chaoslobster
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2010
Okay, hi, here goes. My name is Jennilynn. I have nothing better to do in the weeks before I leave and I'm over-excited, so I figured I'd waste some time detailing my adventures in trying to plan a half-solo trip as a severely disabled adult (who can't reach the beverage cooler).
"Half-solo" because I'm arriving on May 18, and my best friend will meet me there on the 23rd before we leave together on the 29th. This is how I've always structured my trips; I like to get there first and check in on my own and spend some time solo, but there's a lot I can't do without an assist so I invite a friend or family member to come along for the second half. I pay for everything and my chosen companion deals with my complete and total inability to do things like, say, stand back up after sitting in a low chair, put the lid onto my mug, or reach anything that's below my knees or above my shoulders, including the damn beverage cooler.
I brought my sister with me for a few years when she was in college, then started bringing friends I'd known online for years. There haven't been all that many people over the years I trust enough to handle my boatload of health issues and limitations without having met them in person, but there's always at least one. This year my best friend is coming with me, and he's never been to Disney World before, so I'm incredibly excited to show him everything I love -- but even if it's the worst trip ever on Disney's side, the company will make up for it.
So, let's talk about the beverage cooler. This has been the bane of my trip and I haven't even arrived yet. No, wait, first let me tell you what you're working with here as you read this.
I've had severe systemic RA (the technical name is Still's disease, and not the adult-onset kind) since I was a child. It has all the fun of regular RA and also includes overall inflammation and internal organ involvement, along with randomly spiking fevers. I also have osteoporosis from decades of high-dose corticosteroids, osteoarthritis, scoliosis, nausea issues, and migraines. I've had 5 total joint replacements and complete fusions of both ankles, with the result that my "balance" (hahahahaha) is atrocious and I don't have any stamina or strength to speak of. I can hobble around my bedroom using a cane, but I get seriously winded just walking out to the car. I've had a personal ECV for well over a decade.
It's sort of pathetic and I haven't done as much as I ought to in the way of PT and exercise since it's not like I can leave the house on my own regardless and it's an incredible amount of effort and a lot of pain to put into being able to do things that I don't ever need to do. The other consideration is that I have issues with being underweight even though I spend all day completely sedentary sitting on my butt, and the last thing I need is to lose more weight. It's easy to pack in extra calories if I eat junk, but for an even vaguely reasonable diet, those extra calories means a lot more food consumed which my stomach does not handle well (at all, really). It also means these awful "nutritional shakes" that often come right back up, and then some doctor leaps to the conclusion that I'm bulimic because of how often I puke. Amazingly, once I stop forcing myself to eat/drink things that set off my gag reflex, I stop puking! It's a whole miracle, truly. I can't tell you how much I dread the words "you've lost a bit more weight than we like to see."
NOW let's talk about the beverage cooler. I've been planning this trip for months now and only a few days ago did I learn that when the Pop Century did its renovations in 2018-2019, the mini-fridges were removed and replaced with "beverage coolers." The beverage coolers do not have a inner door shelf where you can put things; the door is a clear glass viewing pane.
It's a problem because I couldn't ever reach inside the mini-fridge. I can reach downwards if I drag a chair over and sit, but I can't reach down and inside at the same time because of how the joints in my arms and hands are fused (my wrists do not bend whatsoever, they're 100% fused, and my elbows and shoulders bend maybe 25% of the average person's extension). So I used to be able to keep stuff on the door of the mini-fridge but not inside it -- and now there's no door. I don't have the strength or mobility in my hands to use a grabbing tool, so the new beverage coolers are completely off-limits to me. I can look but not touch. Lovely.
I've spent the past few days trying to get an answer from Disney as to whether maintenance CMs are allowed to lift the beverage cooler out of its little cubby on the floor and place it on the desk or the dresser or hell, I'll get some milk cartons to stand it on. I have now made half a dozen phone calls and still don't have an answer. Twice the person I spoke to didn't know what I was talking about, twice was an I don't know (I thought Disney CMs were not allowed to say those words? Turns out they are if they work in a call center) and then I started calling the Pop Century directly and got "we would need to talk to maintenance about that, it depends."
At this point I have to assume the beverage cooler will remain a mere dream for me, so now I'm trying to see about getting a regular cooler to keep in the room. Many helpful people here on the DIS suggested "shelf-stable dairy products" and let me tell you I don't think those people have ever tasted cooked milk. It's not an option even on a good nausea levels day.
Next time: Adventures in getting my ADRs and park reservations to match up!
"Half-solo" because I'm arriving on May 18, and my best friend will meet me there on the 23rd before we leave together on the 29th. This is how I've always structured my trips; I like to get there first and check in on my own and spend some time solo, but there's a lot I can't do without an assist so I invite a friend or family member to come along for the second half. I pay for everything and my chosen companion deals with my complete and total inability to do things like, say, stand back up after sitting in a low chair, put the lid onto my mug, or reach anything that's below my knees or above my shoulders, including the damn beverage cooler.
I brought my sister with me for a few years when she was in college, then started bringing friends I'd known online for years. There haven't been all that many people over the years I trust enough to handle my boatload of health issues and limitations without having met them in person, but there's always at least one. This year my best friend is coming with me, and he's never been to Disney World before, so I'm incredibly excited to show him everything I love -- but even if it's the worst trip ever on Disney's side, the company will make up for it.
So, let's talk about the beverage cooler. This has been the bane of my trip and I haven't even arrived yet. No, wait, first let me tell you what you're working with here as you read this.
I've had severe systemic RA (the technical name is Still's disease, and not the adult-onset kind) since I was a child. It has all the fun of regular RA and also includes overall inflammation and internal organ involvement, along with randomly spiking fevers. I also have osteoporosis from decades of high-dose corticosteroids, osteoarthritis, scoliosis, nausea issues, and migraines. I've had 5 total joint replacements and complete fusions of both ankles, with the result that my "balance" (hahahahaha) is atrocious and I don't have any stamina or strength to speak of. I can hobble around my bedroom using a cane, but I get seriously winded just walking out to the car. I've had a personal ECV for well over a decade.
It's sort of pathetic and I haven't done as much as I ought to in the way of PT and exercise since it's not like I can leave the house on my own regardless and it's an incredible amount of effort and a lot of pain to put into being able to do things that I don't ever need to do. The other consideration is that I have issues with being underweight even though I spend all day completely sedentary sitting on my butt, and the last thing I need is to lose more weight. It's easy to pack in extra calories if I eat junk, but for an even vaguely reasonable diet, those extra calories means a lot more food consumed which my stomach does not handle well (at all, really). It also means these awful "nutritional shakes" that often come right back up, and then some doctor leaps to the conclusion that I'm bulimic because of how often I puke. Amazingly, once I stop forcing myself to eat/drink things that set off my gag reflex, I stop puking! It's a whole miracle, truly. I can't tell you how much I dread the words "you've lost a bit more weight than we like to see."
NOW let's talk about the beverage cooler. I've been planning this trip for months now and only a few days ago did I learn that when the Pop Century did its renovations in 2018-2019, the mini-fridges were removed and replaced with "beverage coolers." The beverage coolers do not have a inner door shelf where you can put things; the door is a clear glass viewing pane.
It's a problem because I couldn't ever reach inside the mini-fridge. I can reach downwards if I drag a chair over and sit, but I can't reach down and inside at the same time because of how the joints in my arms and hands are fused (my wrists do not bend whatsoever, they're 100% fused, and my elbows and shoulders bend maybe 25% of the average person's extension). So I used to be able to keep stuff on the door of the mini-fridge but not inside it -- and now there's no door. I don't have the strength or mobility in my hands to use a grabbing tool, so the new beverage coolers are completely off-limits to me. I can look but not touch. Lovely.
I've spent the past few days trying to get an answer from Disney as to whether maintenance CMs are allowed to lift the beverage cooler out of its little cubby on the floor and place it on the desk or the dresser or hell, I'll get some milk cartons to stand it on. I have now made half a dozen phone calls and still don't have an answer. Twice the person I spoke to didn't know what I was talking about, twice was an I don't know (I thought Disney CMs were not allowed to say those words? Turns out they are if they work in a call center) and then I started calling the Pop Century directly and got "we would need to talk to maintenance about that, it depends."
At this point I have to assume the beverage cooler will remain a mere dream for me, so now I'm trying to see about getting a regular cooler to keep in the room. Many helpful people here on the DIS suggested "shelf-stable dairy products" and let me tell you I don't think those people have ever tasted cooked milk. It's not an option even on a good nausea levels day.
Next time: Adventures in getting my ADRs and park reservations to match up!
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