We Made it to Disney With an Empty Bank Account and Lots of Prayers
<p>I wasn’t sure we’d make it to Disney World. My kids wanted to go, but there were multiple barriers.</p>
<p>For starters, Disney wasn’t cheap. After paying for tickets, parking, food, and souvenirs, I knew that one day at Disney would cost well over $1,000 for my family. The figure jumped to nearly $2,000 after considering gas and lodging costs — and that was just for 2 nights.</p>
<p>Then there was my medical history. As someone with bulging discs in my neck and post-concussion syndrome, most amusement park rides are off-limits. My younger kids were just 6 and 7, and I wasn’t sure I trusted my 15-year-old daughter to take them on rides without me. Besides, would that even be fun for her?</p>
<p>I was also nervous about bringing my autistic son to Disney. Stores and playgrounds were overwhelming for him, so how would he feel about Disney World? I spent months researching accommodations and talking to other parents with neurodivergent kids to learn how to make the trip enjoyable.</p>
<p>Disney was in Orlando, which meant it was farther than any other destination my family had visited together. We usually stuck to Panama City, as that was already 14 hours from home. I wasn’t sure I could handle a few extra hours of driving time to Orlando. I was anxious enough about driving through multiple states.</p>
<p>After months of debating, I came up with many excuses to bail on our Disney trip and only one reason to actually go: My kids wanted to visit the theme park. Badly.</p>
<p><a href="https://medium.com/the-memoirist/we-made-it-to-disney-with-an-empty-bank-account-and-lots-of-prayers-5f2572aecc50"><strong>Read More</strong></a></p>