Travel

[mallymaven]

Hi! I have promised my kids (2 sons) and my husband for over 17 years that we would go to Disney World. Long story short we never had enough money to go. My husband became sick very early into our marriage and the medical bills have skyrocketed since then. Last March my 43 year old husband had a widow maker heart attack that the Drs can't believe he lived through, he had open heart bypass surgery and has advanced congestive heart failure and not given too many years to live. On top of that my 15 year old son has a degenerative and congenital back problem that manifested about 4 years ago where he can't walk more than about one min without really bad back pain. My question was going to be do you all know of any places I could look for very discounted travel but as I type this I don't know if it would be a good idea to take my husband to Disney as he was a lover of thrill rides, so of course he can't do that so it may be depressing for him. Does anyone have any ideas of a relatively inexpensive vacation we could take as a family? My other son is 17. Thank you in advance for your suggestions!

[qualitygal]

Your plate is really full, if I were in your shoes, I'd bring the party to your home. For now, that sounds like the best for your husband and one son to be a part of.  Physically for them it might be better. All things in good time. It would be easier on all of you. 

You know best what everyone is capable of and the finances. 

This is just my idea for all, and whatever you decide, the best to you all.

[Peaches McPhee]

@mallymaven, where do you live?

[mistriTsquirrel]

If your son's condition is life-threatening, you should contact Make-A-Wish to see if they can help with funding a vacation.  If not, you may want to use a site like GoFundMe to raise money for your trip.

It's also not a bad idea to consider taking a trip to a theme park that is less expensive.  It may not be what your family had envisioned as the perfect vacation, but you can still have plenty of fun.  Perhaps a vacation where you camp near a theme park for a week, and then go there one or two of the days of that week?  Of course, you will have to plan for your husband's and son's needs, but as long as everybody keeps their expectations reasonable, I see no reason why you can't have a fun vacation.

P.S.--My family's best vacations were camping vacations where we didn't cram a lot of extra activity in.  When your children look back on things, they will be less likely to cherish the memory of a roller-coaster than they will the memories of making s'mores, and telling ghost stories or jokes around the campfire with people they love.  Just be sure everybody's electronic devices are put away for awhile. 

Now that my dad is gone, I don't think about the theme park experiences that much; I think about the experiences around the campfire that we had together.  

[Zhills]

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@mallymaven wrote:
Hi! I have promised my kids (2 sons) and my husband for over 17 years that we would go to Disney World. Long story short we never had enough money to go. My husband became sick very early into our marriage and the medical bills have skyrocketed since then. Last March my 43 year old husband had a widow maker heart attack that the Drs can't believe he lived through, he had open heart bypass surgery and has advanced congestive heart failure and not given too many years to live. On top of that my 15 year old son has a degenerative and congenital back problem that manifested about 4 years ago where he can't walk more than about one min without really bad back pain. My question was going to be do you all know of any places I could look for very discounted travel but as I type this I don't know if it would be a good idea to take my husband to Disney as he was a lover of thrill rides, so of course he can't do that so it may be depressing for him. Does anyone have any ideas of a relatively inexpensive vacation we could take as a family? My other son is 17. Thank you in advance for your suggestions!

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The "rides" at Disney World are not like the ones at 6 Flags or Busch Gardens.  No roller coaster type rides.  You are seated and belted in comfortable seats in a seat that is usually comfortable like a tram or boat.  They have people who can assist you when needed and they have wheel chairs.

There is so much more at Disney World to enjoy!  You sit in a boat and float in shallow water through Small World, you sit during many of the shows.  Check into it, it may not be as difficult as you think.  We have taken wheel chair bound friends and it is just slower, but lots of fun.

[Scooby Doo]

I would go to Disney World, but not in the summer.  The Epcot side is completely different from the Disney side.  The Epcot side, as I remember, doesn't have the wild rides.  But they have lots of fun rides and interesting things to do.  You can go to the different countries.  If you get there early enough you can rent motorized wheel chairs that are life savers because the place is so huge.  I like Epcot much more than the other side.  I have used a discount travel agency twice for Disney vacations and they turned out great.  I got some really good deals through them.  You can look it up on their website.  It's called Get Away Today.  Very nice people to deal with, and if you call them they will give you their personal opinion of the hotels and ay be their advice on physical limitations.  Keep in mind that Make A Wish people go there all the time and they have health issues.

[Kachina624]

The most magnificent attractions in the country are in our national parks.  There's virtually nowhere where there's not access to at least one of them. Many have low-cost cabins you can rent or you could borrow some equipment and camp.  To me, this type of experience is much more meaningful than a visit to something man-made like Disneyland. 

[mallymaven]

Thank you to each of you who took the time to respond to my post. I greatly appreciate it and will take an extra look at each one. Thanks again!

[VaBelle35]

My dad had congestive heart failure (among many other health issues) and lived for many years through good medical care balancing his medications.  He also lived outside of Orlando and frequented Disney with his resident pass.

There is a ton there that your family can do.  Since you are only going to do this once, you want to go when it's not hot and it's not crowded.  Since you have health issues, you are going to want to stay on site vs off site.  This way you can easily get back and forth to the parks without having to drive to your rental/hotel.  When you stay on site you are not forced to spend the entire day at the part to the point of exhaustion.  You go for a few hours, you go back to your room to rest, eat, swim in the hotel pool and then go back for the evening activities.

The big websites that will help you the most are All Ears and Mouse Savers.  They have tons of information for every health situation and lots of cost saving information as well.

Since this is something that you want your family to enjoy, you are going to want to just do it the way that makes you all the most confortable first and foremost.  You can save money in other ways outside of this vacation.   Trying to save money at Disney will just make everyone frustrated and unhappy and negates the point of going at all.

Go.  Enjoy it.  And don't have regrets about it.

[BarbNECT]

If your heart is set on Disney go for it...although I also do love the  National Parks- The key to a successful Disney trip is to take  your time and do thorough planning. Be sure to have enough days for what you really want to do. My husband has had many cardiac surgeries, congestive heart failure and is a relatively new above the knee amputee..planning again essential!! Do not go at peak season or in the summer months!! Def try Make a Wish for your son's trip!!

Rent a motorized wheelchair for your son & your husband- do this with one of the outside of Disney companies- it will be delivered to your Disney resort and can be used around the resort, the monoraiI,  the boats and in each park-.(Do not rent each day from the parks- trust me on this- more of a hassle if walking is an issue-If you can manage stay at one of the resorts on the monorail or Wilderness Lodge/ the new Canyon Creek opeinig this July...boat acess-- stay away from the travel to the parks from other resorts involving the busses. If you are traveling by air be sure to have wheelchair assistance for your husband & son at both ends of your flight- Be sure you are signed up for the Magical Express to your resort- Plan for hydration & rest each day and if possible plan an off day just to enjoy the resort-do not try to see and do everything in each park---pick and plan ahead- An experienced good travel agent or Disney Planner can assist you--- it can be done!!! Disney World is much more than an amusement park it is truly a Magical Experience at any age!!!!