can't see the way the queue is going

[indimom]

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S!!!! That is just awesome to quit the smoking habit. I know how difficult that can be as my mom quit after a 45 year habit of literally lighting a new cig with the old. Talk about chain smoking! She finally managed after finding out that 2nd hand smoke was hurting her grandbaby (my daughter - 2 then, 25 today). It will definitely help him with his eyes and you both in many ways, least of which is the $ you can save to spend at Disney!

And, hey, if you think he'd like smoothies, I have a trick I use to get my husband (a meat & potatoes guy) to drink his greens. I make a spinach smoothie, but you seriously cannot taste the spinach due to the bananas & berries in it. It has tons of protein and vitamins and fills you up for a couple hours. I tried kale once, but it was noticeable since it's so bitter. If you'd like the recipe, I'll gladly share.

DD has an eye condition that is similar to macular degeneration (blood vessels growing and leaking under the retina causing scar tissue and permanent blind spots in the central vision). She receives the same injections as the OP's husband to hold off the damaging effects of the disease. I've done a lot of research on angiogenesis and ways we might help her naturally.

Since green leafy vegetables are best, we make spinach and/or kale smoothies also (more spinach than kale for the reason you mentioned, but we slip a little bit of kale in each one and you can mask the bitterness that way).

We like the strawberry/banana ones. Strawberries and lemons is another good choice if you like lemon. We've also tried lemon/orange and lemon/kiwi, but didn't like those as well as the others. You can get over 2cups of spinach in a smoothie that fills a Disney mug. (I lOVE our Disney mugs, they hide the color of the drink, which can be a little disconcerting. lol.)

Kale chips are unexpectedly good also. You can find recipes online.

Sorry for getting a bit off topic, OP. Just thought I'd add the tips we use to add natural forms of VEGF inhibitors to the diet (certain mushrooms and fish are also good options, if your husband likes those).

Good luck on your vacation. I hope you are able to make it work so that he can see as much of the attractions and shows he loves, as possible.

(And Scooby, your grandbaby is just ADORABLE! What a cutie-pie!)

 

[scooby9932]

DD has an eye condition that is similar to macular degeneration (blood vessels growing and leaking under the retina causing scar tissue and permanent blind spots in the central vision). She receives the same injections as the OP's husband to hold off the damaging effects of the disease. I've done a lot of research on angiogenesis and ways we might help her naturally.

I hope your daughter's condition doesn't get any worse and that the natural route brings you success. It's so hard to watch our kids with health issues. My daughter inherited my Lupus and some other autoimmune disorders, which is why I started getting involved with the natural medicine stuff to begin with as Western Medicine just doesn't have much to help us.

Since green leafy vegetables are best, we make spinach and/or kale smoothies also (more spinach than kale for the reason you mentioned, but we slip a little bit of kale in each one and you can mask the bitterness that way).

We like the strawberry/banana ones. Strawberries and lemons is another good choice if you like lemon. We've also tried lemon/orange and lemon/kiwi, but didn't like those as well as the others. You can get over 2cups of spinach in a smoothie that fills a Disney mug. (I lOVE our Disney mugs, they hide the color of the drink, which can be a little disconcerting. lol.)

I don't know if peanut butter is recommended for eye disorders, but when my husband was trying to lose weight & needed added protein, I made some chocolate peanut butter spinach smoothies that he loves! It's more like dessert than anything else. It's sweetened by the bananas & the antioxidants in the cocoa powder are a bonus. Powdered peanut butter & whey powder add the added protein. I hide my smoothies in our Disney mugs, too! Those things are such great souvenirs since we use them daily.

Kale chips are unexpectedly good also. You can find recipes online.
I'll have to try those!


(And Scooby, your grandbaby is just ADORABLE! What a cutie-pie!)

Aw, thanks so much! She's my heart. I'm lucky to be able to watch her during the day while my daughter works. It's strange how life works out. I became unable to work this past year & while it's very hard to reconcile with my goals/finances/sense of purpose/etc., it's allowed me to forge a close relationship with my DGD. I guess you can find something positive in everything.

 

[smidgy]

indi, great post! thank you! and scooby, funny how God's plans aren't always our plans.. so glad you ahve the time to spend with the grandbaby!

 

[MaggiesMomNJ]

I searched "visual impairment" and found this thread.

Smidgy did you get the DAS? My hubby is legally blind and has lost more vision.

I am curious if people are getting the DAS with this type of disability. He has trouble seeing in front of him, going from light to dark and dark to light, and navigating turns.

 

[smidgy]

I searched "visual impairment" and found this thread.

Smidgy did you get the DAS? My hubby is legally blind and has lost more vision.

I am curious if people are getting the DAS with this type of disability. He has trouble seeing in front of him, going from light to dark and dark to light, and navigating turns.

That is handled at each ride. A return time using the DAS wouldn't benefit you.

yes maggies' mom. we DID get the DAS for Visual impairment! bot last april and this last sept. trip. and it definitely DOES help!

explain that it is not safe for him to navigate the dark winding queue. and that what is not dark to you (the CM) and I IS dark for my husband.

what the return time does is at least let's you go through the FP queue, which is a shorter distance. less space to navigate through.

now you can also ask about an alternative entrance. sometimes they let you, someties they don't. showing the DAS also let's you get in front for shows, such as Nemo, Lion King, beauty and the Besat.

you can just explain to the CM about the disability, but it is so much easier to show a DAS card. definitely get one. let me know if you have any other questions. good luck!

 

[madaboutMickey]

yes maggies' mom. we DID get the DAS for Visual impairment! bot last april and this last sept. trip. and it definitely DOES help!

explain that it is not safe for him to navigate the dark winding quese. and that what is not dark to you (the CM) and I IS dark for my husband.

what the return time does is at least let's you go through the FP queue, which is a shorter distance. less space to navigate through.

now you can also ask about an alternative entrance. sometimes they let you, someties they don't. showing the DAS also let's you get in front for shows, such as Nemo, Lion King, beauty and the Besat.

you can just explain to the CM about the disability, but it is so much easier to show a DAS card. definitely get one. let me know if you have any other questions. good luck!

This is very good news. I know everyone's situation is different and that the CM needs to take that into consideration. I too have many of the same vision issues. Here at home, just going into a restaurant after being outside in the sun can take up to 20 minutes for my eyes to adjust. Then when I go back outside, I'm blind again due to the sun until my eyes readjust And that's just the light issues. It doesn't take into consideration my loss of vision and the fact I have no depth perception. That's causing me to be much slower gettting on/off, in/out of rides. So navigating Disney has become quite the challenge with all the rides, shops, etc. Ran into a wall in Pirates on more than one occasion. And Nemo is just the absolute worst.
The GAC had been such a help. And it was a few CMs who originally suggested that I get one. I never asked for the alternate entrance. It was given to me after explaining all my difficulties. Now that they have changed to the DAS, it's as though my problems should just disappear. I've been back once since the new program started but was using a wheelchair due to a foot injury. I still had to explain all my vision issues to each CM and they all told me I needed to get a DAS. With everything I head and read I didn't even try.
This time I will. Thanks again, smidgy, for taking the time to post this update.

 

[ttintagel]

Oh, my goodness, this is some of the best Disney news I've had in years! I can’t tell you how worried I’ve been, to the point where I’ve decided countless times to stop saving up for another trip. Sure, people kept saying, “Just tell the CM at the attraction what you need!” But I know from long experience that you just can’t count on individual CM’s understanding or caring without some kind of official document to back it up.

And you know, as frustrating and even at times outraging as it is for me, even I can’t say I completely blame them. They don’t get paid a lot, and every time management expects them to break their routine by leaving guests’ needs up to their discretion instead of putting a formal, standard procedure in place, it’s asking an awful lot.

 

[MaggiesMomNJ]

yes maggies' mom. we DID get the DAS for Visual impairment! bot last april and this last sept. trip. and it definitely DOES help!

explain that it is not safe for him to navigate the dark winding quese. and that what is not dark to you (the CM) and I IS dark for my husband.

what the return time does is at least let's you go through the FP queue, which is a shorter distance. less space to navigate through.

now you can also ask about an alternative entrance. sometimes they let you, someties they don't. showing the DAS also let's you get in front for shows, such as Nemo, Lion King, beauty and the Besat.

you can just explain to the CM about the disability, but it is so much easier to show a DAS card. definitely get one. let me know if you have any other questions. good luck!

Thank you for answering! That makes me feel much better

 

[smidgy]

the point is rather than take the time at each ride to explain why you need special accomodations, getting the DAS, you only have to REALLY explain once.

holding that green card DOES help! you probably will need to explain some anyway what your needs are to the CM at the attraction, but I, fo one, would rather not have our experience dependan on each and every attraction CM, their understanding,their mood, etc etc.

at the shows, go to the CM at the FP line and explain that your family needs to sit in the front since someone in your party wil not be able to see it if they can't.

at nemo, they let us in the FP line. hubby did have to navigate the stairs, S l o w l y. we could have been taken around to the lower entrance, but they do not HOLD any setas in the fron t for disabilites, and they are taken quickly. (don't sit in the 1st 2 rows anyway, too low too see the stage)

at lion king, the CM put us in the disabilities line and we were able to go in even before the FP people and choose our seat.

at beauty and the beast, the Cm at the top radioed the Cm near the stage, who met us when we got down there and had 2 seats in the front for us.

at Living with the seas nemo at epcot. go in through the gift shop. stand at the wheelchair entrance. when the CM tells you to move because you are standing in the dsabilites entrance (lol) show her the DAS and explain that there is no way your family member with low vision can make it through that long, extremely dark, meandering line without hurting himslef, possible someone else, and slowing the whole thing down. they let us right in there.

also, at rides with continous movement, ask the CM to slow down the cars. they did this for us at the new 7 dwarves, space mountain,u nder the sea.

I think they do at haunted mansion, but I forget. we didn't do that this time. I just couldn't put Nebo through that, he was already frustrated at how little he can see now...
they cannot do this at Peter Pan. we never do that anymore anyway since he sees nothing on it.

yes, I now there are people totally blind who still enjoy these rides, and I know they have audio earphones that describe everything. he just isn't at that point of acceptance yet.


also, at restaurants (we were on the "free" dining promotion). ask to be sat at a well lit table. even at places like Le Cellier, some are more lit than others. last year we asked that and we waited and waited (first reservation, noon) and they admitted they forgot about us. then I reminded them about the well it table, and they put us at a dark corner table.. (yes, I know, the whole rest. is dark, but some tables are lighter.) I said" no, this won't do, how about that table closer to the middle with the light over it?" and moved right over to it.. same thing at via napoli/
you have to advocate for your visually impaired family member. no one cares about them as much as you do!!!!