Gastroparesis & Autism related restrictive diets: Do better Disney!

[2tinkerbell]

It is a difficult situation that you are in. I can so relate. From personal experience, I have found that most accommodations my daughter requires are up to me or her to make. We also are in the position, many times, of doing without the experience because there is no way we, or anyone can, accommodate her needs. It is hard and it is frustrating. Sometimes even more so when what looks like a possible solution appears to be so easy, but isn’t really.

Let me share an experience I had with my daughter. She is visually impaired along with being neurologically compromised. Her visual impairments are some visual acuity, but mainly visual spatial and figure ground. Disneyland is our “home” resort as we live closer to it (Utah). My daughter “loves” Jack Sparrow. She had never seen Fantasmic! because of her visual impairments, despite being to Disneyland many, many times. She also comes across as a “picky eater,” though that is not the basis of her being so selective. I came to the conclusion that the only way my daughter could “see” Fantasmic! Was to sit front and center, across the Rivers of America. The only way I could get her front and center was to do a meal package at Blue Bayou for the reserved seating. We looked at the menu and decided what to order. The first course she thought the children’s menu item would be okay. The rest was off the adult menu but the dessert, she wanted off the regular menu. She knew going into this experience, that her changes would most likely not happen and she would work on her flexibility. We ended up with a very nice waiter who was also flexible and made the changes to the menu for her. Not the cost, but the menu items. The 1st course came and it was various colors of carrots. It was a no go. She didn’t eat any of them. The main course, she ate less than 1/2 of 1/2 the sandwich. She did eat the dessert. So to make my point, she didn’t eat her monies worth. It cost me $180 for 2 lunches. We then had to line up early so we were first to be let into the section so she could be front and center. We were lined up 2 hours early. Many times a CM would come by and remark that we didn’t need to line up already, but I just explained we were “accommodating a need.” My DD was led down into the section and allowed time to make sure she was seated in a place that she could see. This was done by a very nice CM. Was it worth it? Yes, especially when Jack Sparrow winked at my DD as he swung put off the ship. We can’t do this every time. In fact, it probably was the only time she will watch Fantasmic!

My point is, you have to make decisions and choices on what will work for you and your child. It isn’t fair and you can’t do everything. But the things you can do are just as wonderful and magical.

 

[mistysue]

If it helps any, the accommodations for allergies aren't always that perfect either. I've got one child allergic to everything and the other is a "picky eater" - but eats maybe a dozen things, has a brand specific vomit response and has been kicked out of professional medical feeding therapy twice because the people who do nothing but that for a living can't get this guy to eat.
We have had our share of buffets where one or even both of them didn't eat, or had one bite of something, or only a drink, and we have to pay for them as adults.
It gets to a point where the accommodation really has to be selecting where you are going to eat carefully. Then knowing that you are paying a LOT for buffets even though you have to stop to buy food on the way out the door. My allergy son frequently can't eat anything at quick service, so meals for us involve multiple locations if we don't bring our own back up food. It just is what it is because each location can only do what they do. My purse makes me look like a compulsive food hoarder.