Planning is the key to the Magic!

Whether you are disabled or not planning is all important to any successful vaction.

But when you have a disability or are traveling with someone who does it takes more planning to get it right.

“Family vacations can be hard regardless of who will be joining. On top of trip-planning logistics and unexpected snafus, anytime there are diverse personalities, interests, and priorities, there are bound to be challenges. To many people, the thought of planning a trip that would also be suitable for someone with a disability would be not only challenging, but also anxiety-provoking for everyone involved.
Be patient
Start small
Choosing accommodation for disabled travelers
Creating lifelong memories
How to Plan an Accessible Family Trip from Worldnomads.com

Here’s what you need to do before you go.

Know your limitations. Be honest! Lying to yourself and your travel party isn’t going to cut it.
- Made lists of your concerns, limitations and obstacles to travel.
- Make a list of what you
- will needwhile traveling.
  - Check it twice, or more.
  - Change it as conditions change.
Get to know your destination. Disney World for me.
- Location: Where in the world is it you want to go? Know the:
  - Terrain,
  - Weather,
  - Crowds – congestion
  - Local laws and regulations regarding disabilities.
- How to get around:
  - From home to there and back again.
  - Around the town
  - If there is a lot of walking required? If this is an issue think about mobility aids: wheelchair, ECV, walker, rollator.
- Pick where to stay:
  - Check out the accommodations for all types of disabilities.
  - Look carefully at accessibility for all areas of the Hotel,
  - What transportation is available,
  - Do they have accessible rooms?
Get physically ready. Started a strengthening routine.
- Increase your stamina. Work those legs and/or upper body.
- Traveling can be exhausting.

If you decide that it may be too much for you to travel alone. Don’t give up on it. Throw out your pride and ask someone to go with you. Travel can be more fun with friends any way.

Where to get information

There are plenty of resources online to better prepare you for travel. It can be useful to contact tourism offices and local transit providers before you travel. Some even include information on their websites about accessibility for people with disabilities.

Travelling With Disabilities: How To Plan A Smooth Trip

Once you’ve gotten this far!

One final thing you have to do before you acctually book that trip is to accept the fact that you may not be able to do it all. You need to decide realistically just how much you can do. And then, which experiences are your must dos and which can be put off to a later time. Again be honest with yourself.

You’ve made the decision. Give yourself a pat on the back. You’re well on your way.

I followed these steps. I made a trip to WDW and on a Disney Cruise in 2018 and had a wonderful time. Have been back to Disney Wld in 2019 and 2021. All of these trips were with family members.

But there’s still more to the planning.

There are reservations to make, documents to gather, people to notify. And, oh yes, the packing. I;ll get into all tat in a later Blog.

What’s next for me?

I am currently planning a Disney trip and cruise in May of this year. A Solo trip this time.

I’ll tell you al about it as I go along from planning, to packing, and finally traveling.

Perhaps my experience will help you have a Magical journey too.

Remember, If I can do it, so can you!!

Join me here next time for more information and tips on Doing Disney with Disabilities.

Resources

Tips for Travelers with Disabilities By Rick Steves, John Sage, and Susan Sygall https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/trip-planning/travelers-with-disabilities

10 Tips for Traveling With Physical Disabilities | Travel Channel https://www.travelchannel.com

Traveling with Disabilities https://travel.state.gov

Disabilities and Medical Conditions – TSA= https://www.tsa.gov

Thaks for joining me,

Pat

Get an anniuncements of new content delivered directly to your inbox.