Liz Gramlich says that her regular visits with her sister to Disney began in 2020.
However, as fuel prices have increased, so have flight costs, Gramlich said. For her and her sister’s April visit, their round trip flights cost $150 each. "That’s shocking compared to what we’ve paid in the past," Gramlich said.
"So we’ve had to adjust to make sure we could cover those costs." Gramlich said she plans her monthly visit to Disney based on when the cheapest flights are. In addition, Gramlich donates her plasma – the liquid part of blood without blood cells – up to twice a week, which helps her cover the costs of flights and hotels. Depending on when she goes, Gramlich said she makes between $500 and $1,000 per month, which varies based on a variety of factors including if there's a shortage in her area. Gramlich said her clinic doesn’t pay for her plasma, rather she’s paid for her time. Donating takes Gramlich about 30 minutes, eight times a month. At one time, the money Gramlich received for donating plasma covered "the entire cost of being able to go to Disney World," including flights and other expenses.With flight costs going up, her plasma donations are still covering a major portion of the trip, but she sometimes has to save a little extra to cover a longer visit or an upgrade to a deluxe resort, she said. Plasma donations can benefit adults or children with cancer and people with liver or clotting factor disorders, according to the American Red Cross. It can also help someone who's suffering from burns, shock, trauma and other medical emergencies, Standford Children's Health explains on its website. "The proteins and antibodies in plasma are also used in therapies for rare chronic conditions. These include autoimmune disorders and hemophilia," the website states. So far, Gramlich and her sister – who lives in Baltimore – have visited the resort in January, February and March. Their April trip is already booked. "When it came down to it, I was like, ‘Oh, I can help somebody by donating plasma instead of doing something else,’" she said. She added that her donation center is clear that plasma donation shouldn’t be anyone’s main source of income, because there's never a guarantee that you can donate. For Gramlich, she said she’s sometimes deferred from donating because her pulse is too high, "because I get a little nervous," she said.The sisters also had annual passes for a time, which gave them discounts, Gramlich said. However, she added that her annual pass has expired and according to aShe and her sister’s day trips to Disney helped them save on hotels. Now, they’ll stay for longer – primarily over the weekends – but they split their hotel room, which is often at a value resort. They also split ridesharing costs, Gramlich said.Gramlich’s recent visits to Disney World have been during the pandemic. She noted how since then, the park is constantly opening, or re-opening new attractions. "Every time we go, we experience new things," Gramlich said. "There’s always new experiences that you find, and it becomes your favorite park or your favorite thing to do."
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