Mom to My Group of Munchkins: Travel

Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

UPDATED: Review of DAS at Walt Disney World

It's November 2015, and a few changes have been made to the DAS system. As most people know, Disney World has been moving over to a system using Magic Bands. At the time I wrote this in November 2013, there were still FastPass kiosks where paper FastPasses were handed out. Now a large portion what you do in the parks (from tickets, to dining, to paying for merchandise, room keys, and FastPass+ admission) is done with Magic Bands. (I'm not going to post a how to on Magic Bands at this time). Now even the DAS is controlled via Magic Band. I'll explain how this works. The old post is in black. Outdated information has been crossed out in PURPLE, new information has been added in RED.

We just made our most Knowing we were heading to Disney, I have to admit I was very nervous when I heard about changes being made to the Guest Assistance Card. I understand why they felt compelled to make said changes (I'm sad that so many people ruined a great thing for my kids who don't get many breaks), but understanding why did little to relieve the anxiety I had for how this would affect my kids.

I confess I made more than a few phone calls to Disney to get as much information as possible about the new DAS system which replaced the old GAC on October 9, 2013. The cast members were courteous and as helpful as they could be though I couldn't get definitive answers about how they would handle my unusual situation with four children being on the spectrum and there being a total of eight of us . I was directed to pretty comprehensive information on their website. I'm posting links, but in case you can't get to them I'll tell you how to navigate there. Go to DisneyWorld.com. In the right hand corner you'll see a HELP drop down menu. While holding down your left mouse button, select the "Guests with Disabilities." This will bring up a new page. On the disability page, select, "Guests with Cognitive Disabilities." There are helpful suggestions there regarding stroller rentals, rider switch, and break areas. There is a pdf guide you can download with information specific to each park. There is also a link to a page dedicated to the Disability Access Service card.

How it works:

You go to Guest Relations in any park and talk to a cast member. Your whole party must be with you. Based upon your needs, you will be issued a DAS on your Magic Band. They will take a picture of the child who needs the DAS, They will then scan his/her band as the primary DAS party. Each person in the party will then have his/her Magic Band scanned as well and attached to the DAS. We had no issues with all eight of us being attached to one band.

issue it for the number of people in your party and you will sign the back saying you understand the rules and will not abuse it. It's good for up to 14 days depending on your tickets. (Multi-day tickets are valid up to 14 days after the first day is used, so this makes sense).

~~You can see our Photoshopped DAS to the right.~~

Letter to My Nieces and Nephews on Autism

This summer we were getting ready for a family reunion. It had been ten years since the entire family was all together at once. It was three years since my kids had seen all of their cousins. The last time we had an unfortunate incident with an unfiltered comment, a hug that lasted a second or two too long and an attempt to break into a conversation by hovering and following cousins around. That story will be found in another post.

We all wanted this family reunion to be great. It was to celebrate my parents' 50th wedding anniversary and I in particular was nervous about how my kids would be perceived. I thought about discussing things with my sisters to pass on to my nieces and nephews, but then I though something might be lost in the translation. I decided to write the following letter and prepare a questionnaire to get them thinking about some possible talking points.

The letter:

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Dear nieces and nephews,

I wanted to write a letter to you before we all gather for our family reunion. We are looking forward to seeing each of you in just a couple of weeks. I realize because we’ve lived away for so much of your lives, you don’t know your Munchkin cousins as well. I hope the questionnaires I prepared will give you a jumping off point for conversations with each other. Two of your cousins attend a magnet school for the arts in our county. Another attends the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) school. He currently wants to be a bio-engineer. They have played in county orchestras, participated in Math Counts, and robotics clubs. (It’s up to you to figure out which is which).

The older boys are involved in scouting. Firstborn has his Eagle Scout rank and one bronze palm. Whirlwind needs two more merit badges and his project to become an Eagle Scout. Lawboy needs one more (at this time) merit badge for Life Rank and needs a project. Princess Ballerina loves dance. She has been in the Nutcracker as well as the spring ballet, though this year she chose to not participate as the rehearsal schedule interfered with church. Acroboy has just started Cub Scouts and often forgets to put on his glasses. BabyGirl is our youngest and a bit mischievous, and Firstborn, Whirlwind, Lawboy and Acroboy are all extremely high-functioning on the autism spectrum.

We’ve tried very hard to not let this define them. There are certain things that come with being on the autism spectrum though that are noticeable. I am hoping by writing you this letter, it will increase your understanding of your cousins and encourage you to learn and do more in regards to autism.

Sometimes the filter that stops us from talking at inappropriate times, or saying something that might seem rude doesn’t work. My boys have worked really hard to learn the social rules that seem intuitive to most people, though sometimes they might blurt out or say something rude or unsuitable for the situation. Most of the time you should know that they are trying and ignore it if it happens. If it really bothers you, you can talk to them directly, or if you are uncomfortable doing that, to me.

Finding good ways to enter a conversation is trickier for someone on the autism spectrum. If you see them hover near you, or thinking they are eavesdropping chances are one of two things is happening. 1) They are trying to work up the courage to talk to you. Conversations with people they don’t know as well can be a bit intimidating. It takes more courage for them than the average person. 2) They are hoping to hear something you say they can pick up on and enter the conversation with. For instance you might start talking about the latest summer movie blockbuster and they can give their opinion on it if they’ve seen it. If you see them hovering near you, do your best to draw them into the conversation. They would like to know you and you can help by trying to get to know them.

Once they are in a conversation with you, they might start bringing that conversation back to a favorite topic of theirs. Minecraft, Roblox, Mario Brothers, are just a couple of possibilities. Going back to a favorite topic is a method they use to safely navigate conversations. If it is familiar, there is less chance they’ll have their “filters” fail and have awkward moments in their conversation. You can find ways to help them branch into other areas. An example might be Acroboy talking about Roblox. You can go from Roblox to other games on the computer to other games in general, and then games in gym, and finally what types of things does he do for physical activity?

Sometimes when you are in conversation with the boys, you may notice them standing a bit closer than other people do. The filters that tell most of us appropriate distances to stand from someone can misfire in those with autism spectrum. Paradoxically, they might notice you are in “their” space while they don’t notice themselves infringing upon yours. We have a code phrase, “watch your bubble”, to remind the boys that they need to watch their spacing from others.

Lastly, sometimes they might not pick up on facial expressions or subtle body language. If there is an issue, let’s address it directly and succinctly. Using the above example, you might say, “Lawboy, your bubble is invading mine.” Making faces or using body language in hopes they will get the hint doesn’t work nearly as well as addressing things head on. If Whirlwind says something a bit odd, ask him, “What did you mean by that?” or “Is that the phrasing you really wanted to use?” Or simply, “Could you not say things like that?” We all appreciate directness and patience.

These boys are awesome kids. I couldn’t be more proud to be their mother. They have such huge hearts and generous, courageous spirits. I have learned so much from them. I hope you will too.

Lastly, they’d really like to know more about you too , so please take time to look at the questionnaire I sent your moms. Feel free to add whatever information you'd like others to know. I love you all and can't wait to see you again.

Love,

Aunt "Mom to My Group of Munchkins"

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

The Questionnaire:

Family Reunion Questions for Teens:

Something you might not know about me:

__________________________________________________________________________________

My favorite book is ____________________________________________

And here’s why:_______________________________________________________________________

The last movie I saw was: ____________________________________________ I thought it was_____________________________________

My favorite subject in school is:_____________________________________________________

My best subject in school is:_____________________________________________________

My favorite Disney character is:__________________________________________________________

My favorite food is:____________________________________________________________________

Finish these sentences:

My thoughts on Harry Potter are:_________________________________________________________

Chocolate is___________________________________________________________________________

The best kind of music in the world is:____________________________________________________

The best band/singer is:________________________________________________________________

If I could pick from flying or invisibility as a super power, I would pick ___________________ because:

____________________________________________________________________________________

I’m really good at:___________________________________________________________________

I have to work at:____________________________________________________________________

My extracurricular activities at school and home include:______________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

I have/do not have an after school job. It is at_______________________________________________

My dream job would be:_________________________________________________________________

I plan on studying to be (career) :__________________________________________________________

Monday, August 17, 2015

Camp Half Blood Here We Come (Well, the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam at Least)

So one of the many preparations we took for our family vacation and reunion for my parent's 50th anniversary was to make more family shirts. The older boys are HUGE Percy Jackson fans--and two of them have ADHD, so they like to joke they are just like Percy in some ways. (If you haven't checked out any of Rick Riordan's books, I highly recommend you do).

In any case, Whirlwind suggested that since our itinerary included seeing both the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam (sites where a couple of events in the books take place), we make Camp Half Blood t-shirts. Camp Half Blood is where Percy Jackson and all the other demi-gods go each summer to escape the monsters from mythology. They learn to fight, use their talents and, more often than not, go on quests. Their t-shirts are orange with a Pegasus and the name Camp Half Blood on them.

I found the graphic online and converted it into an SVG file so I could cut it using my Silhouette Cameo. I used the freezer paper technique to create the stencil. I used Safety Orange shirts--which had the added benefit of making my family really easy to spot anyplace we were at. Having had a child wander off before, I also know it's really easy to say to employees, "My child is wearing a shirt exactly like mine," and then everyone knows what to look for.

Then I used a combination of black Sharpie and black paint to fill in the blank parts of the stencil. You must make sure you have something between layers of shirt to protect the backside from getting colored/painted on.

Finished product (against record low levels of the Hoover Dam).

Monday, November 11, 2013

20+ Things I’ve Learned from Our Trip to Disney (Including Tips for Families with Toddlers and Special Needs Kids)

I'm going to post my thoughts on the new DAS system at Walt Disney World in a separate post. I wanted this post to focus on more general tips to pass on.

1) Even though the 6 ½ year old may be physically capable of doing all the walking, it’s still a good idea to get a double stroller. We initially got a single stroller for the baby, but we found the six year old didn’t keep up well when we were moving fast, and one time got confused at which direction we were headed, and was lost for a few minutes. We did much better when we had a double stroller.

2) If your baby naps, using a Disney park stroller will make napping in the park very difficult. You’ll have to put down some sort of padding or pillows to help your baby be comfortable. We had our puppy backpack, which is stuffed and soft enough to work as a pillow. We also used jackets and a lightweight and smaller than usual blanket to help cover the baby. I would seriously consider getting a fully reclining stroller. My husband didn’t want to deal with transporting it, so we made do with the Disney strollers and he carried Baby Girl. There are no storage baskets, though and if the baby gets out while there are things on top or strapped to the back, the stroller will tip over.

3) The “Stroller as a Wheelchair” tag proved invaluable for our baby with sensory issues. One of the perks of the Disney park strollers is they are low to the ground and very easy for the kids to get in and out independently. It was clear to us that it became her haven from all the stimuli. She would get excited seeing her stroller and would climb in it. She would also get agitated being out of the stroller. When she did that, we would use it as a wheelchair. We did our best to get by without using the option, but it definitely was needed on many occasions. We brought a little blanket to help her further shut out stimuli.

4) Always, always, always bring the noise cancelling headphones. Baby Girl did okay with the noise of the fireworks at Magic Kingdom, but didn’t like the loudness of the Indiana Jones spectacular or Fantasmic. We hadn’t planned on attending either of the Hollywood Studios events, but we did. I wished dearly I had just left them in the diaper bag.

5) Park hopping may be nice, but too much can be a bad thing. I began planning our trip more than 180 days in advance. I was on the phone at 6 am 180 days out from our resort reservation to get our ADR's. I managed to score a reservation at Be Our Guest, and a couple of other restaurants we have always wanted to try but could never get reservations for before. Unfortunately the times and/or days didn't really work with my overall plan to spend the days in the park with the lowest predicted attendance. The food was really good on this trip, but my hard-to-come-by dining reservations left us traveling from park to park in order to meet our reservations. (And feeling rushed and a bit short-changed). In a word, I didn't plan it very well this time.

6) FastPass+ is a must. With FastPass+ you can prepick your fastpasses online before you leave home. This means you choose your times and the order you want to ride the rides. (And you can plan around reservations or other planned down times). How cool is that? Additionally, you can change your choices once you are there, though we didn't take advantage of that because I was under the impression you had to go to Guest Services each time. I understand going to Guest Services to change things is the most reliable way to do it, but according to the survey Disney had me take you can do it via the My Disney Experience app. Either way, I also recommend bringing a written copy of your choices. See below.

7) The WiFi in the parks is good, but still unreliable. I don't have a smart phone, but I do have an iPod touch. I was the primary planner in our party and we never were able to successfully link my husband to my account. It was a challenge at times to check our FastPass+ plans on my iPod because of the WiFi issues. We had the most issues accessing it at Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. I recommend you still bring a written copy of your FastPass+ times and other reservations.

8) Plan for slow times like swimming. This is a must for families with small or ASD children. (We have both). The kids really looked forward to the downtime and using the water slide at our resort pool. We also found out by accident that they offered marshmallow roasting and movies in one of the resort building courtyards every night. These turned out to be a welcome and surprising diversion.

9) Like many families out there, I've been searching Pinterest for great ideas for packing and preparing for our Disney trip. Two tips I used that I particularly loved: 1) Using little pant hangers on the clothes lines in the bathrooms helps your swimsuits get more air circulation and therefore dry faster. I also brought clothes pins to keep them from sliding into one big heap on the clothes line. 2) Packing the little kids' clothes in ziplock type bags for each day was a huge time saver. The socks, underwear (or diaper), hair accessories and everything were included in the bag. All my husband had to do was know which bag to pull out and he could dress the baby in no time. A spare baggie of clothes thrown in the diaper bag made sure we had a change of clothes for our baby as well.

10) Hanging pop-up hampers and mesh laundry bags are extremely handy. I found pop-up hanging hampers at Wal-mart and they made a world of difference. We didn't want to put a hamper on the floor (we're always a bit terrified of bugs) and using the hampers allowed the clothes to air out a bit before we put them into the designated "dirty" suitcase. The mesh laundry bags kept the laundry contained in the "dirty suitcase" and made it easy to pull out and do laundry once we hit home. I'm definitely going to be updating our packing lists to reflect these.

11) At the Halloween party you can focus on candy and characters or you can focus on rides. It’s hard to do both. And even though they do not show up on the character list, the seldom since Princes, like Flynn, Charming, and Phillip, show up with their Princesses on MNSSHP nights. There is always a long line, so get to them early!

12) Get the baby into Fantasyland as soon as possible. We didn’t, and aside from meeting Princesses and riding the teacups, she missed it because the times we were there she was tired and ready for bed. Don’t put it off. It is by far my biggest regret of the trip.

13) Wearing something as simple as an Autism hat can make a difference in how your child is treated. Acroboy was having a hard time remembering his personal bubble (not bumping into others), making appropriate eye contact and not blurting out odd things. Instead of withering glares like I have received in the past, I got a few sympathetic smiles. Acroboy was even picked to speak with Crush at Turtle talk. I’m not sure if it was because he was wearing his “I Rock Autistm” hat or the fact he sat himself down front and center of all the kids, but he was thrilled to have been picked.

14) Character dining reservations require a credit card to reserve it and need to be cancelled by 11pm the day before. Fantasmic dining packages need to be cancelled two days before. Don't try to cancel it any later than that--(even if you want to keep the dining reservation and cancel the Fantasmic part, it is an $10/per person cancellation fee). Do not forget to do this! And if you have sketchy cell or WiFi service, you can always stop into Guest Relations to take care of it.

15) If you character dining and your baby girl doesn't have much hair, don't dress her in a Minnie Mouse dress if it is not clear from the waist up it is a dress. We dressed Baby Girl in a little dress we found at Target, and when she was sitting half the princesses thought she was a boy. (If you look at the link you can see the top is black and can be mistaken for a boy t-shirt). I should have gone for the Snow White version.

16) Food allergies will be accommodated, but plan on extra time into your schedule. It took us an hour and a half to eat at Be Our Guest. The food was really great, the atmosphere was incredible and yes, the grey stuff was delicious. We got to our 8:50 reservation at 8:30 and were seated fairly quickly. We didn't get out of there until after 10:00 and Baby Girl was a wreck. My husband took her back home while I took those who were interested in the New Fantasyland around.

17) If you want to explore the New Fantasyland without a toddler who will melt down, going around at 10:00 at night will almost guarantee you'll walk onto everything. We walked right up to Daisy, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, the Little Mermaid ride, etc. We missed seeing Gaston, but we got fairly clear pictures of his tavern. This was a particularly good thing for my spectrum kids.

18) If you pre-purchase the PhotoPass+, get your red photo card immediately. You may have a voucher in your info book they send you--find it and turn it in immediately. We ran into issues with not having the card the first couple of days and therefore losing a couple of pictures.

19) If part of your group is going on a ride like the Rockin' Roller coaster it's easier to give them the red photo card than to get the photo number and have to go to a kiosk later.

20) Don't trust your iconic photos to just one PhotoPass photographer. We did at Hollywood Studios and didn't actually get a picture of the giant sorcerer's hat behind us. We thought he took it, but it never showed up with our photos--even after looking for it at Guest Relations. So my advice, take advantage of as many photograph opportunities as possible.

21) And speaking of photograph opportunities--take the extra five minutes in the morning to get the photo if you can. Half the time we were too tired and rushing out the gates to one of those dining reservations I had made to take a photo. I wish we had done the photos first thing. It's my second biggest regret.

22) Let go of any expectations you'll be able to do it all. Given the ages of my children and expense of Disney, we figured this will be our last trip to Walt Disney World as a whole family before the kids graduate, and leave for college and missions. We'd love to take them every year, but it's just not possible. I had grand plans going in to this vacation, but about a day in I realized I needed to let them go. We just weren't going to be able to do everything we had dreamed of in the time we had. If I attempted to make my family get it all in, I was just going to make everyone miserable.

As I mentioned, on most days after hitting their favorite attractions and a couple of new ones, the kids just wanted to go swimming--so we went. We took a few evenings off and swam and discovered the marshmallow roasting and courtyard movies that our resort offered every night. It was a welcome change of pace and added some special memories into the mix. I do regret not taking Baby Girl to more of Fantasyland, but I also know she's too young to remember this trip. My older kids will remember some unique memories and a happy vacation, and that's what I really wanted in the end.

So let go and enjoy the ride. Remember what is the most important thing, that your family spends quality time together making a lifetime of happy memories. Don't let your regrets overshadow the good memories you make. I think my favorite memory is sitting by the pool after a fairly full day at the parks, snuggling with my baby while I watched my family play together in the water. It was a moment of peace and happiness that I think will stay with me for the rest of my life.

I wish you similar memories.

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Reviewing the new DAS and Getting the Most Out of the DAS and FastPasses at Walt Disney World During a Slower Time of Year

13 Tips and/or Mistakes to Avoid When Taking Your Autism Spectrum Child(ren) to Universal Studios Wizarding World of Harry Potter

This post used to be titled, "Why I Won't Be Taking My Autism Spectrum Children Back to Universal Islands of Adventure"

I generally try to be pretty positive, and I realized my post and title were not at all positive. So I'm rewriting this post in the hopes that my mistakes and errors will help someone else--especially if that someone else has a child(ren) on the Autism Spectrum--have a better time than we did. If you want the quick list, head to the bottom of the post. If you want to understand the story behind the post, keep reading.

To be fair, I feel I should tell you I have spoken with a couple of other moms who had a completely opposite experience to the one that I had. But like I said--if my experience can help others avoid the same problems, then at least something good can come from our experience.

*******

I am fortunate that my kids are high functioning on the spectrum. I know others who are not as lucky. Even though the kids are high functioning, we still have challenges. While they don't seem to notice if they infringe on other people's personal space, they become quite agitated when others stand close to them or inadvertently bump them. They have a difficult time waiting for long periods of time. We have a range of sensory issues from those who get overwhelmed by sound and light (or lack of light), and those who seek more stimulation. We have phobias of spiders, bugs, dark, heights, storms, etc. It makes for an interesting life--let alone vacation.

These same kids who can hyper focus on one subject LOVE Harry Potter. If you have an ASD child you know what I mean. I know more about Minecraft, Pokemon, dinosaurs, wolves, owls, Mario, trains, planes, whales and dolphins than any one person should know about. This is because ASD children will often find a subject that sparks their interest and will learn everything there is to possibly learn about that subject and then want to tell you everything they have learned.

I didn't mind the Harry Potter obsession because I found the books equally as entertaining as my children did. I took the children to a weekend long release party for the final book where a town transformed itself into Hogsmeade. There were giant chess games and a sorting hat for children, as well as throngs of people dressed up as Harry Potter characters. My favorites were the girls I saw dressed up as house elves. They were adorable. And I still chuckle when I think how the bathrooms in the library were renamed, "The Rooms of Requirement".

We loved the experience of the town transformed, and were thrilled when we heard Universal was creating Hogwarts and a wizarding village complete with shops like Zonko's and Ollivanders.

****
You will recall with this post, that we used the Harry Potter theme to tell the kids we were going to Orlando. We were really looking forward to it.

To prepare for our trip, I tried to do some research into the rides at Universal. I wanted to know what height and health restrictions existed, as well as what rides my kids might find too scary. (If you've read this post, you'll recall my kids freaked out at "It's Tough to be a Bug", and "Stitch's Great Escape". I had a difficult time getting all the information I wanted from their website, so I decided to call. The employee I spoke with on the phone was extremely helpful in me figure out in advance my kids would not do well with attractions like, "Twister", and "Spider-man" and even might find Harry Potter challenging. He assured me they had Guest Assistance Cards (called Passes there). We also realized there would be a lot of rides Acroboy would miss out on because of height.

I relayed the information to my children and they decided it was worth the risk--they loved Harry Potter that much.

When we first arrived at U:IOA, we purchased our tickets and then found Guest Relations. It was only then that we were told that Universal did not issue any GAP's when attendance was "low" and the "average" wait time (of the whole park) was about 20 minutes. Not only that, the GAP is not good for a few of the rides--"Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey" being one of them. I'm sorry to say the employee at Guest Relations was pretty rude when we were requesting assistance.

Disappointed, we moved on into the park. We pretty much made a beeline for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Overall park attendance may have been low, but I'm pretty sure they were all in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

See the crowds?

I knew from my research that would should have gone straight for "Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey", but my kids had to take in everything at their own pace. And sometimes no matter how much coaching you do before hand, this is not a battle you are going to win. I did not want to start the day with meltdowns because I dragged them to the Forbidden Journey. (In retrospect they might have been smaller than the meltdowns that happened because we didn't make a beeline there).

Depending on which way you enter the Wizarding World, you will come across the "Dueling Dragons" coaster first. My kids could not resist the pull of a roller coaster and rode it. One of them came off the ride in tears because he was overwhelmed and the rest enjoyed it. When I asked the overwhelmed child (Lawboy) about it later he said the coaster was, "Awesome!" Hmmm. Not how I remember it. Funny how time can change how we think about things.

The shops also pulled them in, and I have to admit the shops are very well done.

We approached the castle and encountered an employee directing patrons to the line and checking heights of children. We saw him turn a family with a son who was too short away. Knowing our youngest (Acroboy) was too short we asked where we should wait and were directed to the gift shop. He never asked or offered the child swap option. We had talked to probably half a dozen employees at this point and were never once told about the child switch option. I don't know why it didn't occur to me to ask, but I didn't. Now that I think about it, I think the entrance to the child swap is even in the gift shop, but I was ditsy from feeling so frazzled. Navigating ASD kids through a new experience can be a challenge, but it can also be rewarding. I was feeling challenged at this point.

In the past at other amusement parks ::coughdisneycough:: when we all approached a line together and someone didn't make the height cutoff, we were told then and there how we could switch off riding. If anyone from Universal comes across this blog I ask that you train your employees to offer this option. (Please at least make it clear to frazzled moms like me where you go for child swap).

The estimated wait time was 45 minutes. This is twice the limit of what my kids can typically handle, but they trudged on. One of the kids was already in tears (remember that roller coaster?), but wanted to go on Forbidden Journey so badly he tried to "suck it up". An added problem was bags are not allowed on the ride, so my kids checked their fanny packs into a locker and did not have access to the DS's the whole time. My husband and I kept texting throughout his wait. It gotta say it was a train wreck. Whirlwind kept bumping into others, trying to climb on things and caused general chaos.

I was so upset at the messages I was getting (and admitedly a little hormonal too), that I went to a second Guest Relations booth inside the park. I emotionally explained to them about my boys and their challenges--wanting to know what, if anything, could be done to help my boys. Bruce was very sympathetic, and issued us a single GAP even though it was light attendance. The GAP is not good for Forbidden Journey, though he tried to make a note for us to use it on it.

Eventually we all joined up again. The kids were pretty tired and agitated. Only Whirlwind wanted to go anywhere near "Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey" again. The rest of them wanted to just sit quietly and rest for a bit. They assured me I wanted to go through the queue to see everything. I gave the GAP to them in case they changed their minds and wanted to go anything.

I should have kept it.

I did enjoy looking at everything, but Whirlwind was having an even harder time waiting and having others in his proximity. I tried to keep him distracted by asking him to point out things to me he had seen the first time around. It didn't help that the couple in line in front of us kept stopping the line so they could take pictures of them standing in front of significant props or rooms. The rooms were definitely photo worthy, though I think I would have made a different choice in that situation. Finally Whirlwind and I got to a point where we volunteered as solo riders and we passed them up.

As Whirlwind and I were exiting the ride (over 45 minutes from the time we entered the line) I encountered the second really friendly and helpful employee of the day. Elizabeth with curly hair asked how I enjoyed the ride. Poor girl did not know what had happened before this point in time. I commented about the lack of child switching as an option. She informed me that there IS child swapping--in fact they have an area devoted for parents and younger siblings to wait. She apologized and told me if I brought back Acroboy, she would give him a certificate for him to come back and ride (a future express pass as it were) when he was the proper height to ride. I did so, and she was gave us the certificate and wished us a good day.

At this point everyone was pretty exhausted and hungry. We entered the Three Broomsticks to eat. It was a very popular place to dine. We were hurried through the queue and sent to a kiosk to order our food. We never once saw a children's menu amongst all the menu boards. This is what was on the menu:
* Rotisserie-smoked chicken
* Chargrilled ribs
* Turkey legs
* Fish and chips
* Shepherd’s pie
* Cornish pasties
* Potato leek soup
* Split pea soup
* Ham soup

My children's sensory issues extend to food. This was not an ASD kid friendly meal. I now know there IS a children's menu which includes chicken fingers and mac & cheese. Once again we were rushed and no help given to point out kids menus.

We ordered Butterbeers for everyone and some of the kids thought the foam was disgusting. Only after spooning it off did they drink it. The rest of us loved it.

Lunch for my family of seven was over $100, and I hate to say not worth it. There was a lot of wasted food because the kids didn't like what they had ordered. I'm sure we would have done better ordering off of the kid menu since it is has chicken fingers and mac & cheese.

We wanted to see Ollivanders, so I jumped in line while my husband took the kids around the shops some more. Firstborn loves owls, so he adored the owlery.

When I was close to the entrance, I texted my husband and he brought the kids. I had previously let the people behind us know I was going to be bringing my family into line, but that they were waiting elsewhere because of issues related to to Autism. They were kind and gracious.

It was pretty amazing to go inside Ollivanders. I was filming right away and to our delight, Whirlwind was chosen to pick a wand. It was the single best part of the day by far. Whirlwind had saved all of his money throughout the trip to Disney and held off on buying anything because he wanted a wand so badly. Saving his money and delaying gratification was a major accomplishment for him. Major accomplishment. Big. Huge. Ginormous. (Are ya starting to get the idea?) :D This was a proud mama moment.

Whirlwind got to buy his wand, though we had to deal with a small meltdown from Princess Ballerina. She did not have any money left for a wand and had not been chosen. I tried to gently point out that at least she could say her brother had been chosen for the wand ceremony. The other sweet children we entered with did not have that pleasure--to them some random boy got picked. Additionally she had just spent her souvenir money the day before buying a Belle costume for her 18" doll from Target.

Funny thing is in all the time that has passed since the trip, I've only heard her lament the lack of wand twice. I'm pretty sure that was a jealousy motivated meltdown.

We left the Wizarding World of Harry Potter finally and went to Jurassic Park. The ride was wet and cold and the dinosaurs were too much for Acroboy. We decided to blow off steam in the dinosaur play area next to the Pteranodon Flyers. The kids saw Pteranodon Flyers and "had" to ride it.

It's too bad they have all of three working flyers. (Really--I paid attention to who was getting on and off and how many flyers came in between). It makes for a ridiculously long wait. Seriously. Three working flyers--two riders per flyer, you do the math. By the way, the estimated wait time of 20 minutes was waaaaaay off. (So, no, we didn't get to use the GAP here either).

We let them run around for a long time in the dinosaur play land. The sun was setting and we it was getting colder (for November at least).

At this point everyone's nerves were shot, they were overstimulated and ready to just leave. We walked around counter-clockwise towards the entrance, but no one had a desire to ride or do anything else. All the waiting and waiting and waiting and then hyper-stimulation in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter left us exhausted. Even though we had finally gotten a GAP, no one wanted to ride anything else.

For a one-day visit to IOA and food it cost us nearly $800, and in my opinion it was not worth it. I understand the more days you visit, the cheaper it becomes per day. However, with unless you are REALLY into roller coasters, or getting wet, this park doesn't have much to offer.

If you decide to go, I wish you better luck than we had. My tips/advice:

IF you can afford it, staying at one of the official Universal hotels will get you early access into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and a less crowded meal at the Three Broomsticks. Personally even at the off-season when we went, we can't afford it, but more power to you if you can.
Get to Islands of Adventure early and make a beeline for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. Do not get distracted by anything else. Annnd good luck with that. I couldn't pull it off, but I hope you can.
If you can't get there early before the park opens, you might want to make the Wizarding World of Harry Potter your last stop. I understand now that things often slow down towards the end of the day.
They DO have child-swapping. Don't let anyone at the ride gates tell you otherwise. Ask away until you find it.
Bring your electronic gadgets to pass the time, BUT make sure they are small enough to sit in a secure pocket. This will ease the time spent in line.
If park attendance seems to have picked up, check again for a GAP.
There IS a children's menu in the Three Broomsticks. Know your options before you go, ask to see it or split the meals.
Split the Butterbeers until you know everyone likes it.
The line for Ollivanders is long and often in the sun. If you have proximity/waiting issues like we do, have one member of your party wait in line until you have about 15-20 people in front of you. Call in your group at that point. Explain early on to the people behind you what you are doing and why you are doing it. Most people are understanding when they know you're working with disabilities.
I think the fact I was filming Ollivanders from the second we stepped in the door and that Whirlwind was right in front of me AND the right age (tween) for "needing" a wand helped him get chosen. BONUS TIP: Prepare everyone for the possibility that none of them may get picked. If by chance one of them does, teach them to look at as a family victory. "Isn't it great for all of us?" That might be a challenge too, but it mostly worked with our family.
Keep your kids distracted when you are near the Pteranodon Flyers so you don't have to ride them. It will also be a challenge, but you'll thank me later. (They are kind of noisy when they are overhead so be prepared to sing a Barney song or something).
Buy your tickets before hand and/or look for deals. I confess we bought ours at the gate even though I know better than that.
Skip the park all together, make your own wands and watch the movies over again if you are not into roller coasters. You'll save a boatload of money that way.

Good luck! I wish you a stress free and wonderful visit.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Getaway with the Hubby

A few weeks ago I mentioned I might be able to go with my husband to a conference in Orlando. We were able to work it out with someone to watch the children and we went away for a few days. I was able to visit with a good friend and her family during the day when my husband was involved in his conference.

My friend's husband works at Disney and so we made a visit there as well. I finally got to see the Beauty and the Beast show and I loved it. I also finally saw the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular as well and I can't wait to get my family back to see it. I think the boys in particular will enjoy it.

I didn't ride much while I was there since I'm pretty pregnant, but I did ride Snow White's adventure before it closes down for good, and I rode Peter Pan's Flight.

I admit to falling asleep during Impressions de France. I blame being pregnant.

It was some nice getaway time with DH (Dear Husband) which we haven't for eight years. Far too long since we'd been able to go somewhere together sans children. It was also good to visit with a good friend and visit WDW with the only child being the one in my belly.

The kids were good for the sitter and her husband, and she gave us a new idea for handling our schedules after school.

It was definitely a win all the way around.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Our Family's Disney Packing Lists

Before we left, I scoured the web for ideas for our packing list. The Ultimate Packing List is really very good, as is this one, but I've made a few changes to it based upon our family's needs. Some of the items on the lists are overkill (For example: why do I need to pack a portable high chair when the restaurants have them? Do I really want to be lugging that into the park? Even when we stay off site, we use our stroller as a high chair if we need one. Also, why bring walkie talkies when I get decent cell coverage and I can text my DH?). Other items we just don't need, like a corkscrew, wine stopper or pre-measured coffee and coffee filters. (We don't drink alcohol or coffee.)

Then there are the things that are left off of those lists. Itineraries for my ASD kids who need to know where and when things will happen (like which park we will be on a certain day and where we will be eating). Hair detangler for Princess Ballerina's really long hair as well as autism awareness shirts and/or cards. A lanyard with large plastic holder for the Guest Assistance Card.

Another item--when Whirlwind (and Acroboy) were younger, we brought our Child Safety Harness. Whirlwind was notorious for running off at lightening speeds, and it wasn't always possible for me to sprint after him (like when I was holding the baby). We had the same problem with Acroboy running/wandering. A friend gave us a Puppy Harness Buddy which looked like this. Acroboy like the stuffed animal version of a child harness I think in part because we treated it like a lovey when it wasn't in use. (The tail can disconnect).

Other thoughts about our list:

A small roll of duct tape has proven useful quite a few times as well. Alternatively, you can wrap some duct tape around a permanent marker or sharpie which comes in handy when needing to mark identical souvenirs, or using as a pen for characters like Mickey to sign autograph books.

On some trips we opted to take Sunday off and find a local church/meeting house, so we have dress clothes on our lists. Unless you are doing the same, have reservations at one of the dressier restaurants (like Victoria & Albert's) or are going on a Disney Cruise with a gala---you don't need them.

For bug repellent we use the disposable wipe kind, and I always bring a tube of Afterbite with us. Pool shoes are a must for the pools and or rafting rides in the water parks. (You have to take them off on the slides). My son and husband both forgot theirs this last trip and ended up getting warts on their feet. Pool shoes stay on in the lazy river whereas flip flops can break if you try to wear them under too much water. (Speaking from personal experience).

I have a special water bottle lanyard/carrier with a pouch. It is great for carrying my phone, camera, ticket/key card etc. you can get one here. Mine is different than this one, but it is the same idea.

Two pairs of walking shoes allows you to switch and give your feet a rest from one.

Zinc oxide ointment (diaper ointment) can help chaffed legs as well as talcum powder.

Garbage bags can serve as extra laundry bags, hold wet clothes, act as additional rain ponchos, etc.

Ziplock snack or sandwich bags can keep money, room keys, ticket and credit cards dry and together inside a larger bag.

Tissue packs and/or wet wipes for every person's fanny pack is a must for our family. Especially when some of my kids can't stand sticky, gross feeling hands.

We recently purchased some of those reusable water bottles with filters in them. We are considering bringing those to the park now too in lieu of disposable water bottles.

We have a data transfer cord to hook our camera up to my husband's laptop to transfer photos when the card gets full. You could just take an extra memory card instead.

Additionally, I gave each child a personalized list of what they needed to make sure they packed it. Creating opportunities for them to be in control of various aspects of the trip seems to help them enjoy the experience more. We also have each child use a carry-on suitcase of their own--with the understanding that I may require some room for consumables we will use up on our trip.

We also bring a small journal to record our thoughts each day about our trip.

Lastly, we pack a separate suitcase just with snacks. I pack the snacks I know I can buy at home cheaper than in Orlando AND it serves the purpose for providing room for souvenirs to travel home. You can have heavier items delivered to your hotel room. Just web search grocery delivery Orlando, or better yet if you are a Costco member you can order online and have it "shipped" to your hotel. (This is a good option for obtaining a case of water if you don't have the reusable filter kind).

To see pdf versions of my individual packing lists follow the links: 11+ year old boy, girl, 3-10 boy, girl, and 0-3 boy & girl

Complete packing list here:

Monday, November 21, 2011

How to Safely Surprise Kids on the Autism Spectrum with a Trip to Disney (and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter)

I have always loved those commercials where the parents surprise the kids with a trip to Disney. They choke me up. However, surprises in schedule and ASD kids don't always mix well. My kids get upset if I don't remind them they have scouts that night or if I forget to let them know we have an orthodontist appointment after school.

DH and I discussed it and we decided to "surprise" the kids by telling about the vacation on Firstborn's birthday. That way they would have a couple of months to process the information and save their money for any extra souvenirs.

I wish I could say I made one of those adorable "Countdown to Disney" calendars I've seen, but no--it was all I could do to get the cookies made.

We tied the scavenger hunt into our other planned summer activities and with book series they all love.

First clue setup: we were eating pizza at Firstborn's favorite pizzeria. I asked the wait staff to come by with a letter I had prepared, and to say it had been dropped off by owl. Firstborn happens to be a HUGE owl fan at the moment.

First Clue:

Dear Misters and Miss Macindaw (not our real name of course),

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into the Macindaw Summer School of Literary Themed Skill Learning. Please find enclosed the opening portion of the list of all of the necessary and books and equipment as well as subjects. (You'll need to be clever and as diligent as Harry was in searching for Horcruxes if you want to find the rest).

Term begins on June 13. We await your owls no later than Thursday.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva Macindaw (aka Mom)

Headmistress

Uniform:

All students will require:

T-shirts and shorts most of the time

Swimming suits

Eighth, sixth and fifth year students will require:

Scout uniforms

You've been eating in a great dining hall, but to complete your search, you must return to your home and find the place where your favorite aquatic friends dwell. Watch out for the giant squid's nemesis--Mamu.

Second Clue Location:

The Giant Squid refers to the Harry Potter books. Mamu is the name of Lawboy's GIGANTIC stuffed orca. This thing is seriously huge. I honestly didn't know how we were going to get it home last year from Florida. In the end we put it in a garbage bag and he carried it onto the airplane. Anyway--the second clue was with Mamu.

Second Clue:

Percy Jackson and these animals don't need floaties or boogie boards--but we do. Better take one along to help in case we run into the Kraken.

Third Clue Location:

Kraken is the name of one of the roller coasters they rode at Sea World last year. The floaties and boogie boards were in the garage.

Third Clue:

Congratulations, you've found the next portion of your book list.

Course Books/Themes:

Percy Jackson and the Olympians series

June 13-24

Swimming lessons, 8th and 6th years will work towards swimming merit badges

Archery Practice

Shield making

Chariot driving (biking)

Phalanx training

Capturing your Muse: or playing a musical instrument

Of course it's not all swimming and playing war games-- Camp Half-Blood has lots of different activities--including arts and crafts. Let's mold something with our hands. Make sure you bring the alligator with you.

Fourth Clue Location:

This last clue was the first time I had them start gathering things on their journey around our home. The fourth clue was with the arts and crafts supplies--specifically the playdough.

Fourth Clue:

The Labyrinth Percy and Annabeth and the others traveled was like a logic puzzle at times. Maybe we should try a puzzle of our own. Take a cookie cutter with you.

Fifth Clue Location:

The puzzle shelf. It is near the dress-up box. I put their mouse ears with the dress-ups.

Fifth Clue:

On second thought, I think Wizard Chess is more my game. Each of you better take a helmet/hat for head protection. Wizard Chess can be brutal!

Sixth Clue Location:

They took the Mouse ears with them. The clue was with Whirlwind's chess set.

Sixth Clue:

Congratulations children, you've found your next portion of your curriculum/book list.

Harry Potter Week(s)

Potions (cooking)

Transfiguration (art projects/building)

Herbology (gardening)

Astronomy

wizard chess

storytelling (journalling)

Treasure hunt (geocaching)

hiking/walking --avoiding Voldemort

Using music to calm the mythical beasts

Eighth, sixth and fifth year students will see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt 2.

Professor Sprout is expecting you in Herbology. Please get your shoes and find your dragonhide gloves.

Seventh Clue Location:

The gardening supplies in the garage where we have several pairs of garden gloves.

Seventh Clue:

I would love to play Quidditch, but I'm missing my equipment. Please help me find what I need.

Eighth Clue Location:

The brooms were hanging up in the laundry area. Attached to one of the brooms was a ziplock bag with chocolate covered pretzel rods (the really long kind).

Eighth Clue:

Congratulations on finding your brooms and wands. You're ready to tackle Hogwarts--just don't go near the Forbidden Forest. Though if you had a Ranger like Halt to help you learn how to navigate the forest you just might survive. Bring your wands for magic and your Ranger weapons. (If you don't have them on you, better go find them--it's where the next clue is).

Ninth Clue Location:

The seventh clue alludes to another of their favorite series, The Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan. The Ranger Corps are famously good with their bows and arrows. The boys had to check their closet and find the bows and arrows.

Ninth Clue:

You remembered your bow & arrows! Good job. You've now also got your training topics as a young ranger. Remember that an important quality of all rangers is a sense of curiosity. It's also asking when you don't know the answer. If we don't know the answers--where might we look for them?

Ranger's Apprentice weeks

Forestry

Archery

Wilderness Survival

jongleur training

Mom to My Group of Munchkins