip

[Colexis Mom]

Can't wait to hear more about your trip!

[Sunshine Family]

First day:

Up extra early, showered, last minute packing - I even called up the taxi and moved our time up because we were ready so early! Check-in was fine, until I realized that we accidentally cut the entire line! My memory is vague, but I think it was because of the service dog - the person marked us as special needs and had extra attention at the counter. But we didn’t need it, so we should have just stayed in the regular line. Oops.

Next up: TSA. Now we were *way* early for our flight. The flight left at 11am and I think at this point it was just barely after 7am. I much prefer to be early and spend the time at the airport, so this didn’t bother me. Also, Newark can be known for very long lines - I almost missed my flight once due to long security lines! So I didn’t want the lines, I wanted to avoid the crowds, and I want to give us extra time if we needed it for the Little Dude. Oh, and the TSA at Newark has a horrible reputation, so we were very nervous.

Thankfully, the sun was shining and the whole thing was a breeze. DB and I knew what to do: take off your shoes, put stuff in the tray, etc as we both have traveled for work. But for Stitch, it had been years since she last flew, and it was all new for the Little Dude. TSA was great, wonderful, amazing and sweet. They were well versed on the law for service dogs and exactly how they could (and couldn’t) search him. Which was great. They were fabulous with Stitch, picking up on her extreme anxiety, slowing down the whole process, showing her what to do, where to stand, etc. First thank you note of the trip went to the main TSA agent - without him, I think the whole thing would have been so much worse.

The flight was fine, but Little Dude was uncomfortable. He didn’t like the pressure in his ears, we could tell, he didn’t understand how to pop them. Thankfully, I had received my Reiki Level II attunement a few months before, so I ended up reiki-ing him the entire flight. He was still uncomfortable, but now it was bearable. As always, Little Dude melted hearts left and right; it’s his special fairy-magic power. The flight attendant was in love and gave us all the extra carrot bags, his favorite snack!! She also gave us the left over kit-kats, our favorite snack. Second thank you note.


Stitch, Tink and Little Dude at 35,000 ft! Can we grin any bigger???

Eventually we landed, found our luggage and off to pick up a car. Now it’s been *years* since I’ve rented a car - I had no idea that you get to pick one out and not assigned to you! So we wandered around, looking at the different cars and finally decided on a Cube. It fit us all and was comfortable. Disney, here we come!!!


Miniature Lucy!!

Check in at the Boardwalk was smooth as ice - just like I hoped. Everything was ready for us, people were fabulously nice. Bonus - above the mantel is a small-scale replica of Lucy the Elephant! That was so cool. The room was fabulous, a 1 bedroom. When I booked the room, I did alert them to the service dog and asked for a room off the beaten path. Having people walk by our room triggers Little Dude to alert us that people are close that we can’t see - which is part of his training. But with the hotel, he can sometimes take it too far, especially on days when he’s tired and overstimulated (just like a toddler). So to head off that issue, I always ask for a room at the end of the hall, but not near an active staircase.

Now the Boardwalk is rather infamous for its long, long, long, hallways. And I gotta agree, they’re long! But for us, it was in our favor - no one was next to us, we were against the end of the building on the other side, on the top floor, no one was across the hall and I believe no one was below us. They had very nicely isolated us.

Although her nickname is Stitch, her first and great love is Tow Mater. So after checking in, we head to MHS on a Sunday night to find him and McQueen for pictures and pressed pennies. First stop - guest services for a GAC. We received our card and a stamp to use the alternative entrance. Seemed like it would be just what we needed. Off to Tow Mater!!!!



Pictures galore of us and Mr. Mater When the photographer offered us a chance to have pictures taken with McQueen, we declined. She realized that it was all about Mater and did some extra shots just with Stitch, the Little Dude and Mater - the smile was so big, I’m surprised she didn’t split her face! And our first pressed pennies! Got to get that Mater!



Since it was about 5:30, there was time before Fantasmic! So I suggested the Indy Stunt Spectacular. The place was packed. Packed bad. Now, just about every ride or attraction that we went on for our trip I’ve done before. But I never noticed the crowds because they didn’t bother me. Once we sat down though, I realized that it was going to be a problem. We moved into the handicapped seating even though we didn’t have that stamp. When a CM came to check on us, they ok’ed us to sit there because I think they just saw the GAC and didn’t study the stamps - then they kicked everyone else out of the area. While the show was neat, it was hellish on Stitch. The crowd was overwhelming, people were too close (even in the handicapped area, it was crowded), folks sweated all day and you could smell some, and then there were loud noises and explosions as part of the show. Once I got my head back together, I realized that she was heading off the deep end. I walked her through the rest of the showing, trying not to ruin it, but staying about a minute or so ahead of the action so things wouldn’t be a surprise. Thankfully, when I traveled previously with my parents and brother, this was one of our favorite attractions and 15 years later, I still knew 90% of the scenes.

At the end, it was hellish trying to get out of there too - the handicap seating is in the back for easy access for wheelchairs, but it also means that you can’t wait to the side while everyone else leaves first. Somehow we managed to get out. Between the very long day, the uncomfortable flight for the Little Dude, and the overwhelming crowd, Stitch and her dog had a total meltdown right at the exit.

Thankfully, I read the Open Mouse book more than once - I knew that there was a room at the first aid station, which was next to guest relations, that she could hang out in. So we headed there for some time-out time. We spent probably an hour there, watching cartoons, letting the Little Dude be a dog (which means I got to play with him. In the Service Dog Community, a common rule is that when we are outside the house, I do not touch or acknowledge him for the most part. If he gets overwhelmed, then I take him for “break time” and we take his vest off. That’s the signal to him that he can be free. He doesn’t stop working, he never stops, but he does come down off high alert and it gives him a much needed break. Once the vest goes back on and I start ignoring him, he’s “back on the clock.” It works well for us.) Also while this was going on, I talked with guest relations and asked for handicap access. There was no way we were going to be able to an attraction like Indy without some space around her - even if we were all in top shape.

At this point, we are all fried and tired. A trigger and an attack like that takes so much energy out of all of us. So back to the Boardwalk. No Fantasmic! I was disappointed, and I knew that this was our only chance of seeing the show - we were doing the luau during the other showing later that week. But we were all too tired.


Stitch, holding Little Dude, with DB, waiting for the boat back to Boardwalk from DHS - did I mentioned that we walked to DHS from the far end of the Boardwalk? Not a bright idea, it's LONG!

Lessons Learned:

• Don’t do a park on the first day.
• If you do ignore the above rule, don’t do the most crowded of the four parks on the first day!
• Figure out a way to get the dog to lick/swallow for his ears for the return trip.

[cubfancolleen]

Great start! I know the crowds can be overwhelming to many, so can't imagine how it feels for someone who is sensitive to that. Hope the whole trip was a success - assuming it must have been pretty good since a return is in the works.

[Cam22]

Great start!

[lfredsbo]

Great Start!!! Glad that despite all that has happened.......magic can still be found!!! And I must say I can see why Little Dude steals hearts!!!

[chezp]

Great start!

[Colexis Mom]

Great start! Sorry about the crowds! More please!

[jennie622]

I love Lucy (pun intended) at the BW. I had a buddy that lived near the real Lucy and I always took an early morning walk to gawk at her!

I hear ya about Newark. Very crowded & not very nice. I am so happy you folks ran into a great TSA person. When I had to fly out of Newark three days after 9/11 (I sympathize with Stitch) to get back home to FL, it was the most horrible airport experience of my life (and I already hated flying). I started travelling to AC & Philly instead.

I must say, you folks have the best smiles!! It makes me smile to see them!

[Sunshine Family]

Originally Posted by Cam22

Great start!

Originally Posted by chezp

Great start!

Thank you for the encouragement Especially on a trip so old.

Originally Posted by lfredsbo

Great Start!!! Glad that despite all that has happened.......magic can still be found!!! And I must say I can see why Little Dude steals hearts!!!

Little Dude so steals hearts. We tried to give him a really bad haircut once in an attempt to make him ugly. While it was one bad hair cut, it somehow just made him cuter to everyone!! I think the petting was worse with that cut. So now, just a normal trim all around.

Originally Posted by Colexis Mom

Great start! Sorry about the crowds! More please!

Originally Posted by cubfancolleen

Great start! I know the crowds can be overwhelming to many, so can't imagine how it feels for someone who is sensitive to that. Hope the whole trip was a success - assuming it must have been pretty good since a return is in the works.

Yes, in the end, even this trip has a happy ending, although I will warn you that there are sad/scary parts to come.

More will come tonight, that's where the photos are!! I have most of the report all written, but the pictures are at home on my computer. And I think I need to figure out this photobucket thing so I can do more than 5 pics a post.

Originally Posted by jennie622

I love Lucy (pun intended) at the BW. I had a buddy that lived near the real Lucy and I always took an early morning walk to gawk at her!

I hear ya about Newark. Very crowded & not very nice. I am so happy you folks ran into a great TSA person. When I had to fly out of Newark three days after 9/11 (I sympathize with Stitch) to get back home to FL, it was the most horrible airport experience of my life (and I already hated flying). I started travelling to AC & Philly instead.

I must say, you folks have the best smiles!! It makes me smile to see them!

It was so cool to see here because earlier that summer I finally got to see Lucy in person and climb inside her. She's just amazing!

I was shocked at the TSA, I can only hope that our next trip will be as easy. I can still see his face in my mind because he made such an impression on me with his kindness and understanding. Agreed that Newark can be horrible, I've had some interesting trips out of there. But they're closer than the other airports, and we can take the train, then the monorail to the airport, so they win for convenience too. We did look into flying out of AC for our upcoming trip, but the only flight available for coming home had a 4 1/2 hour layover in Fort Lauderdale - which is longer than the whole flight! So Newark it is.

And thank you for the complement on the smiles! Wait until you see tonight's post - I had Stitch in tears three times on our first full day from shear happiness.