A magical vaca in the books!

For Eli’s spring break, we (my cousin, Elise, her hubs, David, their daughter, Birdie, Eli and myself) took a trip to Disneyland! This vacation was planned months in advance and I was beyond fortunate to have David and Elise do a majority of the planning. I had never been to Disneyland or Disney World, so I had no idea how to go about this; luckily, they have been to Disney world multiple times, so they had a good idea on what to expect.

The plan:

Eli and me were to fly out of StL airport Friday March 15th directly to LAX where David, Elise and Birdie were to meet us. Then we would Uber to Anaheim and let the party begin!

The detoured plan:

I woke up Thursday March 14th with a text from Southwest that our scheduled plane to LAX was cancelled. This was when Trump ordered 737 Boeing’s to be grounded til further notice. Welp, as luck would have it, that was our aircraft 😩😩 other flights and nearby Cali airports were either cancelled or booked up for the following 3 days. Saint Elise was able to get Eli and me on their flight out of Chicago on Friday, so that meant a road trip to Chicago!!! My parents drove Eli and me to meet the 3 amigos at David’s parents house in Chicago; when we got there, we had about a 4 hour quick sleep before our flight out.

We made it to LA Friday morning, took a drive to our resort in Anaheim and soaked up some Disney time at the park before we checked in. Our hotel room was a fully equipped handicap room🙌🏻

David rented me a scooter to weave in and out of the crowds at the park😜

The park is very handi friendly, as well as a majority of the rides. It was pretty cool that a lot of the waiting lines for rides had a separate line for wheelchairs so it would be easier to enter and exit the ride. But not all were that way, so we stuck to the handi ones. And we also learned rides aren’t Eli’s cup of tea like they are Birdies. This 4 year old has no fear!!🙃

This was the first time I’ve been on roller coasters since FA, so it was pretty impressive to see the handicap accommodations.

We spent 3 days experiencing the magic of Disney, then went out to Santa Monica for two days.

The plan:

Sun and warmth=beach it the whole time.

The detoured plan:

Beach for an hour Day 1 and no beach Day 2 since it was rainy, cloudy and only 55 degrees🥶

But we made the best of the Pier restaurants and a hot tub🙌🏻

We had conjoining hotel rooms and with mine being handi friendly, made for a smooth sailing stay!

We either ubered or walked. The beach was about a 10-15 minute walk from our hotel, so Day 1 we strolled over and David was able to push me through the sand, God love ya, that was not an easy push!

A couple restaurants we went to, were also easy to stroll to, so that made for an easy go.

When it comes to Uber, we would make sure to request a van or SUV–always a good tip for my fellow wheelchair users…vans and SUVs🙌🏻 especially if you have other companions with you!

We were sad to leave, but 5 days of go-go-go, rest was so needed!!

Eli and me flew back home from LAX just by ourselves! We flew Southwest, my favorite, and it is very easy to maneuver around the airport as well as board the plane. We check our bags either curbside or right inside and ask for a pusher to push me thru security and all the way to my gate. Eli walks right beside me and we zip through the line! When it’s time to board the plane, Eli and me pre board which gives me the easy transition to a seat up front. My wheelchair is pretty small, so they don’t have any problem scooting it directly on the plane right in front of a seat (typically the second row).

Once we took off, we had 4 glorious hours in the air😬

De boarding the plane–same concept; they bring the wheelchair on board and I swivel over and viola!

Get a pusher, head to baggage claim, pops is there and we mosy on home.

So that was spring break in a nutshell. A few detours, but a trip of a life time!

*And doable in a wheelchair, just always be prepared! The handicap room & scooter were extremely needed to keep my independence.