Gluten/Casien Free Diet & Autistic Child

[grumpyskirtgirl]

Is it possible to eat on property (or nearby) and adhere to a GFCF diet?

My husband and I are contempleting our 4 year old Autistic son and wondering if we are going to need to pack a suitcase full of food or not. I know that WDW has a lot of GFCF options, but I haven't seen much about DL.

As a side note, my son cannot handle loud noises, being touched by strangers and simply cannot stand still for very long. MAYBE 2 minutes. While we have headphones to deafen noises for him, the other issues are just not something that I have come up with a solution for yet. Although I am considering renting a stroller to give him "his space" but since he will be a few weeks shy of 5, he might look weird sitting in a stroller, if he even fits. Are we just crazy to even consider taking him?

He has obsessed about trains since before he turned 1 and is starting to get VERY interested in all things Disney so I wanted to try and take him before he starts school.

Thanks in advance for ANY ideas.

 

[LavenderPeach]

Here's a recent thread about GF options at DLR: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2586905&highlight=gluten+free

I'm not sure if casien free is mentioned in the thread or not but the Disney is very good at accomodating people with special dietary needs.

As far as your son goes. Definitely go get him a GAC. You can go to city hall in DL or at the Guest Services (i think that's what it's called) at DCA. Tell them your son's needs and they will give you a card based on those needs. For example, they may give you a card that allows you to use the stroller as a wheelchair so you can take it with you instead of parking it outside.

Also, you will see kids of all ages in strollers so don't worry about that. Our DS is 5 and we always put him in the stroller when we go to DLR. You will see kids much older than your DS in strollers.

 

[DorkyDisneyMom]

I have 2 boys with Autism. Disney packs a special type of magic for them. We have gone twice and they both loved it.

The first time I was really worried because of the overstimulation and noise. We brought headphones but didn't use them even when the fireworks were going off over our heads. I contribute it to Disney magic. We have never had ameltdown at a park ever. Magic. Pure magic.

We used to do GFCF and there are options at the park but what they are anymore I'm not sure.

You should do Von's grocery delivery and then you won't have to pack the food. You can just have it brought to you.

I can't stress the GAC enough for you. Please get one if you feel you need one. You won't need a doctors note or anything but you just need to explain what kind of accomidations you think he might need. A quiet place to wait in line or to be able to use the stroller as a wheelchair for example.

We didn't use a GAC but we also go when the crowds are really low and the lines are really short. We hit it usually the first week of December. The weather is cooler and crowds at least for us were lighter.

My son loves the stoller especially the Disney ones. They have a nice seat for taller kids and they give him a more secure feel. They also have the big canopy so he can hide under there if he needs to. My oldest was 6 the last time we took him and he didn't look out of place that I could tell anyway. He is as tall as his sister and she was 8 at the time. I guess for me it was more important for him to feel secure than what other people thought about him in a stroller.

I just returned from my first trip from WDW and I would do DL in heartbeat with my guys before I would attempt WDW. DL is cozy and smaller and it's a little more easy to manage. It made my head hurt just thinking about taking them to WDW and what a production it would be just to get them through the resort to the bus, to wait for the bus, and then more waiting and the heat and humidity too.

So really you should consider what time of year to go and crowd levels.

I showed my guys YouTube videos of the rides before we went and I could gauge their reaction to them at home.

I also showed them movies that went with the rides like Peter Pan etc; they loved the rides and characters even more. I ordered the vaction DVD and they watched that like crazy too.

You are not crazy. It might be something that he really loves.

You can also try the DISabilities board on here too. They may be more knowledgable too.

Happy planning.

 

[ardenandjacksmom]

We're planning our first visit to DL with DS5 (also ASD) at the end of the month, so I don't have any 'veteran' DL advice, but I would second the opinions of the PPs regarding getting/bringing a stroller for DS...during our last WDW trip, we used the GAC and 'red tag' that allowed the stroller to be used as a wheelchair in lines/at shows. It was a LIFESAVER for us and DS--my DS gets really anxious/stressed if standing in a line with lots of strangers in close proximity--so I doubt he would have been able to tolerate much time at the parks without it. He also wanted to stay in the stroller for parades and shows. Just having his stroller is his 'safe place.' And like others have mentioned, with the amount of walking at DLR, MANY older kids decide to ride in their younger sib's stroller!

As for dining, our son is also GFCF (and egg and nut free)--we bring breakfast food to eat in the room, I bring lunch and snacks for him into the park (I carry a letter from his Dr. just in case the amount of food/soft cooler we bring raises a question--although I know DL typically allows people to bring food for little kids anyway) and I plan for at least one table service meal per day, usually dinner (and have his allergies noted on the reservation--we've had good experiences at WDW and from what I read on the boards I think it is approached similarly at DLR too). If you're flying and don't want to have to haul an extra suitcase worth of food (especially since they charge $$ for extra bags), perhaps consider shipping a box to your hotel? I've sent ahead GFCF cookies, crackers, cereal, pasta, and other dry goods when we've flown to WDW. Just check with the hotel regarding how to address it and how far in advance to ship it (usually it goes something like: "Name of Hotel, GUEST XXX (dates of your visit), and then the rest of the address)

Lastly, as far as the "are we crazy to try this" comment--I know how you feel. I want DS to have all the enriching life experiences/opportunities that he can enjoy/handle--of course, predicting what/how much he'll find enjoyable is an art form. And although DS doesn't have a 'stress-o-meter' with an arrow that shows when he's approaching the redline (wouldn't that be handy?), the older he gets and the more 'seasoned' I am as his Mom (LOL) we're getting better at navigating. The best encouragement I can give you is to 'relax' into the parks, take your time, and follow your DS's lead. Some of the best times we've had at WDW we're not really 'attractions' per se. For instance, some of DS's favorite moments weren't the rides we went on, but rather playing in fountains, or finding little out of the way spots to play with his Thomas trains while waiting for his sister to meet Tinkerbell, etc. That's the real beauty of Disney, there is magic in every corner!