Good luck to all of the MousePlanet readers participating in MouseAdventure this coming weekend!
Walt Disney World Update writer Mark Goldhaber answers the first letter this week:
Kim S. writes:
You made mention of scooter rentals. How do I contact them? Is it better to rent from them for eleven days of an upcoming trip or get a daily rental at Disney World? My husband has a bad back injury and cannot walk any long distances.
I’d say that you’re probably better off renting from Scooter Vacations, since that way you’ll have the scooter while you’re at the resort or elsewhere. If you’ve got a spread-out resort and your husband can’t walk long distances he’ll probably be better off riding around the resort. You’ll need to park the scooter in your room and charge it up overnight, but it’s definitely a convenience to have. (We used it while at Old Key West, so we really didn’t have any space issues in the room. Your mileage may vary depending on where you’re staying.)
If you’re using a car to get around, make sure to get a scooter that will collapse into your trunk (though you want to check the maximum weights for each model). My wife used the Diplomat model, and it was very easy for me to put together and break down into our vehicle. (Make sure to watch the video on the web site a couple of times to become familiar with the set up/break down procedure.) If you’ll just be using Disney transportation, you might want to look at the Dream, which is a larger, non-collapsing model that is supposed to be more comfortable.
You can get to them from the link in the list of sponsors at the bottom of the MousePlanet front page, from the Transportation section of the main Walt Disney World Park Guide or each main theme park page in the Walt Disney World Guide, or from the Walt Disney World Mobility page. That will link you to the page where they tell you how MousePlanet readers and MouseStation listeners can get a 10% discount on every rental. (Or you can just go directly to their page). Bear in mind that they’re approaching their busy season, and that availability may be limited.
Staff writer Lani Teshima answers the next piece of reader mail from Santanu B. who writes:
I will reach California (LAX) at 8:45 am in November from Las Vegas for the first time in my life. I want to spend the whole day in Disneyland, but I have a few queries that are bothering me:
- I will have luggage of the size of 28″ x 18 ” x 10″. Can I store it somewhere around that place, as check-in time of all hotels in LA is 3 pm?
- Will it be better for me if I fly to Santa Ana (SNA) Airport?
If you are arriving before your hotel’s official check-in time, I strongly urge you to go to your hotel first to check in anyway. Even if they do not have a room prepared for you, you can still check in, and the only difference is that you will probably not be given your room key until later in the afternoon.
In the meantime, you can drop all of your luggage off with the hotel’s bell desk. This means you won’t have to look for any luggage lockers at all.
Although Disneyland does have some lockers, there is a limited number of lockers that are large enough to fit luggage, and you have no guarantee that one will be vacant for you when you get there. In addition, if you arrive to Disneyland from Harbor Boulevard, you will need to have someone escort you from the security gate to the locker area, which is next to the picnic area outside of security on the other side of the esplanade.
Orange County Airport (SNA) is substantially closer to Disneyland than LAX, but ticket prices to SNA tend to be more expensive. If you can get a reasonable airplane ticket to SNA, your shuttle ride to Disneyland will be both cheaper and shorter… however you can still easily catch the airport shuttle bus from LAX to Disneyland. Have a great trip!
Finally, staff writer Lisa Perkis answers a few letters about theme park anxiety and birthdays at Disneyland.
A reader writes:
I know this article was written three years ago, but tonight, it made me cry. I’m a 33-year-old woman who suffers from panic attacks and agoraphobia. I function well and a lot of people don’t know of my struggles, but I am planning to go to Disneyland tomorrow for a friend’s birthday and I’m scared to death. I Googled “Disneyland Anxiety” and came across this beautiful piece.
I cried at the picture of Charlotte smiling on the Dumbo ride. I’m so proud of her (and you) for taking these steps. It was an inspirational little article for me. I hope Charlotte is doing well these days!
Thank you so much for writing. I hope you had a memorable visit to Disneyland today. Charlotte is doing very well and had a few milestones this summer. She walked through the queue and preshow of The Tower of Terror before exiting through the gift shop to wait for her friends. This was a tough one and she shed a few tears and directed a few angry words my way as we made our way through. Once out, though, she was proud and relieved.
On the same visit she took her first ride on Space Mountain and loved it—who knew. She went back three more times. I credit it to being with all her friends who exerted some positive peer pressure, especially the six-year-old little sister who could not get over the fact that 11-year-old Char had never been on Space before, for all her many visits. So, that’s one more Mountain under her belt. She still avoids Splash Mountain; she tried to jump out of the log in a complete panic on the last hill before the big drop. I was more scared after that ride than she was and we have not attempted that one again until she works on the other Mountains. Little steps!
Let me know how your day went. I hope you were able to have a great time with your friend.
Reader responds:
It was a great time! It really, really was, and a huge milestone for me. The day started rough as I picked up my friend and just burst into tears. My friend talked me down and reassured me that there were no expectations of me except to just show up. So that was my plan.
I only went on two attractions, the Jungle Cruise and Monsters Inc. The last one took place while all but one of my friends were doing Tower of Terror. It could not have been more opposite! I wasn’t even crazy about being strapped in a car for Monsters, but we still laughed through that kiddie ride. The lines and the size of our group all wanting to do different things prevented me from doing more of what I started to get the courage to want to do, like the Haunted Mansion. So thanks to my medication, supportive friends and just plain ol’ courage, I can’t believe I made it. I think I earned my Mickey ears (with my name embroidered on the back, of course).
Thank you for writing back and checking in. I applaud Charlotte for her courage. It’s not easy; my anxiety bleeds into my daily life every day. It sounds like you and your family help her immensely. I’ve lived with it for years and years. That’s fantastic that she rode Space Mountain! I secretly wanted to, but didn’t know if I’d regret it once I got on the ride. Anyway, best of luck to your family. Sounds like she’s in good hands!
Gregory H. writes:
I’m interested in having my daughter’s birthday at Disneyland next spring in May. How can I make that happen at an inexpensive amount?
Well, other than buying a ticket to get into the park, which can get expensive, a lot of the other suggestions I made in the article are pretty reasonable or free, like the birthday button at City Hall, a call from Goofy, etc. You can even pack a special birthday lunch and store it in the picnic area just outside the park gates and save money on meals as well. You can purchase a few Disney Dollars or a gift card at a Disney Store before you leave and then give them to her to spend at the park. Just being there at Disneyland will make her birthday very special, I think.
Shanna writes:
I heard that if you are celebrating your birthday at Disneyland that you get front of the line passes for you and up to four guests. I was wondering if this is in fact true? Please let me know and thank you for your time!
Wow, wouldn’t that be great? Unfortunately, if Disneyland actually gave everyone who claimed it was his or her birthday front of the line passes (they do not ask for any proof of date when they give birthday buttons), there would be no one waiting in the regular queue. My advice is to use Fastpass for the popular attractions and have a wonderful time for your birthday.
