Category Archives: DisneyAbility

Spring Clean: Clean up your personal care products

DisneyAbility March 6, 2019 Leave a comment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clean up your personal care products!

You may not even realize it, but the personal products you love may be making you sicker than you really are or they may be triggering symptoms from your chronic illness.

Whether I have felt a difference in my pain level or not, I do not regret changing out many of my old personal care products with natural and organic products. Why? Because, down the road we don’t know how using the chemicals that we mindlessly apply on our bodies will affect us.  I prefer to be safe rather than sorry.

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What Happens When I Live My Old Life

DisneyAbility February 27, 2019 Leave a comment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What happens when I live my old life

I received my cluster of diagnoses during the early 2000’s.  During that time not one doctor urged, nudged, or hinted to me that I needed to make changes to how I lived my life.  Not ONE!!!

Instead of issuing warnings or advice to improve the quality of my life, my doctors insisted that they would be able to find the right pill(s) to offset my symptoms and pain.  Of course everything they tried failed.  Click here if you would like to take a peek at the pain management plan that finally helped reduce the pain I experience from fibromyalgia, psoriatic arthritis, psoriasis, degenerative disc disease, coccydynia, and abdominal adhesions from endometriosis and surgical scarring.

Between the false hope my doctors were issuing and the pressure from friends and family to get better, making changes to how I lived never crossed my mind.  But it should have and here is why:

When I live my old life:

  • I ignore the needs of my body/chronic illnesses
  • I injure myself more often
  • I spend more time in bed than actually living my life
  • My family loses precious time with me
  • I spend more time and money seeing doctors and visiting emergency rooms
  • I took no responsibility towards reducing my pain.  I trusted and followed everything my doctors said.

*Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links. Meaning that at no additional cost to you, I receive a commission when you make a purchase through my links. The proceeds earned fund the giveaways I host in my Facebook groups.

Why changes had to be made

  • The longer I ignored the needs of my body/illnesses, the sicker I became and more damage was done to my body
  • Refusing to accept the need to use a mobility aid created more opportunities to fall, which I did often.  Each fall resulted with either a broken bone or blood clot.
  • I was killing myself
  • My family needed me
  • I would rather take my family to Disneyland, then to spend money and time in the emergency room over an injury that could have been prevented had I listened to my body, done things differently, or utilized a mobility aid.
  • I had to take responsibility and to accept that my doctor may never be able to help me.

 

Changes that literally changed my chronic life

  • I made friends with my diseases.  I got to know them and my body so well that I after awhile I could feel the beginning stages of a flare coming on.  In the past, I just pushed until I collapsed.
  • Using mobility aids may have been hard to accept on an emotional level, but when I look back and see how little I have fallen since I began using them, I know I made the right decision.
  • By recognizing and addressing signs of a flare or physical distress I am able to avoid complications like my body mimicking a stroke or muscles freezing to the point of feeling rock hard for months on end.
  • Spending the amount of time that I do in caring for my body, doing things differently, accepting what I can’t do, and letting go of unrealistic expectations has gifted me with less time in bed and more out making memories with my family.
  • I took responsibility and charge over my care.  I researched and tried alternative treatments. While I may spend more money on those treatments than any pill that my insurance would cover, I save by not having to visit my doctor for a refill every month and not visiting the emergency room throughout the year. Click here to read about my pain management plan.

All of these changes, plus others that you can read about in my eBook Make Pain Your Bitch: How to Dominate Your Chronic Life, has restored my independence.  Going grocery shopping no longer makes me anxious, because I can finally do it without needing a day or two to recuperate.  I can drive and clean my house again.

Now I am not saying that everyone who reads my book and follows my pain management plan will have the same results.  The changes you need to make may differ, but no matter what, any change that involves listening to and respecting your body/disease is going to improve your life.

Don’t make the mistake I did by waiting 12 years before even accepting that there was no way I could go on living like I used to.

Living our old lives doesn’t make us strong, instead it makes us weaker.

Living our old lives does more than increase our physical pain, it hurts us and our loved ones emotionally too.

Are you still living your old life? 

Whether you are or not, I challenge you to examine your day to day life and pick one area/task that could be done differently, in a way that won’t increase your pain level.  Then make that change.  You don’t have to change every aspect of your life immediately, take your time and make your changes one step at a time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three ways I relieve chronic pain at Disneyland

Chronic Life, DisneyAbility, pain relief January 12, 2019 Leave a comment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After California legalized cannabis for recreational use in January of 2018, (it has been legal for medicinal use since 1996), Disneyland added marijuana and CBD to its list of items not permitted into their theme parks.  I will share my thoughts on this subject another day, but for today I want to share what I bring with me to get through a day in the parks without medical marijuana or CBD products.

*Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links. Meaning that at no additional cost to you, I receive a commission when you make a purchase through my links. The proceeds earned fund the giveaways I host in my Facebook groups.

Whether I was sitting in my wheelchair all day or walking everywhere as I do now, my spine takes a beating and must be tended to all day long.  To minimize swelling around my spine and in my hips I use a drug-free pain-relief device called Oska Pulse.  This little beauty is what made it possible for me to retire my wheelchair last year. It uses pulsed electromagnetic fields to reduce inflammation and pain like nothing I have ever tried.   While there are many PEMF therapy products available, this is the only one that is portable and safe to use wherever and whenever you want.  Click here to learn more about Oska Pulse.  FYI: As an Oska Pulse affiliate, I am able to offer you a discount of $55.00 when you enter my promotional code DIVA at checkout!

Click here to discover all the different pains and symptoms that this device has either greatly reduced or eliminated. Click here to visit Oska Wellness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The downside to only treating pain with Oska Pulse is that when I am in the parks, I need to address pain in more than one area of my body.  When my lower back and knees flare at the same time, I often (especially in the cooler months) place my PEMF device above the worst knee and a Thermacare heat wrap at the base of my spine.  In warmer months I will place my Oska Pulse near my spine and use icepacks on my knees.  Heat wraps help relax my back muscles and provide comfort and relief.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last, but not least, I bring along a blend of essential oils formulated for pain relief such as Mend.  While not as powerful as my CBD infused oils, they do help relax muscles and reduce pain well enough to keep me from having to leave earlier than I had planned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leave all CBD and cannabis products at home, in your car, or hotel room.  It is my hope that one day, as long as the guest can provide their medical marijuana certification, guests may be allowed to medicate with it in the parks, with the exception of flower because there are alternatives.  But until then, let’s respect Disneyland’s policy and find other ways to keep our pain levels low.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Disneyland Park Accessibility Update January 2019

DisneyAbility, Disneyland January 6, 2019 Leave a comment

 

 

 

 

 

Quick update!

Since I last updated the guide there have been a few new updates.

  1. Dumbo:  This attraction’s queue is now fully accessible to mobility aids, both manual and motorized.  All guests enter the same queue.
  2. Matterhorn:  The queue to this attraction has been widened making it easier for mobility aids to use.
  3. The Enchanted Tiki Room: This is my favorite update!! Gone is the awkwardly small and outdoor elevator for those unable to enter via the stairs.  In the entrance area, there is now a ramp to the right of the waiting area for guests to use.  In the past, guests unable to take stairs had to exit via the elevator and back through the entrance, now they exit out the same door and down ramps into the new Tropical Hideaway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Obsessed with Disney Ears!

DisneyAbility, Gift Ideas, Product Picks January 6, 2019 Leave a comment

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are you as obsessed with Disney ear headbands as I am? Some think that Minnie ear headbands are just to wear while visiting a Disney Park, but guess what? They are WRONG!!!  Disney headbands can be worn anywhere and at anytime of year.  For example, what disnerd wouldn’t be thrilled to wear a birthday headband out to dinner?  Ear headbands are perfect for Disney bounding and showing everyone your love of Disney.  I wear mine everywhere and have yet to have someone make a rude remark! In fact, my ear headbands make people smile and often prompts them to share their favorite Disney related memories.  Join me in making the world a happier place by wearing your Minnie ears while out and be sure to tag me (The Disabled Diva) if you post it on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

Don’t have ears? Or are you like me and need more?  Click on the ears below to expand your ear wardrobe!  OOOHHH and one last thing, there are few holiday headbands that are on sale! Scroll down to see which ones!

*Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links. Meaning that at no additional cost to you, I receive a commission when you make a purchase through my links. The proceeds earned fund the giveaways I host in my Facebook groups.

Disney Minnie Mouse Ear Headband – Swap Your Bow * Bow is removable  * Click here to view

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disney Minnie Mouse Snowflake Ears Headband for Adults * On Clearance * Click here to view

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disney Mickey Mouse Birthday Ear Headband * Click here to view

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disney Jack Skellington Ear Headband – Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas * Click here to view

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disney Minnie Mouse Timeless Ear Headband * Click here to view

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disney Minnie Mouse Bride Ear Headband * Click here to view

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disney Minnie Mouse Halloween Ears Sequined Headband * On Sale *  Click here to view

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disney Minnie Mouse Americana Ears Headband * Click here to view

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disney Belle Ear Headband * Click here to view

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disney Minnie Mouse Rose Gold Sequined Ear Headband * Click here to view

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disney Minnie Mouse Ear Headband – The Haunted Mansion * Click here to view

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disney Minnie Mouse Fuzzy Holiday Ears Headband for Adults * On Clearance * Click here to view

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disney Minnie Mouse Ear Headband – Rainbow * Click here to view

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disney Minnie Mouse Ear Headband – Silver Sequins * Click here to view

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disney ”It’s My Birthday” Ear Hat for Adults * Click here to view

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disney The Haunted Mansion Tightrope Walker Ears Headband * Click here to view

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disney Minnie Mouse Holiday Ears Headband for Adults * On Sale * Click here to view

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disney Minnie Mouse Sequined Ear Headband with Satin Bow * Click here to view

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rainy Days at Disneyland: What to do, wear, and bring!

DisneyAbility December 16, 2018 Leave a comment

Rainy Days at Disneyland: What to do, wear, and bring!

Rainy southern California days may cause mudslides and flood streets, but they shouldn’t ruin your Disneyland vacation.  I learned long ago, before living here, that you never know what the weather is going to be like.  We have experienced cold and wet winter weather during spring break and triple digits on Thanksgiving, The good news is that those strange weather days never last for long and if prepared, they shouldn’t disrupt your vacation either.  Here are some tips for cold and rainy days that will keep you warm, dry, and happy!

 

 

 

*Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Meaning that at no additional cost to you, I receive a commission when purchases are made via my links. The proceeds offset the expense of running this blog and fund the prize pools for my Facebook groups. I am not affiliated with Disneyland or the Disney company.

What to do

There are a few rides that may be shut down when it rains, but they are outdoor rides and not ones that you would run to for shelter. Use this time to discover areas that you haven’t made time for in the past and enjoy lower wait times for everything else since most people leave when it begins to rain. In addition to attractions, there is nothing more beautiful than to walk throughout the park in the rain.  Low crowds make it a perfect time to get some awesome photos of your favorite views. It is also a wonderful time to go shopping or to enjoy a meal at a sit down restaurant.

Here is a quick list of indoor attractions that have mostly indoor queues (if the lines are short, you shouldn’t have to wait outside):

Disneyland

  1. Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln
  2. The Disney Gallery
  3. Space Mountain
  4. Star Tours
  5. Buzz Lightyear
  6. Star War’s Launch Bay
  7. Tomorrowland Theater
  8. Roger Rabbit
  9. Mickey and Minnie’s houses
  10. Sleeping Beauty’s Castle walkthrough (just be careful of wet floors and stairs)
  11. The Golden Horseshoe
  12. Indiana Jones
  13. Pirates of the Caribbean  (just be warned that there is a risk of getting wet on this ride)
  14. Haunted Mansion (when there is little wait)

California Adventure

  1. Monster’s Inc
  2. Guardian’s of the Galaxy Mission Breakout
  3. Animation Academy
  4. Soarin’
  5. The Little Mermaid
  6. Toy Story Mania

 

What to wear

All it took was one vacation in 1998 where the weather was freezing for one day of our multi-day visit to make sure to pack for at least one or two cold days.  We haven’t always needed our winter attire, but my family was sure thankful I brought it along when our vacations were interrupted by a cold front.

Always bring clothing that can be layered. Make sure jackets are water and wind resistant. Wear rainboots or cover your sneakers with rain covers. Warm hats, earmuffs, gloves, and scarves will also keep you cozy while playing on a damp and cold day.

What to bring

Here is a quick list of items you should always bring on your Disneyland vacation to ensure that a day or two of chilly and rainy days won’t ruin your vacation. BTW Rainy days aren’t the days to wear your favorite Disney bounding outfit or cutest Disney dress, they are the days to dress for comfort, warmth, ability to stay dry, and functionality.  Skip the ears and instead put a bow in your hair!

  1. Rain and wind resistant jacket, raincoat, or poncho.  (Do not waste your money purchasing a poncho in the parks.  Why spend $10 on something of the same quality that could be purchased at your local dollar store or online for far less? Save your money for something that will last like a sweatshirt or hat.)
  2. Extra socks!! Even if the weather is warm, an extra pair of socks always comes in handy whether your feet get wet from the weather or water rides.
  3. Umbrellas and covers for strollers and wheelchairs and umbrella holder for your stroller, wheelchair, or rollator.
  4. Hats, earmuffs, gloves, and scarves.
  5. Ziplock baggies!! I keep my Oska Pulse (a drug free pain relief device) nice and dry inside a plastic baggy.  My family also uses them for our phones and anything else we want to keep dry.

Click here to discover all the ways that PEMF therapy has improved my chronic pain. Click here to learn more about Oska Pulse. And as always, my discount code DIVA will save you $55.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disneyland Holiday Dining Tips

christmas, Cynthia, dining, DisneyAbility, tips and tricks December 8, 2018 Leave a comment

 

 

 

 

 

Disneyland Holiday Dining Tips

Have you visited Disneyland on a holiday such as Thanksgiving or Christmas Day?  If you did, did you make reservations at one of their sit down restaurants?  If yes, did they have the entrée you had planned to order when you arrived?  The reason I ask this is because, my family and I made reservations at one particular restaurant for Thanksgiving and we were shocked to find out that our favorite dish was not available on that day!!!  Continue reading to find out what went wrong and how to avoid our holiday mishap!

*Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.  Meaning that at no additional cost to you, I receive a commission when purchases are made via my links.  The proceeds offset the expense of running this blog and fund the prize pools for my Facebook groups.  I am not affiliated with Disneyland or the Disney company.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Via the official Disneyland app guests can view menus from every walk-up and sit-down restaurant and food cart.  They can also make reservations up to 60 days in advance.  Reservations can be made through the app, online, or by calling   (714) 781-DINE or (714) 781-3463.  Reservations are recommended, especially during peak and holiday seasons.  As you can see in the picture above, we were able to view what the Thanksgiving special entrée and dessert were going to be as well as view the rest of the menu for Café Orleans.  We knew that not everyone in our party would be interested in the Thanksgiving entrée, but felt safe making reservations as there were other dishes that our guests would have been thrilled with. With that said we placed our order……..

So the person who was not looking forward to trying the Thanksgiving Monte Cristo was me!! Sorry, but it just sounded disgusting (get used to this word)…..  What I wanted to stuff my face with was their original Monte Cristo.  Here is how placing our order went:

My husband: We need two checks.  One with a regular Monte Cristo and basket of Pommes Frites and the other with one Thanksgiving Monte Cristo, one regular Monte Cristo, and a basket of Pommes Frites.

Waitress: We don’t have the regular Monte Cristo today.

Me: Is it possible to get the gravy on the side?

Waitress: No

Me: That’s disgusting!

My husband: Could they get the cheese Monte Cristo?

Waitress: Yes.

We were off to a bumpy start, but I let it go since it appeared that I would get to eat something that I liked.  By the way, any Monte Cristo from Disneyland is huge and easily feeds 2 people, keep that in mind when ordering.  Thankfully this is something that we already knew and didn’t order more than we did for four people.  Thinking that the worst of our dining experience was over, we waited patiently for our food to arrive.

Well hello basket of Pommes Frites (garlic, parmesan fries)!!!

OOPS, where’s our second basket??!!!

We requested that both baskets be served prior to our entrees, but our waitress only noted our request on one of the tickets…. so we waited and waited and waited for the second to arrive.

By the way, the fries are delicious and come with a special sauce that has a little kick to it.  Personally I am not a fan of the sauce, so I request a side of ranch.

Whew, we all have our fries! Now we can relax, dig into our baskets, and enjoy the rest of our meal when it arrives.

 

So, what should arrive? A mess!!!! Not one dish was correct!! Even the Thanksgiving Monte Cristo that was ordered was delivered to our table with gravy on the sandwich and on the side!! Then instead of receiving two cheese Monte Cristos, our table was graced with the presence of two more Thanksgiving Monte Cristos with gravy on the side. DISGUSTING!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At this point there was a shift change and our new waitress was stuck with the mess our original one created.  She apologized for the misunderstanding, but couldn’t fix it because the Thanksgiving Monte Cristo was the only one being served that day.  My heart went out to this girl, first for having to work on Thanksgiving, the second to deal with the mess another cast member created.  We had a good laugh and she charged us the lower price of the entrée we had actually ordered. My daughter and brother in-law ended up liking the Thanksgiving Monte Cristo, but I thought it was…. wait for it…. disgusting… LOL….

I did mention to her and the manager that it would be nice if they app and website could inform guests not just of what the holiday dishes are, but what won’t be available on the holiday.  Had we known this, we would have made our reservations somewhere other than Café Orleans.  Because of this fiasco, we changed our Christmas Day reservations to Carnation Café, where there are plenty of entrees for us to choose from should we not decide to order the Christmas special.

My favorite part of the meal was dessert! Santa’s Lumps of Coal Beignets were amazing!!!  You are lucky I snapped this picture before they were gone! The dish came with four beignets and peppermint ice cream.

Do you have any Disneyland holiday dining disasters to share?  We’d love to hear about them!! In all of our years of dining in the park, this truly was the worst dining experience we have ever experienced.  And this was NOT our first Thanksgiving in the parks, in fact it was our fourth.  I get it, mistakes happen, but all of this could have been avoided had the app and/or website noted that the other Monte Cristo versions would not be available on that day.  Having a waitress who understood this would have helped too, but…………   Anyways, what is your favorite meal from Café Orleans?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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