A little sprinkle of pixie dust: Missy's Pre Trip/Trip Report June 22nd-28th 2015

[lilmissdisney216]

So words can't even begin to describe how excited I am about our upcoming trip to WDW! Its been well over four years since my last visit to the World and I have been DYING to get back for a vacation to remember. Lo and behold, its finally going to happen!

So like any trip report, its best that I start off with some introductions to some key players that are going to be involved in this magical journey that is my trip report:



Myself (26) and Disney (19 Months old): I am the Disney freak! I caught the bug when I was about 4 years old watching the lion king and have had a love for Disney ever since. I was a cast member through the Disney College Program back in 2011 and my love for Disney was contagious to anyone I came in contact with. I love Disney so much I named my most recent dog after the man that started it all. Pictured with me is Disney, my 19 month old golden retriever that will be accompanying us on the journey. Disney was a career changed dog from Leader Dogs for the Blind that I had raised and have since then been training with her for her to do service dog work. I have a very severe anxiety disorder and PTSD, and she has been an AMAZING addition to my treatment plan. It is extremely exciting but a bit nervewracking to be bringing her to Disney world but I believe she can do it . She's always had my back and she is doing an excellent job.



Pictured above are myself and fiance Rob (27). This man is.....wow. He is truly my prince charming and the love of my life. We have been together for going on 3 years now and its been one heck of a ride. We have been through ups and downs together and have managed to stay strong and hold on to one another. Rob is the nurse in our household (he works in homecare) and is also a proud member of the United States Army Reserves. He's done one tour in Iraq and I couldn't be prouder of my special guy. He has officially asked my parents permission for my hand in marriage (very old fashioned and I don't mind that at all) but I do not have MY ring yet ( I wear my mother's engagement ring that she recieved from my dad back when they were getting married). I like to be surprised so who knows when I'll be getting it, hopefully soon.


Our trip is special in so many ways. It'll be our first trip together as a couple (yay!), Disney's going to be turning 2 years old once we arrive in Disney World( double yay), but it is also a very touching trip as well.

Last year in 2014, it was an increasingly difficult year for me health wise. I went into the emergency room one night for abdominal pain and had a CT scan. Well completely by accident, it was discovered that I had some cysts on my left kidney. At the time they weren't causing any pain and the doctors decided that they would leave them be and they would disappear on their own accord.

Time went on and I began to get some serious pains in my back near my kidneys. I was worried. Went to the general doctor who immediately referred me to a urologist and renal specialist. The specialist ordered an MRI of the kidneys. After the MRI it would determine wether or not the cysts looked serious enough to have to operate. We hoped for the best.

It was the opposite.

The urologist said that 3 of the 7 cysts appeared to be unsettling and that I would need a laproscopic operation to remove the cysts and to biopsy. He was concerned that there was a possibility of cancer. I wasn't sure what to think. My brain had started to go a million miles a minute. The operation enough was scary but cancer was a whole other story. With Rob and my family by my side, we scheduled the surgery for June 23rd.

Day of surgery came and went. I ended up spending 4 painful days in the hospital recovering and getting my diet back to normal again. But through it all, Rob was right by my side. He never left. He slept right next to my bed in the hospital each and every night and even sang me to sleep. Lets just say John Legend's 'All of Me' has a significant meaning in our lives.

On the discharge day we recieved the results of the biopsy. Turns out the cysts were not cancerous at all. It was the happiest day of our lives! All it means now are MRI's every six months to monitor the situaiton and make sure no little buggers pop up again.

In a way, this trip is such a personal triumph. I faced the adversity of my kidney operation and the possible outcome of having cancer, and I rose above it and ended up turning the tables and scaring cancer from my door. No matter what, I wasn't gonna let it come knocking.

I am so excited to share this report with all of you and excited for you all to come on our journey.

Back to the topic at hand!!!


We officially ordered and customized our magic bands last night!!!! The countdown officially began! We booked yesterday as well!!! We are booked for 6 nights at POP Century Resort from June 22nd-June 28th . We already have a few ADR's booked and a special visit to Universal Studios for a taping of IMPACT Wrestling. Excited beyond words!!!!

A question for my fellow DISers, anyone have some cute ways/things to personalize your magicband with? I'm all about being themed and fun so any suggestions, please feel free to share!!!


Missy

 

[lilmissdisney216]

wanted to know if I had any readers out there?

 

[collcass]

I'm reading

 

[lilmissdisney216]

So to continue in my saga that is pre trip planning....

Now we move onto the taxing task of arranging the car so that myself and darling fiance don't get driven crazy for 17 hours with one excited service dog. Disney is used to riding in the car but frankly she's young and can get excited when she knows she's going on a trip. Since we're driving, this is an awesome opportunity to break in the new car I got this past fall (I have a Honda Element for those that are familiar and it is awesome!!!). Would have to make sure oil changes, tune ups, fluid checks, and engine checks come out clean before making the journey. Would hate for something to go wrong on the way down. Yikes! That would certainly be a trip killer for sure.

After factoring in leaving time and time to stop, Rob and I expect the trip will take around 18 hours with toll roads and potty breaks for us and Dis. I am a microplanner, so when it comes to a major trip that involves lots of specifics, I start early. Gives me a zen peace of mind if you know what I mean?

Now since Rob works nights, we agreed to have him drive the night portions and I would drive the day portions to allow each person to sleep during the appropriate times. I tend to get rather car sick during the night as a passenger on long distance trips so this arrangement will be beneficial for me (plus I'm not much of a night owl anyway).

Now a bit of a back story, Rob is not fully my fiance just yet ( don't have the ring but he has gone to my parents and officially asked for my hand and they have given their approval). I am waiting with bated breath for the day that I receieve the gorgeous ring. My co-workers and my mom have a hunch that I just may receive my ring while in Disney but I am not sure. It seems to cliche for Rob to consider as he's more subtle and subdued when it comes to things like that. But ya never know.


Sorry if it seems like I was rambling this post ( loooong busy day at work). Will get more here once I gather my planning thoughts and have my mojo back! Comments are welcome and appreciated (thanks to collcass for reading!) Have a magical day everyone!

Missy

 

[princessbelle2015]

Joining in.

 

[Southern Bell]

Sounds like you have a terrific guy that stayed by your side when you needed him. Glad you are OK now. Hope you both have a great time at Disney and all your dreams come true! I look forward to reading more about your trip.

 

[lilmissdisney216]

Thank you all so much whom have joined in!!!

So in preparation for our visit to Disney, its super important to get Disney service dog ready to rock n roll while in the parks. Today we spent a lot of time working at our local shopping mall around all sorts of people, smells, and sights. Usually we take the time each week to mall walk but today we spent a lot of time making sure Disney had her focus on and was able to communicate with me effectively in the midst of the chaos.

She did really really well! I was so happy that she was so in tune with me today. More in tune than I have seen her in a while. It brought tears to my eyes and I was ever so proud!

The only hurdle that we had today was getting her to realize that moving sidewalks are nothing to fear. Now a side note, I do not have Disney go on the moving sidewalks. They need to be done just right and the wrong timing can cause a serious injury of the paws. Disney World has a lot of attractions with the moving sidewalks but honestly I don't feel like its going to be a challenge. Asking a cast member for an alternative may be our only option. Trust me I always want to keep my girl safe.

I have full confidence in DIsney that she is going to pull it out and do wonderfully in the World. She is my world and a part of me. She's been so beneficial in my life and its awesome. I feel so blessed to have her each and every day.


Keeping it short tonight. Feeling a smidge under the weather (Disney has been right by my side since we got home. Always on alert for a change with me).

Have a magical night!!

Missy

 

[lilmissdisney216]

What do you do when you're feeling blue? Go on the DIS of course!

Now in typical pre trip planning fashion (and mostly also out of pure excitement), I have started to dig out all of my Disney trinkets and park items that I had from my time as a CM on my Disney CP back in 2011. But after moving at least three times between then and now its been rather difficult to keep up and find all of my pins (rats...and lots of them were CM exclusive pins too :-(.)

Now with any sort of planning venture you tend to have the usual concerns of crowds and making sure ADRs get booked just the way you want. Since we booked about a week or so ago I managed to secure a few ADRs that I had been wanting and due to previous experience knew they would book up rather quickly. I have a breakdown of what we have scheduled so far:

June 22nd (arrival and check in day at POP)
-Dinner at Biergarten in EPCOT 6:30

June 23rd (first day at MK)
-Breakfast at Chef Mickey's at CR 7:00AM yikes
-Dinner at Raglan Road in DTD 7:00 PM

June 24th (EPCOT day)
-Dinner at Teppan Edo in WS 7:40PM

June 26th (TNA day and sort of our chill day)
-Lunch at Whispering Canyon Cafe at WL 1:25 PM

June 27th
-Dinner at Coral Reef in EPCOT at 6:20PM

Now the big BIG reservation I was shooting for on our itenarary was Chef Mickey's. I had been dying to go here for quite some time and each time I went to book it had always been booked up. Luckily I was able to snag a breakfast time for our first day to the Magic Kingdom. Specifics would of course have to fall into place as far as planning with Disney (orchestrating her potty times, feeding, and making sure we allow ample wake up time, travel time, and time to get to check in for breakfast from POP to the Contemporary). Hopefully it will all work itself out.

The biggest moment of our trip is going to TNA wrestling at universal studios. I am a HUGE wrestling fan and am dying to see the show live. I would go to independent shows here in Michigan but have never been to a professional show such as TNA. Have already checked with Universal as far as making sure everything is groovy with bringing miss Disney and so far so good. I am hoping and wishing that I get the opportunity to meet one of my favorite wrestling personalities, Jeff Hardy. Its been a dream of mine for so long and frankly I have considered him an inspiration to myself. He has gone through so much himself both professionally and personally and he has never strayed away from who he really is and what is most important in life. He has been just the driving force for me to be the best I can be no matter who or what tries to knock you down. He is also been able to rise above the critics and those who thought he was the worlds biggest failure and be able to become such a powerful personality in the industry. To me that is just amazing. He is such an inspiration to me and his passion and his drive has given me the fire to keep on keepin on in life, especially when I was going through all my health challenges and ongoing medical ringers. I really hope I get the opportunity to share my story with him one day. Going to TNA and seeing him in person means the world to me. Rob is a good sport about it. He's letting me have my OMG Jeff Hardy momments while we are there cause at the end of the day he knows that he will always be my superstar.

 

[lilmissdisney216]

Does anyone have any suggestions on what to do as far as transportation to Chef Mickey's for breakfast? We are staying at POP century, we are bringing a car, but want to utelize the transportation as much as possible in Disney. This is something I have been trying to figure out with planning time on our schedule. Our ADR is at 7AM. What do you guys think we should do?

 

[lilmissdisney216]

Another installment in the chapter of my pre trip planning saga.

So with any vacation there comes the concept of budgeting. It can be hard to not spend money on things that you really really want but know you don't truly need. The temptation can be so real. I made a huge decision recently on the see saw that is the decisions of Disney. Just this past weekend (in fact today was the last day), there was a huge dog training expo (for anyone in the know, I'm referring to the Clicker Expo run by Karen Pryor Clicker Training/Academy) and it is the expo to go to for positive reinforcement dog trainers. I HAD to go to it. The only problem was that Disney is around the corner and clicker expo is going to run rather expensive ($545 dollars for a three day pass and that didn't include meals :yikes. At that moment in time I had to make a difficult decision: save the money for our vacation or go to the expo and learn so many amazing things to be used in my training endeavours with my clients and my personal dogs. I swallowed the gumption and ended up passing on the clicker expo. It was a tough decision that was not easy to make but I realize that the extra 500 dollars can go a long way while in Disney World. Now I did have some regret about not going to the expo and not being able to attend the inspiring sessions and all the learning opportunities. There will be other expos next year so its not a huge deal if I missed this one.

Back to planning for Disney, I LOVE to be themed for whatever the occasion and Disney is the perfect place for this. Rob is not the big theme person so this element is going to take some persuasion. I was wanting to have different shirts made for our trip to Disney and thought it would be an amazing idea to have them match. Rob however treats it like we work in an office building, told me to submit my designs for approval (sheesh!). Now to brainstorm the perfect design that both he and I would like.

The one important element to the planning process is getting my car ready for the 17 hour drive down to Disney. I had recently gotten a new car this past fall and it has been amazing for carrying dogs back and forth between training classes/trials/work/and shows. I plan on making some modifications to the back of the car for Disney to be comfortable in the car and for all of our luggage to fit. Some modifications include:

• ceiling storage strong enough to hold a collapsable crate
• 12 volt outlets to charge the rechargeable fans we are bringing to keep Disney cool.
• platform to slide luggage underneath and any other things that we may be bringing for trip to maximize space.
• space to fit a hard sided crate and Disney if she rides out of the crate.
• tethers to safely tether Disney in the car if she rides loose.
• New radio with built in navigation and sirius radio (not really a dog comfort but a people comfort).

Needless to say I have three months worth of hard work. There's probably more modifications I need to do that will get added to list between now and then. Plus it depends on whether or not the weather will hold up in order for me to do most of my modifications outside.

Best news ever! We got our first piece of Disney mail this past week! We got our pamphlet about our magic bands and how to use them! Also outlined our dining plan and how many credits we have per day. We went with the basic dining plan that consists of the following:

• 12 Quick Service Credits
• 12 Table Service Credits
• 12 Snacks
• 2 Refillable Mugs

WOW! That's a lot of food! We have plenty of TS credits to cover each meal that I have scheduled in our ADRs (went back and double checked each meal with each credit match up). Thankfully Rob and I love to eat so this shouldn't be an issue for us!

And now for a daily dose of cute: Miss Disney posed with our Disney mail

Exactly 3 months to go!!!

xoxo Missy and Disney

 

[Glittercat]

Hello @lilmissdisney216 new reader here! *smiles* I too have PTSD and have heard wonderful things about service dogs in relation to it. Disney is beautiful and you and your fiancé hame such a lovely couple!

Teppan Edo is a great place have you tried Tokyo Dining? We went to both last time (actually Tokyo Dining twice *blush*) and will be going back to both on our upcoming trip. Have you been to Biergarten? We're seriously considering going there as well.

Happy trip planning to you!

 

[HSMndLKfan92]

Our trip is special in so many ways. It'll be our first trip together as a couple (yay!), Disney's going to be turning 2 years old once we arrive in Disney World( double yay), but it is also a very touching trip as well.

Last year in 2014, it was an increasingly difficult year for me health wise. I went into the emergency room one night for abdominal pain and had a CT scan. Well completely by accident, it was discovered that I had some cysts on my left kidney. At the time they weren't causing any pain and the doctors decided that they would leave them be and they would disappear on their own accord.

Time went on and I began to get some serious pains in my back near my kidneys. I was worried. Went to the general doctor who immediately referred me to a urologist and renal specialist. The specialist ordered an MRI of the kidneys. After the MRI it would determine wether or not the cysts looked serious enough to have to operate. We hoped for the best.

It was the opposite.

The urologist said that 3 of the 7 cysts appeared to be unsettling and that I would need a laproscopic operation to remove the cysts and to biopsy. He was concerned that there was a possibility of cancer. I wasn't sure what to think. My brain had started to go a million miles a minute. The operation enough was scary but cancer was a whole other story. With Rob and my family by my side, we scheduled the surgery for June 23rd.

Day of surgery came and went. I ended up spending 4 painful days in the hospital recovering and getting my diet back to normal again. But through it all, Rob was right by my side. He never left. He slept right next to my bed in the hospital each and every night and even sang me to sleep. Lets just say John Legend's 'All of Me' has a significant meaning in our lives.

On the discharge day we recieved the results of the biopsy. Turns out the cysts were not cancerous at all. It was the happiest day of our lives! All it means now are MRI's every six months to monitor the situaiton and make sure no little buggers pop up again.

In a way, this trip is such a personal triumph. I faced the adversity of my kidney operation and the possible outcome of having cancer, and I rose above it and ended up turning the tables and scaring cancer from my door. No matter what, I wasn't gonna let it come knocking.

You certainly deserve some celebration after everything that's gone on in the past year!

I suffer from kidney stones. Not the same thing as potentially (but thankfully not) cancerous cysts, but I can kind of understand. From one pair of kidneys to another.

The only hurdle that we had today was getting her to realize that moving sidewalks are nothing to fear. Now a side note, I do not have Disney go on the moving sidewalks. They need to be done just right and the wrong timing can cause a serious injury of the paws. Disney World has a lot of attractions with the moving sidewalks but honestly I don't feel like its going to be a challenge. Asking a cast member for an alternative may be our only option. Trust me I always want to keep my girl safe.

I have full confidence in DIsney that she is going to pull it out and do wonderfully in the World. She is my world and a part of me. She's been so beneficial in my life and its awesome. I feel so blessed to have her each and every day.

If you're concerned about the moving sidewalks on attractions such as HM and Buzz, I'm pretty sure there's a number you could call just to get all of that squared away. Do that if it gives you some ease of the mind.

I'm also really glad that you have Disney in your life. She sounds like she's been a real gift.

 

[lilmissdisney216]

You certainly deserve some celebration after everything that's gone on in the past year!

I suffer from kidney stones. Not the same thing as potentially (but thankfully not) cancerous cysts, but I can kind of understand. From one pair of kidneys to another.



If you're concerned about the moving sidewalks on attractions such as HM and Buzz, I'm pretty sure there's a number you could call just to get all of that squared away. Do that if it gives you some ease of the mind.

I'm also really glad that you have Disney in your life. She sounds like she's been a real gift.

Thank you so much for joining in!!! Its been one heck of a ride and she truly is a gift. I can't imagine where I would be without her!

@Glittercat: hello! Thanks for joining! Hadn't thought of tokyo dining honestly. Rob is a huge hibachi nut so I figured I would book that for him (side note, no clue how suddenly I am now typing in italicized font..). Biergarten same thing, NEVER done it before but we both love our german food ( especially him).

Thought that now is as good a time as ever for a trip report update.

Its getting closer and closer!!! Oh boy!!!

Just reading my ticker in my signature made my stomach flutter. We leave for Disney in 1 month and 3 weeks!!! Yipee!!! Terribly excited!

So since my last post, we had hit a rut in the financial department as far as trip funds. We had some unforseen circumstances that were trying to snag our vacation (veterinary visits, hospital visits, unwanted sick days from work mostly in my department). I decided to take on an extra job at a self service dog wash/grooming shop as a bather in order to make extra funds. Have been putting aside my tips each shift in order to save up. Because I only work at the groom shop on the weekends, I have to be very frugal on what I spend my tips on. It can accumulate rather quickly if you're careful and budget conscious! I also have taken on pet sitting also to make some extra money. That turned out to be a spectacular blessing and the last family I sat for ended up helping me afford my half of the trip! I have been elated ever since! It has been the best feeling knowing that we are for sure going to be going to Disney World.

Speaking of Disney (this time we are referring to the four legged cuddle muffin who actually is currently snoring at my feet) , there are so many things that we have been trying that are new to us as a handler/dog team. This past Friday we made a huge step and I took Disney to see her first movie in the theatre. I decided to do a matinee show (less crowded, cleaner floors so not as many "opportunities", and did I mention cheaper?). The movie of choice has become a favorite of mine. We saw Fast and Furious 7. Now granted I was a bit worried that she would be fidgety and not able to settle through the whole movie but boy did she prove me wrong!

She did AMAZING! She actually slept through about 98% of the movie and it got loud and busy on screen (the movie....not the people...ya know.....*ahem* moving on). She rocked it out like a champ and I was one proud momma for sure! When we left the theatre the other patrons were shocked to see that a dog was in the theater the whole time. **side note: Paul Walker....*sigh* Dreamy....yum!** And that's the way it should be!



Now that is one proud pup!

Ended up ordering Disney new working gear and patches for her big trip to Disney. She wears a red harness made by dogline right now and we will be bringing that as well but I want to have another option in case it is too hot for her to wear her harness. We ordered a cape/saddle type harness for her that has pockets and reflective strips so she can be seen at night time when its crowded in the parks or in queues of dark rides or rides with subdued lighting. Will post photos once it comes in. Also booked her at Best Friends Pet Care for her day off while Rob and I go play in the waterpark. Booked her in a vacation villa. It'll run us about 66 dollars for the day but I think it will be well worth it and a much needed break for her.



/\ vacation villa from the wdwinfo site. Pretty schnazzy. I'm a smidge jealous! (but only a smidge).

Needless to say I'm incredibly excited! Hard to believe that we leave in a month!!!! Hurry hurry!!!!

As usual please leave comments below (monetary gifts of paul walker photos are accepted as well ;-))!

Missy and Disney

 

[lilmissdisney216]

Figured its update time! Been really slacking on the trip report front. Its been a crazy couple of weeks and just realized I haven't updated for at least a month now! Yikes!!

So the magical email came yesterday that our magicbands are on our way! It is suddenly so real to me that we are leaving for Disney world in a matter of a few weeks. Knowing how each of us operates, that 4 weeks is going to go by extremely fast.

So since my last update, major things have happend in my life. I was recently offered a full time position at a local dog wash/grooming salon as their assistant manager. This would mean that I would be leaving the field of orthodontics and joining the dogs (yet again). This was an extremely difficult situation for me to make, but when you realize your calling its not so bad. I accepted the offer and continued to the field of dogs. Let me tell you, it has been amazing. I have felt right in my element the entire time and the staff is wonderful! I also will be grooming/dog training/ and doing promotions/marketing there as well. Its a new chapter in my life that I am incredibly excited to be on. Not to mention the pay is wonderful (hey, anything extra for our Disney trip and beyond).

So back to trip planning, Rob and I decided to sit down and plan out our driving route for our Disney trip. We have an incredibly busy day the day that we leave. The weekend of our leaving for Disney is the weekend of the Detroit Kennel Club Dog Show that Disney is going to be performing in with our canine agility performance team. We will LITERALLY be on the road the night of the last performance at the show. Which means that Rob will have to drop us at the show, head back to my parent's house to pack my car and then head back to the expo center to pick us up. Needless to say I'll have one tired pup and he will have one tired fiance. In any case, we have begun to plan out our route to Disney. We are both so gung ho that we want to drive as long as we possibly can but we both know that we can't drive straight through without needing to stop. We have figured that we will either stop in KY or GA for the night and then continue on to WDW in the morning well rested. Plus Disney will have the opportunity to stretch out in her bed in a nice hotel room and not be so cramped in the back of the car. She's travelled well before but this is going to be the ultimate test.

So since we are going to be going to Disney where there are going to be sounds of an amusement park, I decided that taking Disney to a local fair in one of the small cities by us as practice would be great exposure in preparations for our trip. She wasn't afraid of the amusement rides, just fascinated. The giant slide REALLY fascinated her. She tilted her head trying to understand how it all worked. Silly puppy.....

Even though she is a fully working SD for me, refreshers to previous experiences are always helpful. That way when she tackles the real thing, she won't be as overwhelmed and more prepared. I feel like she has been handling working with me very well and is prepared for whatever Disney World has to throw at us. I know that either way she will shine and be the best that she can be.

Now another aspect to our planning is planning out our FP+ selections based on the times of day and how it will correlate to the heat and how Disney is going to be. Alot of our selections were either made for earlier in the morning or in the evening after the sun has gone down. Rob and I collectively agreed to head back to the resort during the heat of the day in order to allow us time to rest and to also let Disney have a break in the AC and less stimulating environment that is our hotel. I am even planning on packing some special treats and new toys for disney that she has never seen as a reward for doing a really good job in the parks. High value treats will also be coming with us as a positive reinforcement at random moments while we are working. Its nice that she's a more food motivated dog that enjoys the occasionally reward.

We have also gotten Disney a much "cooler" vest for our Disney trip. It is more like the "traditional" saddle you see service dogs wearing, and it is also outfitted with pockets for carrying her special trading cards with information about service dogs and the job she performs. that way we can hand it to people whom we have to kindly tell no when they want to pet her but we can offer to give them and/or their children a card about Disney so that they can not only learn about her but also be educated about service dogs and their duties. I believe that people react the way they do to SD's in public is due to them not really understanding what an SD is for. Lots of people think that a service dog is only for the blind or that they are only with people in wheelchairs. Lots of times, you see a mix of both those first things but you also see regular people that have invisible disabilities with service dogs. They could have diabetes, epilepsey, chronic pain, etc. It could be anything. Not everything is visible.

4 more weeks......4 more weeks.......4 more weeks.......

 

[Jamye666]

I'm joining in! And enjoying every second. We are leaving in 4 days so that is originally why I started reading, but I am so fascinated by your service dog. Like you said in your last post I have no idea what service dogs do, besides seeing eye dogs, but my "puppy" is also right around Disney's age and I am thinking of training her to be a Pet Therapy dog becuase she is so good around people (while be it sometimes she gets a little over excited) and I would love to share that to brighten someone else's day.

 

[lilmissdisney216]

Thank you for joining in Jamye!!! Welcome to the party! I see you leave in 3 days for your vacation! Too exciting! Was thinking about doing Therapy Dog with Disney at some point (she's cross trained in several dog sports as well) as I love spreading happiness to others and so does she. Best of luck to you in doing it with your pup!!!



Figured it might be time for another installment in the pre trip report saga! A few things have happend since I last updated. So much has happend since the last installment.

Our magic bands had finally shipped and I was beyond excited to recieve them! I like to do as many fun things as possible when it comes to a Disney trip so I was beyond excited to start decorating our magic bands. I waited and waited with bated breath for them to arrive and when I had received conformation that they had arrived in our city and were out for delivery, I literally had to watch for the mail truck to pull up to the mailbox to deliver the magic bands.


The magical box that everyone waits for!!!! it was finally here! Rob and I chose our respective colors (blue for himself and pink for me of course) and I have to say, I was very impressed with the presentation of our magic bands. Pretty schnazzy! Evene my parents said "wow, so that's how they do the park tickets, room keys, etc now!". Mind you, the last time we were at Disney as a family was in 2011 after I had finished my college program. About 4 years ago.

So naturally, I wasted no time getting my magic band decorated up and looking amazing for our trip! I had perused Pinterest quite a few times in search of artistic inspiration if you will and got inspired to decorate using some nail art pens, top coat, glitter and some glow paint for an added bit of flair. Turns out its a pretty relaxing craft after a hard day at work and on a rainy evening. Gathered my supplies and let the creative juices flow.

I was very happy with the outcome! After about an hour or so of flip flopping in my brain and trying to figure out what to do design wise, I had finally created my magicband customization.



I am in love! With the added glow paint it looks super cool in the dark!!! At this point it was becoming very real that we were heading to Disney World. I still feel like I have to pinch myself. Feels like a dream.

Now since we are taking Disney, I couldn't forget about her. Typically when she works, I like to have her in a bandana and or bows. Working at a grooming salon, you tend to develop a love for both (and sometimes an unhealthy obsession but I digress). I headed to JoAnn's and picked up an assortment of fabric that I could use to fabricate various bandanas for Disney to wear during our trip. I found some pretty cute and unique stuff!



I also decided that I would get a little themed with her bows. Using my creative juices and stock pile of ribbon, I got to creating two very special bows for my golden girl (bonus points if you can figure out the character that I used as inspiration)



Now its not just all sunshine and roses bringing a service dog to Disney World. IN fact, its like bringing a kid. Only she walks on all fours and has fur. I realize that tons of planning has to be made in order to best coordinate where the relief areas would be for Disney and also what attractions she would and would not be able to partake in. The Disney website had an outstanding section on guests travelling with disabilities and they especially had some wonderful information in regards to guests that are travelling with a service dog. I was even able to print off the list of service dog relief areas and attractions list ahead of time. I am currently in the process of comparing both the relief and attractions list with our touring plans and fastpass selections in order to plan for any sort of handler swap arrangements that may need to be made. Needless to say, the relief and attractions list will be kept in the backpack in the binder in case we should need to reference it while in the parks.

One of my primary concerns with traveling with a service dog, a golden retriever at that, is keeping her cool both in the parks and in the car ride on the way down. We have an 18 hour drive from Michigan to Florida so keeping her comfy is always a primary concern for me. First issue I tackled were her paws. Pavement can get quite warm in the summer, and Disney can be notorious for the summer heat in the parks. AS I have said, her comfort and safety are of my utmost priority, so I went out and made sure I restocked in Musher's Secret. Its a special paw cream that makes its origin with sled dog teams that would run on the cold, hard packed snow. The mushers found they needed to protect the dogs paws so they developed musher's secret. The paw cream acts as a strong barrier between any harmful surface (extreme heat, cold, etc). Its worked awesome for us here last summer when it was blazing hot and it kept DIsney comfortable. We will be bringing that with us of course!!

The next part I tackled was keeping her cool in general. For the car ride down, I have a re chargable fan that I purchased at home depot that works beautifully in keeping her cool (we use it during dog shows). Ryobi makes the fan and it comes just the fan and you have to purchase the battery and the charger separately but the battery gets us up to 10 hours of power on the fan. Puts out quite a pleasant breeze, plus its quiet! Super portable, and won't take up much room. I also have a small misting bottle I purchased from WalMart that I will bring to spray her down periodically during the day. Keeps her nice and comfy which I'm sure she appreciates.

Since I work in a grooming salon and I have a working service dog, its very important to keep up her appearance. Keeping her brushed out and well kept doesn't stop even though we are on vacation. Decided to bring "the box". It is literally my grooming/dog show/dog emergency supply kit box. It'll have everything from brushes to bows to antiseptic spray for dogs to emergency medicine for dogs. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.



/\ The mouse may or may not have been inspiration for the box.


I feel like I have everything planned out but I can't help but feel like I'm forgetting something. I think its just pre trip jitters combined with un ending excitement!!! I can hardly wait!!!

 

[Disneycrewof5]

We'll be in Disney the same week! Cool looking magic band.
That must be some powerful paw cream to protect Miss D's feet from the hot pavement.
Our travel dates are coming up soon!

 

[lilmissdisney216]

We'll be in Disney the same week! Cool looking magic band.
That must be some powerful paw cream to protect Miss D's feet from the hot pavement.
Our travel dates are coming up soon!

It works pretty well! We also have planned our fastpasses either in the morning or later in the day. I'm not a huge fan of the heat either. I'd rather nap when its hot out instead of being out in the middle of it.