Would you go with an Alzheimer's parent?

Our next experience entailed a cast member in the POP food court on our last day. She approached our booth and started talking to us while we were eating. Anyway, after making conversation for a while she pulled out three tinkerbell pins and gave one to each of us. She told us these pins are not sold; they are part of the million dreams give away. I was very pleased with getting a pin that's special and limited.

Well, that's the good in a nutshell. Stay tune for the rest. I want to be honest; so, I will say what was not so peachy, as well.
Glad to hear your report (good and not so good, it's all part of the trip. And sometimes the not so good makes the good stuff even more sweet!)

My DD has been given 2 of those pins in the past year.
Both the people who gave the pins to my DD said that they were given the pins specifically to give away to someone who could use a little magic and they 'saved' them to give to the 'right' person.
So, a little more magical pixie dust for your trip:goodvibes
 
I am so happy that you have returned and you here posting! It sounds like you had more peachy times than sour spots!

Snorers are so funny when they hear someone else snore. It just cracks me up that it bothers them! :lmao: I fell sorry for you! :goodvibes

Our trip is just around the corner and I am starting to get excited and panicked all at once.

We have trouble in the morning too but sometimes it is worse at night. My mom never wants to settle down and sleep at night. She wants to keep going.

I am glad that you made the trip happen!:thumbsup2
 
We have trouble in the morning too but sometimes it is worse at night. My mom never wants to settle down and sleep at night. She wants to keep going.

I face the same problem at home, but with the activities and the open air at Disney she was ready to sleep when we hit the room. I hope you have the same luck. Now getting up at night for bathroom is an issue no matter where we are. There are times my mom is restless after that and it takes a while to settle down from it.
 
My DD has been given 2 of those pins in the past year.
Both the people who gave the pins to my DD said that they were given the pins specifically to give away to someone who could use a little magic and they 'saved' them to give to the 'right' person.
So, a little more magical pixie dust for your trip:goodvibes

I'm glad you had this experience, too. Every moment that's a little more special makes it a better vacation and makes up for some of the sour moments.
 
Public restroom visits were the absolute worse. My mom doesn't like them to begin with, but the frequency needed at the parks makes it even more horrible. I kept her on a schedule to avoid accidents. That strategy worked very well but she had bad outbursts including screaming and swearing in them. Some places were tight fits and that made it even worse. On one occasion, there was a knock on our stall and it was a nurse asking if she could help. I knew that would be worse for my mom; so, I declined the offer. I explained she has Alzheimer's and I could handle it it but it would take a little time to clean her, etc. She understood. That episode must have been pretty bad, if I was approached by a stranger. I try to tell my mom not to scream, etc. and sometimes that can made the situation worse. I didn't want children in there to have the Disney Magic get ruined; so, I tried my best, but there were more bad times than good in this regard. Thank goodness she doesn't want to take her sweet time in a public restroom; so, it was short episodes there rather than long ones. When I could use a companion restroom that was the best. In Epcot, I loved the companion restroom in Germany and The Living Seas; because, they were somewhat separated from the common area. I wish there were more of those throughout all the parks. Fortunately, she didn't have any really bad outbursts out in the public areas on rides, shows, etc. I would have probably been scared if she did.

The other bad situation was my mom refusing to wear her coat during one of our private photo sessions at the Wilderness Lodge. We had jackets on, but she refused over and over again to wear one herself. I believed she got chilled on that occasion; because, most of these sessions are outside. Well, she did get sick and our last morning there was spent at a clinic. She had a bad sinus infection (like a head cold) and she was given an antibiotic. Her throat was red per the doctor. She was given 10 days of meds and she is still on them, now. She is very irritable about it. She never liked colds (who does?) and she can be nasty with them.

I will admit that Once is Enough for this experience with her. I think the trip was a little long for the circumstances. The other side was that we needed the length to see all we could see at all the parks; because, I knew I wouldn't do it again. If I was local; I would scale back. She did become disoriented, especially when we switched resorts with our layover nights coming and going there. I'm planning for a Dollywood trip in Pigeon Forge for next Christmas season, now. There are a lot of shows we can see there; so, I think that will suit us. We can get a resonable condo there and we can have a shorter trip. We will be able to drive there in one shot which is a good bonus.

Would I do it again knowing what I know now? That answer is an absolute yes! There were a lot more positive aspects to the trip than negative ones. Good luck to all that try in this regard. I would say it's doable, as long as, you realize every moment will not be perfect. If I can be of any help to anyone with any advice let me know. You can private message me here, as well.

Thanks to all for listening and supporting me in my efforts to accomplish this trip with my mom.
 
Thank you for sharing all aspects of the trip with your mom. I'm glad you got to have some nice memories of the parks with her. You are a wonderful daughter for doing these things with her. I don't think I'd have the emotional fortitude to do it.
 

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