5 Fave Friday - Getting Home for the Holidays

It is that time again! Some of you will be or are already heading home for the Christmas-New Years holiday. This is the busiest time to travel no matter what your mode. If you are in the process of traveling maybe some of this will help, if you are getting ready to travel take this to heart. These are things to think about as you travel that will make your, and other peoples voyage smoother.

5. Be nice to the TSA people (they are just doing their job) - This time of year you hear a lot of bad things about the people who work security for airports, train stations, etc. I know well the effect that a bad security person can have on your trip (usually because it is the beginning or end of the trip). My advice to you is be as helpful as you can. Remove your shoes, any metal objects, let them know if you have medical prosthesis or other things that make you not the average Joe/Jane passenger. Give them a little slack, they deal with hundreds or thousands of people who are stressed just because they are traveling, and some who procrastinated because they thought they could cruise through the security line. I am not saying that you should do something unreasonable, but if it is just removing your jacket or being wanded, don't hassle them. If it is an unreasonable request politely ask for their supervisor, as is your right anywhere.

4. Have what you will need at the ready- Basic common sense tells me that if I am flying that I should have a picture ID ready to show the ticketing agent, security, and the lady that boards us on the plane. You will also want to have your ticket, boarding pass, or proof that you belong on the bus/train/plane/parking garage/etc. But I can tell you that I have had to wait for people who were shocked that the complete stranger behind the counter had no idea who they were. Grocery store (if you use a check to pay fill it out in line before you get to the register) rules apply in these travel situations. If you know you need to take off your jacket, keys, and shoes perhaps waiting until the last minute isn't the best plan for everyone.

3. Other people, be courteous- It seems like courtesy gets tossed out of the window when traveling in general, and during the holidays particularly. Remember the reason that you are traveling is that your holiday of choice has a message (treat everyone like you want to be treated) so how about walking the talk. Here is an idea, if you see an elderly person waiting in the taxi line having trouble ask if they need assistance ( and if you are not in a huge hurry let them get the cab before you), driving on a family car trip can be stressful try to be courteous and not drive aggressively or be a Griswold (see National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation), see a struggling mom with a few kids, offer to take something off her hands,  or let her in front of you in line so that she can get the kids out of everyone's way. It is just a human thing to do.

2. Fill your tank before you go (check your fluids, fill your tires, get an oil change, make sure you have an emergency kit for the car and wheelchair). Just think ahead about what might go wrong on your trip, and have a plan. Don't freak out about it, or let it ruin your vacation. If you use a walker or wheelchair research the repair places where you are going. Do you have a baby or toddler look up the places that may have stuff the kids may need. Print it out and put it with your travel documents. Be proactive not reactive, if you don't use it there was no problem, it didn't hurt having it.

1. Relax - if you have followed this blog you know that our motto is plan it to death, then enjoy yourself. Bring a book, e-reader, or portable video game. This is suppose to be fun, AND you paid for this experience.

Happy Holidays from me to you! Safe Journeys wherever your trip is taking you.

One week from travel.

Usually about a week before we travel we have several things that we like to complete. We verify that there will be a vehicle with hand controls with the car rental agency (see previous post on renting vehicles with hand controls). We do a pre-pack, this might seem unnecessary but trust me it is much better than being in line and being told that your bags are to heavy or won't fit in the machine. Plus it gives us an ideal if we are missing anything (sun block, specific clothing, and the like). Sure you can buy it there, but if you are going to check a bag any way might as well bring stuff you already have. We also make sure to contact our bank, and credit card company to let them know we will be traveling. They will put a travel alert on the card so that you do not have to worry about your card getting refused (plus it is nice to know if my card is used somewhere I am not traveling it will trip the travel warning).

I also like to bone up on the travel books. Also plug travel sites like Frommer's, or Lonely Planet or download APPS into my smart phone. This will save you in the long run if there is a specific place you wanted to go, without you looking like a total tourist (which you are).

I get really excited (and stressed) about this point so these steps are nice to be able to focus on and it keeps me from missing things. Now the count down is really on.

Regional airports

I really think when flying you should consider skipping the large hub airports and utilize the hidden gems that are the smaller regional airports. These smaller airports are great for several reasons. First you do not get stuck waiting for airport security in lines that you would find in Sea Tac, LAX, or O'Hare International. You will get a thorough search but it takes half the time getting through it and that is nice. Better deals in flying, there are a ton of airlines that are moving away from the super airports and going to the regional ones and can offer you a better ticket price. A prime example is Alaska Air and Allegiant Air flying out of Bellingham International Airport (located between Seattle, Washington and Vancouver, British Columbia Canada). Alaska Airlines have started flying non-stop to Hawaii (which I can't wait to take advantage of), and Allegiant Air flies to San Diego or Las Vegas (their hub and to points beyond). Check out your local regional airport to see where your travels might take you.

Leave the driving to ART

I have not used the Anaheim Resort Transit system in my previous trips to the Disneyland Resorts because it was not set up as user friendly as it is now. The cost of gas going up must have made the folks of Orange County rethink mass transportation because from what I have been able to see it looks pretty manageable to use. Most all buses use Disneyland or the Anaheim Garden walk as a hub and do loops to and from the shopping center to the parks and back (they also make trips to the stadiums, convention center, and the Block at Orange , another large shopping complex). This allows you some away time when you get that bit of claustrophobia that is common when dealing with large crowds.

I think I will like it because I can hop the bus at Disneyland, ride comfortably to Target or Safeway, pick up some bottled water or snacks for the room (I get the craving for fruit or healthy-ish snacks after a day of park food) that won't make me need to take a mortgage on my house. All the buses are wheelchair accessible and if further assistance is needed they have other accommodations to help by calling them up. Prices seem to be reasonable as they sell passes for 1-5 days (1 day=$4, 3 day=$10, and 5 day=$16) and there are kiosks to purchase them at most of the major stops (Disneyland being one of them).

The ART web page is easy to navigate and has a good map, although you may want to print it out because otherwise you have to view it through a tiny window and don't get the whole map at one time. Our plan is to check this out on the trip and I will let you know any pros or cons to using this instead of, or in addition to, renting a car.

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.....