Tip #2 getting from the airport to the hotel. There have not been as many choices for people with mobility issues as there are now. There are car rental agencies that can get you a vehicle with hand controls (with at least 48 hours notice see car rental post). You can hop a taxi which will set you back in the fundage department. Or you can do what I do and make a reservation for an airport shuttle. I have used both Supershuttle and Disney Magic Express and they are both pretty nice, clean, and as safe as you can get on a California freeway. You do have to let them know if you require a wheelchair lift as not all of their buses have them. The shuttle lets you sit back and relax as their driver navigates the chaos that is the SoCal highway system. It is reasonably priced and you might even get a deal booking a package.

I plan to go a bit more indepth in a later post about getting around Anaheim itself using the ART system as I am still checking out all the little intricacies of the system. Until Tomorrow.....

Will that be paper or plastic?

So I am now about thirty days out from my trip to Disneyland. We have received the itinerary it has been mailed to us by the wonderful Mary at AAA Travel (she puts stickers on it so it is very festive when we receive it) and now it is time to do some of the logistic work to make the trip smooth sailing.

With this in mind I have a couple of tips that we have found very useful. #1 is the Disney gift card. This was dropped into my brain by some very hardcore Disney-o-philes a few years ago. If you are on a budget (and who isn't) it will make you stick to it. Disney gift cards make carrying cash, credit cards, or travelers checks unnecessary as they can be used at most places in a the parks as well as around most of the Disney owned hotels. You can get these nifty little cards at any Disney Store, or at the parks or online. I have been told that if you lose them they can be reissued (although you need the directions from the back of the card so make a copy). If you have kids who want some independence in their spending you can get specific amounts and dole them out as the trip goes on (perhaps on a per day basis). This would allow you to make limits on the amounts they have without stifling them. And when its gone, its gone.

What we have done is figure out a per day amount of money for food multilpy it by the amount of days we are there and then split it between two cards. This allows one of us to find a place to set while the other goes and places the order. Also important to know is that most of the Downtown Disney places will not take it as they are all independent from the park itself (except the World of Disney Store they do take it).

I will be giving out a tip or thing of interest every day as part of National Blog Posting Month. Tomorrow maybe transportation :)

Planning a Disney Vacation

Well it has been a while since I have posted and I wanted to get back to it. We (my wife and I) are getting ready to visit Disneyland. We have been six times each but Mary has never been at Christmas time. We decided that needed to be changed so we are going in December. Now I know what you are thinking Disneyland at Christmas -- you're crazy!! But no. There is a brief time between Thanksgiving and Christmas that the park is all decked out for the holidays, and still considered part of the down time. We are going during the first week in December. We chose this time because it is statistically less crowded at the parks (as kids are still in school and college has not quite let out for winter break). The airports are less busy because people are headed home after turkey day and NOT to a tourist destination like DL (Disneyland). Finally we chose the destination because well even though I am not employed by Disney I believe that you can go to Disneyland Resort (or really any of their resorts) and once you walk through the gate stress and worry sort of melts away from you. As corny as it sounds it really is magic.

Now I do not have a kid (yet) but there are tons of things that you can do there that are not ALL kid oriented (or park oriented). Disney's Grand Californian Hotel has a world renowned spa that offers great therapeutic treatments (which I plan to avail myself of a massage). In between both parks there is much in the way of shopping, entertainment, and an awesome movie theater. There is something there for sports fans, music lovers, and shopaholics. Disney knows it has to keep the entire family when they are on vacation. With this said I am going to share my planning with you. Let you know what I know about the accessibility and inaccessibility of the parks, airplanes, and surrounding attractions.

I am flying out of our local airport and connecting to Sea Tac International Airport. I like doing this because you get to bypass going through the larger airport security (having gone through the local airport's security), nice people who will help you get in and out of the aisle chair. This also lets you experience flying as it should be -- smaller planes, nicer staff, no fighting a larger airport's traffic. I like Alaska Air for most of my traveling, they are relatively well-connected with travel partners. I also like Hawaiian Air but that is for another trip. I also like to fly into smaller airports (such as John Wayne International) for the same reasons (just better than navigating LAX).

We have decided to stay on property as a treat (Grand Californian). We have stayed there before and it is a very elegant place. Great landscaping, an inspiring lobby, and comfortable rooms. If you can afford to stay on property I highly recommend it. If not there are some fantastic "good neighbor" partners off property.

I will continue to let you in on some neat little secrets but here are some of the references that I have used for each trip to DL: Birnbaums Official Guide to Disneyland Resort, and the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland 2009. I also like Mouse Planet, and Laughing Place too. Those folks know more about Disneyland than most Disney historians. More to come.

Won't you let me take you on a sea cruise...

I have been on lots of different types of vacations and I must say that I have really taken a great shine to cruises. Now my experience is limited to just one Eastern Caribbean cruise. However my wife and I have done quite a bit of research for the cruise line, ports of call, and excursions. So we have a bit of knowledge on the subject. I will just give you my own opinion, take it in the way it was intended.

First off, consult a professional (my trusty AAA travel agent Theresa and Mary). These folks have extensive knowledge on ALL the cruise lines so they can direct you to the right one. This is important because if you are wanting to relax, perhaps the Spring Break Carnival Cruise with tons of college kids isn’t what you want. A travel expert will be able to let you know what the facilities will be on the ship, if the ports of calls are dockside or tendered (this is when they take you from the ship to a little boat and then to the dock..Most cruise lines will NOT assist you with this). The more information you can get the easier it is to start doing your own research (and you will need to do research).

So the great thing about cruising is that you only have to unpack once. For most lines the food and most of your entertainment in also included in the price of the ticket. All this plus there are partner airlines that will offer deals for your airfare. It is a great deal.

As I said I took an Eastern Caribbean cruise on Disney Cruiselines and I had an incredible time. We booked last minute but it was still a pretty great deal that included airline and a hotel for the night before the ship left. We ended up splurging on a wonderful couples massage (I totally reccommend if you can swing it. I was totally spasm free at the end of it). I have made some inquiries on other lines and have heard that Princess ships going to Alaska even hook up with an accessable rail line to their own private resort. Royal Caribbean is the nice halfway point between Carnival Cruiselines and Norwegian Cruise lines.

Now here is the beautiful thing. If you don't feel like getting off the ship to battle the throngs of shoppers most lines offer discounts on shipboard services. You may even find duty-free liquor and other goodies for the same prices as at the island shops. Just something to think about. I will talk more about this in detail in another post.

Lunch at the Convention

Just wanted to give these folks some good buzz. I have a savory crepe with goat cheese and roasted red pepper. If you are in Seattle by the convention center stop by and have some great food. Also if like me you have your camera batteries die mid picture Kinko has batteries for reasonable prices.

Man I feel normal.

OK so it is no secret that I am a huge comic book fan, and even though it is a little late I wanted to post about the Emerald City Comic Convention. I must say this is a very fun day trip even if you are not into the four color books. The people watching is fantastic, and thanks to it being held at the Washington State Convention Center the food choices were pretty good to. (WSCC is just a few blocks from Pike Place Market, and very near awesome shopping of down.) The whole place was very nice and extremely accessible. Lots of parking in both buildings, and there are plenty of elevators. My only complaint was that the building that I was parked in locked up right at the time the convention closed. Enjoy the pictures of the folks in costumes.

Great weekend away (5th anniversary)

I have just gotten back from a great weekend trip celebrating my 5th wedding anniversary. We went and stayed in Seattle down by Pike Place Market (after taking a mandatory adoptive parenting class). We stayed at the Inn at the Market which is a nice modern boutique hotel located half a block from the from the Market and very close to lots of neat shops and entertainment ( The Showbox, Benaroya Hall, Seattle Aquarium, and the Seattle Art Museum). It all started when we pulled to the valet parking which was on the street and the great valet name Lance offered to let me unload in their underground parking lot. I checked in and the great people at the bell desk held our bags so we could head out into the city. My wife is a huge book freak so we went to Elliot Bay Books and poked around for a while. Afterward we went to an amazing restaurant, Pan Africa Market. The food is Awesome I had the Spicy Lamb stew, curried split pea, and Yams. This is love on a plate spicy, sweet, and smokey. If you are in Seattle ever, check out this out you won't regret it.

We hit the SAM and checked out the Yale traveling exhibit, and hit the market. Now if I haven't let it be known one of my guilty pleasures are comic books, and at Pike Place Market there is a pretty great comic shop there (Golden Age Comics). Really what a comic shop should be smells of decaying paper, lots of choices in both mainstream and Indy comics, lots of toys and posters. Lots of fun really. We wandered in and out many cool and eclectic shops and stalls (Chukar Cherries).

Pros and Cons.

The Inn at the Market is a great hotel. It has a great bunch of disabled rooms located on the 3rd floor it is very luxurious, it has a large open bathroom and a great staff. Cons are that like all of the waterfront there are many hills and if you are on wheels you will need to have help or be in very good shape (I am speaking as someone who is in OK shape and got winded several times).

Pan Africa Market has great food and amazingly friendly service. the prices are cheap and the portions are good. The accessibility is very good for an older building. No real cons in my opinion.

Pike Place Market. This is a landmark of Seattle that has been around for a century. While they have made great strides at accessibility it is still an old structure which means very steep ramps, and very small elevators. Plus there are cobble stones in most of the walkway so if you are in a walker this may be a problem.

Overall if you are in good shape, or if you are with a good group willing to assist you the waterfront is a fun and romantic destination. Go and have fun!!