A Scots supported living resident has been grinning from ear to ear after seeing his life-long dream become a reality in a "trip of a lifetime" to Disneyland.
Lifeways supported living resident Nic, 52, who lives in Leith, is a lifelong Disney devotee, and he has been dreaming about a trip to Disneyland ever since he can remember.
He proved that no dream is too big or small when he arrived at Disneyland Paris earlier this month. He met more characters than he could count, and joyfully ate every Disney shaped food he could find.
"It was a dream come true," Nic told Edinburgh Live.
"When Nic moved to Lifeways, he told us during his assessment that going to Disneyland was one of his biggest goals in life," said Antonia Myles, the registered manager of Lifeways Group Edinburgh.
"We had actually planned to go Disneyland a couple years ago, but we had to postpone because of the pandemic.
"When the trip was first postponed it was a wee bit hard for Nic, but it ultimately gave us time to put more actions in place while we waited. It made everything so special when we finally got there."
The pandemic gave Nic extra time to buy Disney themed items, including a Mickey Mouse suitcase, Mickey Mouse ears for the plane ride, and a Disney themed watch and step counter to help with his health goals.
"He hasn't taken the watch off since. He was also excited to wear his Mickey Mouse ears on the plane, and we had ears for everyone on the trip," Antonia said.
Nic accomplished so many things at Disneyland that it was hard for him to pick a favourite.
"I danced with Donald Duck and Daisy at the parade. I went on the Ratatouille ride and chased a mouse around the kitchen, I met
Goofy and Mickey and Minnie and Winnie the Pooh," he said, listing off the highlights of his trip.
The trip was made all the more special because he went alongside his best friend and roommate Kes. Antonia said Nic smiled ear to ear the entire trip.
"At the parade Nic got to dance with all the characters and they were waving at him and blowing kisses. Nic also went on every single ride at the park except for one," she said.
"It was honestly amazing to see Nic and Kes on their trip. Seeing the smiles on their faces makes my job so worthwhile."
Myles explained that the residents at Lifeway all set their own individual goals. For some, they aim to build up enough arm strength to open doors independently. For Nic and his best friend Kes, their goal was to visit Disneyland.
"Nic has now set a new goal," Antonia said. "His next goal is to travel the world and he especially wants to see America. Nic always asks us to see maps on our phones and he can point out any country on the map."
"We always tell our residents that no goal is too big or small. We plan goals for each individual and we put action plans in place to help them get there."
Although he'd love to go back to Disneyland, Nic said he wants to start planning to see the rest of the world.
"I want to see the United States. I want to go see all the States in America and travel the world," Nic said.
Luckily, Nic already has his Mickey Mouse suitcase from Disneyland ready for his next adventure.
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