Woman visits Disney World every month, donates plasma to cover costs: ‘I can help somebody’
Liz Gramlich is a large fan of Disney.
In truth, the 28-year-old from Philadelphia loves Disney a lot that for her 2022 New Year’s decision, she set a objective to go to Walt Disney World in Orlando as soon as a month together with her sister.
The pair have visited the resort in January, February and March with their newest “magical” journey booked for April.
Gramlich, who works in inside gross sales, instructed Fox News Digital that her common visits to Disney started in 2020. As COVID-19 hit the U.S., she and her sister began to discover that flight costs have been dropping considerably.
Now, with pandemic restrictions being lifted and journey charges rising, Gramlich has gotten artistic so as to cover parts of the prices.
Liz Gramlich, 28, from Philadelphia, goes to Disney World as soon as a month in 2022, together with her older sister. (Victoria Daniello)
‘Something we bonded over’
Gramlich mentioned she and her sister visited Disney a couple of dozen instances over the past two years.
“I used to be like, ‘Why don’t we do that every month?’”
In 2020, Gramlich realized that flights to Orlando from Philadelphia have been solely two hours, so she’d fly out for a one-day-only go to to the theme park.
So far, Gramlich and her sister – who lives in Baltimore – have visited the resort in January, February and March. Their April journey is already booked. (Victoria Daniello)
For Gramlich, it was the primary time she had been to the resort since she was 3 years outdated.
GRANDMOTHER SURPRISED AT DISNEY’S MAGIC KINGDOM BY FAMILY FOR HER 70TH BIRTHDAY
“This was brand new to us,” Gramlich instructed Fox News Digital.
Gramlich mentioned the visits grew to become “a little extra thing to bring some magic and fun to our lives with everything going on in the world right now.”
Gramlich and her sister began visiting Disney World frequently in 2020, in the course of the coronavirus pandemic. (Victoria Daniello)
“It became something that we bonded over,” she added.
In January of this yr, Gramlich mentioned she had an concept: “I used to be like, ‘Why don’t we do that every month?’”
Saving on prices – and incomes further revenue
When Gramlich and her sister started visiting Disney World in the summertime of 2020, the bottom value on spherical journey flights value $25 from Philadelphia to Orlando.
“That was cheaper than gas for a round trip somewhere,” Gramlich mentioned.
Flight prices ultimately went up to about $50 for a spherical journey, however that was nonetheless inexpensive than the Uber or Lyft from the airport to one of many Disney World parks, Gramlich mentioned.
MINNIE MOUSE TRADES IN HER ICONIC DRESS FOR A PANTSUIT
However, as gasoline costs have elevated, so have flight prices, Gramlich mentioned. For her and her sister’s April go to, their spherical journey flights value $150 every.
When Gramlich and her sister first acknowledged going to Disney World, flights have been cheap. Plus, a flight from Philadelphia to Orlando is just about two and a half hours. (Victoria Daniello)
“That’s shocking compared to what we’ve paid in the past,” Gramlich mentioned. “So we’ve had to adjust to make sure we could cover those costs.”
Gramlich mentioned she plans her month-to-month go to to Disney based mostly on when the most affordable flights are. In addition, Gramlich donates her plasma – the liquid a part of blood with out blood cells – up to twice per week, which helps her cover the prices of flights and motels.
“I used to be like, ‘Oh, I can help somebody by donating plasma instead of doing something else.’”
Depending on when she goes, Gramlich mentioned she makes between $500 and $1,000 per 30 days, which varies based mostly on a wide range of components together with if there is a scarcity in her space.
Gramlich mentioned her clinic doesn’t pay for her plasma, reasonably she’s paid for her time. Donating takes Gramlich about 30 minutes, eight instances a month.
At one time, the cash Gramlich obtained for donating plasma lined “the entire cost of being able to go to Disney World,” together with flights and different bills.
At first, Gramlich and her sister would go to Disney World only for the day. Now after they go to, they keep for the weekend. (Victoria Daniello)
With flight prices going up, her plasma donations are nonetheless overlaying a significant portion of the journey, however she generally has to save a bit of further to cover an extended go to or an improve to a deluxe resort, she mentioned.
“That was cheaper than gas for a round trip somewhere.”
Plasma donations can profit adults or youngsters with most cancers and folks with liver or clotting issue problems, in accordance to the American Red Cross. It can additionally help somebody who’s affected by burns, shock, trauma and different medical emergencies, Standford Children’s Health explains on its web site. “The proteins and antibodies in plasma are also used in therapies for rare chronic conditions. These include autoimmune disorders and hemophilia,” the web site states.
Gramlich is glad plasma donations might doubtlessly serve a life-saving goal.
MOTHER AND SON TAKE PHOTO IN SAME SPOT AS THEY DID IN 1971 ON DISNEY’S OPENING DAY
“When it got here down to it, I used to be like, ‘Oh, I can help somebody by donating plasma instead of doing something else,’” she mentioned.
To help cover prices, Gramlich donates plasma up to twice per week, which helps cover flights and motels. (Victoria Daniello)
She added that her donation middle is obvious that plasma donation shouldn’t be anybody’s important supply of revenue, as a result of there’s by no means a assure that you simply can donate.
For Gramlich, she mentioned she’s generally deferred from donating as a result of her pulse is just too excessive, “because I get a little nervous,” she mentioned.
Gramlich has different cost-saving strategies, too.
The sisters additionally had annual passes for a time, which gave them reductions, Gramlich mentioned. However, she added that her annual move has expired and in accordance to a FOX Business report from November, non-Florida residents can not get annual passes.
She and her sister’s day journeys to Disney helped them save on motels. Now, they’ll keep for longer – primarily over the weekends – however they break up their lodge room, which is commonly at a price resort. They additionally break up ridesharing prices, Gramlich mentioned.
‘Always keeps you coming back’
Gramlich’s latest visits to Disney World have been in the course of the pandemic. She famous how since then, the park is consistently opening, or re-opening new points of interest.
“This has just been a way… to add a little bit of magic into your life.”
“Every time we go, we experience new things,” Gramlich mentioned. “There’s always new experiences that you find, and it becomes your favorite park or your favorite thing to do.”
Some of Gramlich’s latest favorites at Disney World embody the brand new Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance trip in Hollywood Studios, and the Ohana restaurant in Magic Kingdom for breakfast.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Gramlich mentioned that her month-to-month visits to Disney World have supplied some much-needed reduction after a number of tough years.
“In one Disney trip, I never feel like we experience everything that we want to experience,” Gramlich instructed Fox News Digital. “So it always keeps you coming back.” (Victoria Daniello)
“It’s definitely become a great place to be,” Gramlich mentioned. “We’ve been sitting in the pandemic all this time… And this has just been a way, not to escape, but to add a little bit of magic into your life.”
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER
Gramlich mentioned that although she’ll be visiting Disney regularly this yr, she doesn’t suppose she’ll get uninterested in it.
“Maybe we won’t go as often [as every month] after this year,” she mentioned. “But I just always feel like Disney opens up something new and gives you a new experience.”
“In one Disney trip, I never feel like we experience everything that we want to experience,” she added. “So it always keeps you coming back.”
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS
