Trip Report "BROOM BROOM!" A trip from a DIFFERENT perspective

Introduction

WARNING: The first three posts will be very text-heavy. I promise there will be many photos after that!

We just got back from another wonderful trip! We attended the Flower and Garden Festival, enjoyed much food and beverage, celebrated a birthday, visited family, and had a fabulous time! This trip was different from all previous trips for one significant reason, which will be revealed later.

WHO: Bee (me) and M (my DW)...and surprise guests
WHERE: The WDW Swan, with a quick trip to visit M's parents in Jacksonville
WHEN: May 22-27, 2018
WHY: To celebrate M's birthday, to enjoy one last trip before our APs expire, and...because we wanted to go!

The original version of this trip was to occur in July to take advantage of M having PTO for July 4. It was all booked and ready to go, and we were able to use points for half of the flights and a third of the hotel nights. However, I got offered an ensemble role in The Hunchback of Notre Dame in New Jersey in July shortly after we booked the original trip, so we had to adjust our plans.

And here is the PTR link: One La-ast Ti-ime (Another Swolphin Sandwich!) (This time with POINTS!)

To be continued

 

[dizfan917]

We're headed to the Beach Club in three days with our party of TWENTY. Wish me luck!! I hope my vacation is as lovely as yours looks.

 

[bee]

I'm like that, too. The good thing about the Swan's location is that you can see (at least part) of the EPCOT fireworks, followed by (part of) the fireworks from DHS. Of course, it depends upon where your room is located and all; but the central hotel location is fun for seeing some of the fireworks. (I don't seek them out either, but a lot of times I end up back in my hotel room by 9 PM, so I just happen to be there when they start.)

Yes! We have enjoyed so many fireworks showings unintentionally when staying at the Swolphin, AND we have enjoyed a few intentionally too!

Congrats on Hunchback - that has to be such a rewarding feeling, especially after all that you've been through this year!

And I love all of the bread pics too!! Nothing better than bread .... ummmm.

Thank you! This was my first big performance since the fire and it was really good to get back into singing with such a beautiful show!

We're headed to the Beach Club in three days with our party of TWENTY. Wish me luck!! I hope my vacation is as lovely as yours looks.

WOW! Jealous of the Beach Club, not so jealous of the TWENTY! Will you write a TR to let us know how it goes??

 

[bee]

Day 6: Sunday, May 27

We awoke around 5:00am and said goodbye to our room. We went down to the lobby and returned my scooter and called a Lyft.

While waiting for the Lyft

It was a smooth ride to the airport. Upon arrival we requested wheelchair assistance and an airport employee helped us. Security was an absolute nightmare. TSA was clearly understaffed and extra disorganized. One employee was particularly rude to M and told her she couldn't stand where she was standing while waiting for her stuff to come out of the scanners...but you aren't supposed to leave until you have all your belongings and I've definitely seen TSA employees yell at travelers who get too far away from their bags.

It also took absurdly long for someone to scan my medical liquids. I was in my wheelchair foreeeeeeever waiting and couldn't go anywhere and couldn't get out of the way. Sooo like, way to treat disabled/injured/sick/special needs travelers, TSA.

Anyway, eventually that part of the nightmare ended and we made it to the gate.

Iced coffee!

Rainy...will we be delayed???

There were a lot more passengers preboarding today than there had been on our flight to Orlando. We weren't in a rush so we didn't bother queuing up early. We still got seats in the third or fourth row.

Rain on a flight day always makes me nervous! Luckily we departed on time.

We were projected to land 20 minutes early at 10:25, but when I checked our status AT 10:25 this is what I saw:

Note the time here too!!

It was rainy at home too!!

FINALLY LANDED!!!

Our flight landed half an hour late, then we had issues with the wheelchair assist employees at EWR. I'm still kind of upset about the way we were treated by two different assistants, and I'm not even going to type out what happened because it made me so upset then and now. I will say that it really soured the end of the trip for me and it was bad enough that we submitted a complaint through the proper channel. At least the Lyft driver who drove us home was nice so it didn't COMPLETELY end on a bad note.

And that's it! We were home by noon and had time for a nap before heading to a dear friend's wedding in Brooklyn that evening.

I will post an epilogue/final thoughts sometime either later today or this weekend. Thanks for reading and being patient with my gaps in posting!

 

[DisneyGigi]

That cat is absolutely beautiful! I love the two tones. Gorgeous!
Great report as always too.

 

[MinnieM123]

Day 6: Sunday, May 27

We awoke around 5:00am and said goodbye to our room. We went down to the lobby and returned my scooter and called a Lyft.

While waiting for the Lyft

It was a smooth ride to the airport. Upon arrival we requested wheelchair assistance and an airport employee helped us. Security was an absolute nightmare. TSA was clearly understaffed and extra disorganized. One employee was particularly rude to M and told her she couldn't stand where she was standing while waiting for her stuff to come out of the scanners...but you aren't supposed to leave until you have all your belongings and I've definitely seen TSA employees yell at travelers who get too far away from their bags.

It also took absurdly long for someone to scan my medical liquids. I was in my wheelchair foreeeeeeever waiting and couldn't go anywhere and couldn't get out of the way. Sooo like, way to treat disabled/injured/sick/special needs travelers, TSA.

Anyway, eventually that part of the nightmare ended and we made it to the gate.

Iced coffee!

Rainy...will we be delayed???

There were a lot more passengers preboarding today than there had been on our flight to Orlando. We weren't in a rush so we didn't bother queuing up early. We still got seats in the third or fourth row.

Rain on a flight day always makes me nervous! Luckily we departed on time.

We were projected to land 20 minutes early at 10:25, but when I checked our status AT 10:25 this is what I saw:

Note the time here too!!

It was rainy at home too!!

FINALLY LANDED!!!

Our flight landed half an hour late, then we had issues with the wheelchair assist employees at EWR. I'm still kind of upset about the way we were treated by two different assistants, and I'm not even going to type out what happened because it made me so upset then and now. I will say that it really soured the end of the trip for me and it was bad enough that we submitted a complaint through the proper channel. At least the Lyft driver who drove us home was nice so it didn't COMPLETELY end on a bad note.

And that's it! We were home by noon and had time for a nap before heading to a dear friend's wedding in Brooklyn that evening.

I will post an epilogue/final thoughts sometime either later today or this weekend. Thanks for reading and being patient with my gaps in posting!

Glad you both arrived home safely. Sorry to hear about the various traveling issues you encountered. Between your comments about the screening at MCO, and the wheelchair assist at EWR, it sounded to me as though there were just not enough employees in either location.

(When people are overworked, they stress out; and unfortunately, you caught the brunt of it. That being said, there are various people who really should never be in customer service positions, to begin with. Hence, the situations you described, appear to be a bit of both things.)

Sorry to hear it put a damper on the end of your vacation. You should have been treated nicer than that. Happy to read that your Lyft driver was pleasant, though.

 

[DisSplash]

Love the aerial view of the NJ Turnpike! It never seems as nice and organized when you drive on it tho ... gotta say that I don’t miss it too much! And wow! That Shop-Rite distribution center is like a beacon of sunshine on the rainy industrial landscape! I love that warm yellow color.

That’s too bad about the meanies at TSA and the airport. So many people these days completely forget that they have a costumer service function ... or that they are at work, period!

Looking forward to your final thoughts, and hopefully you are getting more mobile by the day!

 

[bee]

That cat is absolutely beautiful! I love the two tones. Gorgeous!
Great report as always too.

Thank you and thank you! We love Frisky and think she's the most gorgeous!

Glad you both arrived home safely. Sorry to hear about the various traveling issues you encountered. Between your comments about the screening at MCO, and the wheelchair assist at EWR, it sounded to me as though there were just not enough employees in either location.

(When people are overworked, they stress out; and unfortunately, you caught the brunt of it. That being said, there are various people who really should never be in customer service positions, to begin with. Hence, the situations you described, appear to be a bit of both things.)

Sorry to hear it put a damper on the end of your vacation. You should have been treated nicer than that. Happy to read that your Lyft driver was pleasant, though.

I can only hope it was a one-time thing and they are usually much better at providing customer service!

Love the aerial view of the NJ Turnpike! It never seems as nice and organized when you drive on it tho ... gotta say that I don’t miss it too much! And wow! That Shop-Rite distribution center is like a beacon of sunshine on the rainy industrial landscape! I love that warm yellow color.

That’s too bad about the meanies at TSA and the airport. So many people these days completely forget that they have a costumer service function ... or that they are at work, period!

Looking forward to your final thoughts, and hopefully you are getting more mobile by the day!

We don't have a car because we don't need one where we live and we rarely drive. So we are only vaguely aware of the nightmare of NJ driving. I think we are better off this way!

 

[bee]

Some closing thoughts

Though this was a very different trip than we've ever taken before, we managed to make it work and have a wonderful time. The mobility challenges were, well, challenges. My use of the scooter caused us to slow down and rethink how we did just about everything during the trip.

I was very happy with how all the Disney CMs treated me throughout our time there. The ride CMs in particular really knew what they were doing and ran everything in a very organized and clear manner. A few times (mostly at restaurants) there was a little confusion as to where to park my scooter, etc., but the CMs never made me feel uncomfortable or alienated. If anything someone would get a manager to make sure they were doing the right thing-which is the best thing to do in a unusual situation to make sure everyone is taken care of.

It was a lot of fun to experience Flower and Garden again, especially when we thought we wouldn't get to this year.

Going into the trip I was apprehensive about how other guests might treat me since I am young and look healthy despite my mobility issues. I only had a few minor unpleasant moments but overall I was pleasantly surprised at how nice people were.

If you are going to the parks and you have a mobility issue that will prevent you from doing "Disney walking"-even if you are normally active at home!-PLEASE don't worry about what others will think of you. Get the help you need for yourself and for your family, whether it's a wheelchair, walker, scooter, etc. It's YOUR vacation and YOU should enjoy it without worrying!

If you are an able-bodied guest who doesn't need mobility assistance, be nice to your fellow guests who do. You never know what someone is going through and why they are using a scooter. It's none of your business and they don't owe you anything. A little kindness goes a long way.

I am happy to say that, 3.5 months after the fire, I am healing nicely and getting back to normal life. I haven't used a cane in weeks. I still have a small open wound on my abdomen but it's ALMOST healed. My wound care doctor calls me the Miracle Woman! I am not in daily pain like I was before and sometimes I *almost* forget that I have anything wrong with me at all. I will have a big nasty scar on my lower abdomen but it's a reminder that I survived this and can survive whatever comes at me in the future. My abdomen is still larger than normal due to scar tissue and sometimes my back hurts from supporting the extra weight, so I wear a brace most days to help with that. I can sleep on my front again (YAY) and I am getting back to other little things I took for granted before.

As for future Disney trips, we are taking at least a year off from being AP holders at WDW. But something else is coming this year and it's something big! It will involve a Disney park or two and I will make a PTR here when we get closer and I have more details!

Thanks to everyone who read and commented! As always it was a joy to relive my trip here with Disney friends!

 

[riverside]

Great TR as always!! Glad to hear how well you are progressing!!

 

[ScarletBegonias]

So glad your recovery is coming along well! Thanks for the wonderful Trip report!!

 

[MinnieM123]

You've been through some challenges before, and during, your recovery period. The positive news is that you're getting better all the time!

(And, not you, but I think sometimes people take good health for granted; and we should all be thankful that we were not involved in an accident like you were.)

Your comments about the scooter were also well written, and it's good to remind others about a variety of reasons why someone may need one of those. Not all disabilities or illnesses are "visible" to others.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

I'm so glad that you are healing and I hope that all continues to go well. I appreciated your thoughts on using the scooter, luckily my husband and I have not had to use one but when he broke his ankle on Halloween last year we did think of using one for our next WDW if he needed. When his ankle was broken though we also had to rethink how things were done, even a trip to the movie theater was more difficult. It made us very thankful of disability accessibility procedures and equipment is in public areas. It isn't something you think about or recognize unless it is needed.

 

[AKemily]

Thanks for another great trip report!

But something else is coming this year and it's something big! It will involve a Disney park or two and I will make a PTR here when we get closer and I have more details!

I’m intrigued! Can’t wait!

 

[krisri18]

Thank you for sharing your trip with us and your positive attitude! It's nice to hear that there are still kind and helpful people out there and that you were able to enjoy your vacation. Looking forward to hearing what's next on the horizon for !

 

[bee]

So glad your recovery is coming along well! Thanks for the wonderful Trip report!!

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!

You've been through some challenges before, and during, your recovery period. The positive news is that you're getting better all the time!

(And, not you, but I think sometimes people take good health for granted; and we should all be thankful that we were not involved in an accident like you were.)

Your comments about the scooter were also well written, and it's good to remind others about a variety of reasons why someone may need one of those. Not all disabilities or illnesses are "visible" to others.

Thank you! I think it's important for everyone to maintain perspective and enjoy the good things we do have. You never know when something could happen to you or someone you love.

I'm so glad that you are healing and I hope that all continues to go well. I appreciated your thoughts on using the scooter, luckily my husband and I have not had to use one but when he broke his ankle on Halloween last year we did think of using one for our next WDW if he needed. When his ankle was broken though we also had to rethink how things were done, even a trip to the movie theater was more difficult. It made us very thankful of disability accessibility procedures and equipment is in public areas. It isn't something you think about or recognize unless it is needed.

Yes, it's sad that most of those of us who are able-bodied barely even think about what it's like to live with a disability until we experience it in some way, whether through an injury/illness/disability of our own, or by spending time with someone who is disabled, etc. I was surprised (though maybe I shouldn't have been) at how accessible Disney is.

Thanks for another great trip report!

I’m intrigued! Can’t wait!

Thanks for reading! I can't wait to be closer to the big adventure so I can share here!

Thank you for sharing your trip with us and your positive attitude! It's nice to hear that there are still kind and helpful people out there and that you were able to enjoy your vacation. Looking forward to hearing what's next on the horizon for !

Thank you for reading! This is so excited for what's coming!

 

[becca_]

Thank you for another amazing TR!

 

[Gurt]

Great trip report especially from the different perspective, good to hear you are very much on the mend.

 

[Figgy1]

Thank you for another great TR and sorry for flooding you with likes but you deserved all of them

 

[bee]

Thank you for another amazing TR!

Thank YOU for reading!

Great trip report especially from the different perspective, good to hear you are very much on the mend.

Thank you! I am THRILLED to be almost back to normal!

Thank you for another great TR and sorry for flooding you with likes but you deserved all of them

Never apologize, Figgy! And thank you!

 

[93boomer]

Thanks for sharing your wonderful trip! Congrats on the show!