Can we really go without Dad!!!!! pretrip report updated 7/6 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Can we really go without Dad!!!!! pretrip report updated 7/6
Well after my solo trip in 2009, the family really felt that I owed them a trip so we planned a family trip for 2011. However DH , who is confined to a wheelchair did not want to go on our family trip!
A little background information: We have gone on many family vacations before DH had his stroke and after as well. I have never let the fact that DH is in a wheelchair stop me from planning a trip to WDW. We just try to make our trips as enjoyable as possible. However after a family trip to Washington DC last year, DH informed us that traveling was to uncomfortable for him and he wished not to travel anymore. Of course we thought that he wasn't serious and planned a WDW trip. After all the planning DH informed us that he was serious and was just to uncomfortable to travel any more. It was so hard for us to let go of the fact that DH really didn't want to travel anymore. We just thought that he was doing it so it wouldn't be a burden for us, but in reality he was doing it for himself. We finally had to let go of the fact that DH would not be traveling with us, but he wanted us to go by ourselves.
After much discussion we decided to go without him after all we are a family and families stick together, however DH made it very clear that he could not travel anymore and we should.!
So we booked our trip for the beginning of value season and the first day of free dining. It would be the last week of August and one week before my kids have to go back to school. Because of the fact that DH wasn't going we decided to stay at a moderate! We have always been value resort people, but we are upgrading!!!!
So we are booked into Port Orleans French Quarter without even realizing that we are getting a refurbished resort.
Next up - ADR's old and new and can we really get what we want?
Wow, it is too bad that your DH will not be travelling with you any longer. But he needs to be comfortable. It is so great of him to still insist that you go travelling even without him.
I am looking forward to reading more as you plan, and as you actually go .
Lisa, I'm sorry to hear your family vacation will be minus a family member - it's a shame that the travelling has just gotten to much for him. I'm glad you're going to still go though and look forward to reading more of your plans.
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I'm glad you guys are still going to travel! I hope you enjoy your upgrade to a moderate! PO has never appealed to us because we live a block outside of the real French Quarter, but everyone else seems to love it!
Sorry to hear DH isn't comfortable traveling anymore. It's great that he encouraged you to go with the kids anyway. I'm sure it will be fun to relive all the fun moments with him through pictures and stories when you get home.
We'll be in Disney the same week as you. We also decided to take advantage of free dining and we'll be ending summer in our favorite place.
Our ADR's - the kids and I decided to sit down and figure out where we wanted to eat. Since we are going for 8 days, we broke it up like this; DD picked two places, DS picked two places and I picked three places. (Hey, I am paying after all!) I emailed our TA our choices and times and she got everything we wanted.
DD's picks - Boma on our first night and Teppan Edo on our second night.
DS's picks - Whispering Canyon on our fourth night and ESPN(which of course doesn't take ADR's) on our sixth night.
My picks - (with a little help from my kids) O'Hana's on our third night, Garden Grill on our fifth night and 1900 Park Faire on our last night.
We are really excited about trying a few new places!!!
Another thing about this trip that is really exciting is my niece is bringing her two kids, 8 and 4 to WDW for their first time! We are not traveling together but we will be overlapping their trip and plan on spending some time with them. I have been helping my niece plan out ADR's and park visits and I have almost been having more fun planning their trip then my own. There is nothing more exciting then helping plan someones first trip.
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after all we are a family and families stick together, however DH made it very clear that he could not travel anymore and we should.!
Lisa 
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