Snowstorm meant less than magical journey to Disney World for group of adults with special needs
Snowstorm meant less than magical journey to Disney World for group of adults with special needs
It was a travel nightmare for a group of adults with special needs trying to make the magical journey from Minnesota to Disney World, as repeated delays left them stranded at the airport for more than 24 hours during the snowstorm.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - For nearly 20 years, a group of adults with special needs from Enrich Inc. has traveled to the most magical place on earth.
They weren't able to go for the last 3 years because of the pandemic. Then they had to wait a little longer because of Mother Nature.
"Honestly we're exhausted. Everyone here is really, really tired. If it was just me traveling, I would have left and gone home," Enrich staffer Janet Sandretzky.
Sandretzky is one of a half dozen staff members escorting the group of 21, some with limited mobility, to Disney World in Orlando, Florida. They were supposed to leave around noon on Tuesday, but their flight was delayed several times because of the ice and snow.
"They get frustrated and their frustration is 10 times the frustration we have because they don't understand. They just want to go," said Sandretzky.
Sandretzky says the group actually boarded planes a couple of times, but they had to get off after a couple of hours because the aircraft were never cleared for takeoff.
They wound up spending the night in a conference room in the airport after Delta employees rounded up mats, blankets, and pillows for them to sleep on so they could get a few hours of rest.
"That was a tough one. They are not used to not being in a safe bed and safe space and they were really brave because it was really hard. Some really pushed back and thought we can't do that and it was like 'yeah but we are already here and we're going to be up in a couple of hours' and they were all happy," said Sandretzky.
Finally, after more than 24 hours at the airport, the group was finally able to take off late Wednesday afternoon.
Their journey to the Magic Kingdom may have included a few bumps, but Sandretzky is grateful they are on their way to making their Disney dreams come true.
"They just love the atmosphere at Disney. It's just something they have looked forward to since before COVID, and we had to cancel, and now they are finally so close," said Sandretzky.