The Healing of Disney Magic

The Healing of Disney Magic

I am now a Disney Travel Agent working for a special and unique travel agency called Your Fairytale Vacation. Your Fairytale Vacation (YFV) is a company with a difference. Your Fairytale Vacations plans trips to any and all Disney Destinations and other locations but has a unique and special subspecialty.  The unique thing Your Fairytale Vacation does is to work hard to help those with disabilities realize they can enjoy a Disney or other Vacation.

There is a unique team at YFV that has personal knowledge of what it is like to go to Disney in particular with disabilities of various kinds. One reason this team enjoys doing this is the healing they have personally seen in their family and friends with disabilities. We know the joy to be found at a Disney Destination.

Let me share some of what I’ve personally seen and why I think Disney Magic at the Parks and on the Cruise is healing balm.

I’ll start off with my step-father. He was a rough and harsh man that felt that Disney was childish and of no interest to him. He had polio as a child, yet learned to walk against all odds and even danced! As a young man he built and raced boats and cars. He water skied and raced the boats. He raced the cars and even dirt bikes as well! Around the age of 35 he lost a leg to cancer. This did not stop him water skiing, racing boats, cars and dirt bikes! Dad traveled the world and he and my mother spent 3-6 months a year traveling. Nothing stopped him! Until he lost a part of his lung to cancer in his early 70’s. Then he could not travel and he said, “Put me 6 feet under, I can’t enjoy life.” That is when dad found Disneyland and the joy Disney can bring! A day at the park gave him a reason to get out of bed and MOVE. He found the park relaxing and a place to find joy. He smiled every time he noticed small changes such as the replanting of the flowers. The doctors told us in 2001 he would not live long. We believe that the joy he found at Disney kept him alive until 2009!

My dear husband and I fell in love at the park. (That is another story for another time and I’ve also shared it in the past.) He has sever ADHD and mild brain damage. I’ve discussed this in past posts as well. But going to Disneyland has helped him find joy, reduce stress and find balance. It has also played a huge part in keeping our relationship growing. This was even more true after he was electrocuted and they did CPR for 40 minutes on him before getting his heart going again. He was declared brain dead but woke up doing fine 36 hours after the accident! This accident left him nervous, depressed, angry and made his ADHD worse! Again Disney played a huge part to help him heal.

I have friends with physical disabilities that I know suffer with pain that causes depression and frustration. A day at Disneyland helps encourage them to get out of the park and MOVE! It encourages a healthier life because they have a reason to get out of bed.

If you have a disability never feel you can’t go to Disney Destinations! You can go! You may not be able to ride all the rides or do everything BUT you will be able to enjoy yourself! All you need to do is arm yourself with information! Find those that know about what is available and what you can do. Plan ahead and make sure you have all you need to take with you to make your time at Disney safe and enjoyable.

If you have questions feel free to post them here on this blog. You can also contact me at Carolyn@YourFairytaleVacation.com or contact my boss Dana@YourFairytaleVacation.com. (Let Dana know I sent you.) Either of us can assist you with information and/or plan your trip for you.