My name is Ashley Stuckey, and I am the key support worker for Liam at Langbury House. Liam and I recently embarked on a huge journey, from Ferring, West Sussex, all the way to Disneyland Paris! The six-day trip was an incredible milestone for Liam, who loves everything Disney and has been looking forward to this for the longest time. Here is how it went:
Preparing for the trip
We have the entire team at Langbury House to thank for their hard work in making this trip possible. So much preparation, checking, and double-checking, helped ensure everything was in place before we left. This all started months prior when we began preparing all the insurance, medication, van servicing, meals, and everything in between. Without the dedication of the whole Langbury House team, this would not have been possible.
Day One: Road Trip!
The trip began with an early start for everyone. The weekend team had made sure Liam was all packed, everything was loaded into the van and ready for our road trip. Liam, Myself and Pier were waving goodbye to Langbury House by 6am, with a two-hour drive ahead of us to the first stop, ready to catch LeShuttle, in Folkstone, Kent. 35 minutes later, we were in Calais, France.
After passing through customs in Calais, we had a short rest and a spot of lunch before our 3-hour drive to the Cheyenne Hotel, Paris. We only stopped once on the drive to have a bit of fresh air and some refreshments. Then back on the road. Destination: Cheyenne Hotel Disneyland Paris. We arrived at the hotel perfectly on schedule at 16.30 French time.
After check-in, we were shown to our rooms to find all the equipment that was pre-booked including a mobile hoist, and specialist bed for Liam. After a little rest, we decided there was time before dinner to go and see Disneyland Paris! We wandered around the park, already meeting so many of the Disney characters. It was so good to be there, and everyone had a massive smile on their face – mostly Liam’s of course!
Later in the evening, we had dinner and a drink before returning back to the hotel, after a wash down and a change into pyjamas we all crashed out in bed. A hugely successful travel day!
Day 2: The VIP Treatment
Up. Washed. Dressed. Medication done, and ready for breakfast. A 2-minute stroll to the dining hall, and WOW! What a dining hall! Each morning, Liam had a VIP reserved table in the ‘Woody and Jesse’ cowboy style dining hall. They had everything you could imagine. Coffee machines, juices, sausages, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, baked beans, and that was just the hot food! Toast with marmalade, jams, fresh butter, pastries. There was even a special Mickey Mouse cake! And of course French croissants and a full continental breakfast with all the hams and cheeses. After filling our bellies, we made our plans for the day ahead.
A full day in the Disneyland park was our choice – it’s what we came for after all. After a long day in the park filled with lots of fun and big smiles, we made sure everyone was fed and hydrated before taking a tired 20-minute walk back to the hotel. We all slept like babies that night!
Day 3: Le Tour Eiffel
Up. Washed. Dressed. Medication. Breakfast. Today, we decided we would take the train to Paris city centre. There’s a train station right inside the park, and Liam’s massive smile said it all when he saw the double-decker trains! Accessing the station and boarding the train was very simple. Lifts and ramps made our journey simple. On the hour-long train to central Paris, Liam’s smiles and laughter were amazing to see! The Paris scenery outside, and lots of attention from locals on the train were both a real joy for him.
When we arrived in Paris, we caught a Lyft to the Champs-Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe. We stopped at a beautiful little French restaurant for some food and drink before heading to the main attraction… the Eiffel Tower! We were so fortunate to learn that, amazingly, Liam would get to go all the way up to the second platform out of three in the tower. Of course, we took plenty of pictures and bought some souvenirs, before heading back to the main street to catch the train home.
Another wash, medication, and a good night’s sleep.
Day 4: The Happiest Place On Earth
Up. Washed. Dressed. Medication. Breakfast. Today we spent the day in Disneyland park, there was so much to see and we spent time taking it all in. There were two different parades scheduled in the main park. To watch Liam’s face full of happiness and excitement, and all the attention he received from the characters (especially the princesses) was such a joy!
There were three rides that Liam could go on, (which we went on many times during the week). They were ‘Spiderman Shoot-Me-Up’, ‘Buzz Lightyear Shoot-Me-Up’ and his personal favourite – ‘It’s a Small World’ which was in a boat. These are all rides that could be accessed by a person in a wheelchair such as Liam, who is unable to transfer into a seat. Liam also had a priority pass which got him to the front of all the queues.
Liam got to meet the one and only Mickey Mouse one-on-one, which he absolutely loved. Again, we took plenty of photos. There was also Baloo from The Jungle Book, who gave him a lot of love and affection and even a kiss on the head! Captain Hook was amazing, as he was fully booked that day, but pulled Liam out of the crowd, and gave him priority love and affection!
After some food and a drink in the park, we headed back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep.
Day 5: Disney Day
After the usual morning routine, we decided to do another park day, but shopping for souvenirs and gifts would be our priority. Liam had a lot of fun choosing everything for his friends, family and himself.
We got to watch The Lion King live on stage, with Liam sitting front row! It was an incredible performance, absolutely mind-boggling for all of us!
After a long day of shopping, having fun in the park and watching another parade, we got some refreshments and returned to the hotel for another good night’s sleep.
Day 6: Skippering The Seine
We did our normal morning routine, and had a nice big breakfast. We planned that we would go back to Paris on the train, and go on a cruise down the River Seine. Liam was very excited, with a happy and smiley face from the moment we got on the train to Paris. The boat trip passed all the major attractions including the Eiffel Tower! Liam’s biggest smile came when he realised he was sitting so close to the captain of the boat and the captain blasting the horn. At first, it made him jump, but afterwards, he could not stop laughing!
After the trip, we headed to another small restaurant for evening food and drinks. They weren’t cheap but it is Paris!
We discussed with Liam at dinner how the trip back would go the next day. Then, we spent our last evening going for another walk through Disneyland Park. By then I think Liam had had so much fun, enjoyment and long days, smiles and laughter, that he was ready to go home. So, after a quick walk around the park, picking up some last-minute souvenirs, we returned to the hotel to plan our trip back home. We slept well and planned for our packing early Sunday morning for our travel back to the UK.
Day 7: Homebound
Up early, routine ticked off. We packed the van and then went for breakfast – a lovely, large breakfast like we had every day! After breakfast, we checked out and started our journey back to Langbury House. It was smooth-sailing at LeShuttle, and before we knew it, we were back in the UK and on our 2-hour drive back home.
There was a lot of communication between us and the staff on duty at Langbury House all day. We let them know we were on our way back home, and what a fantastic welcome we got from team leader Katia, and the rest of the team when we arrived back home.
This wouldn’t have happened without:
To finish our story, I need to massively thank Rotkan, Joanna, Fely and the rest of the team at Langbury House. As well as Pier, Rachel – Liam’s case manager, and Disabled Holidays for making this holiday possible. We have so many memories of happiness – and tiredness – but mostly joy and heartfelt moments that everyone, especially Liam, will cherish. The main thing that made sure this was all possible was great teamwork, organisation, trust in myself and Pier, dedication, care and affection by all these people!
It was a fantastic time, enjoyed by all three of us and especially Liam. It was a jam-packed trip, the smiles and laughter on Liam’s face (as you can see in the pictures every day) made it all worth it. I’m so grateful that my team trusted and believed in me to make these wonderful memories for Liam.
