My son was blessed with a dream trip...input?

[bethy]

One way you can help ensure the fridge is cold enough is to store ice from the ice machine inside it in Ziploc bags. You could also have your sons bring a large cooler and store food in the room inside it - just regularly replace ice from the ice machines. And then bring a small soft sided cooler bag to take with you into the park. We brought in sandwiches and cold snacks every day. We are fortunate to be able to afford to eat at Disney (we are a small family) but in all honesty the food isn't all that great anyway. Plus we have food alllergies in our family. Plus sitting down for a meal takes a long time and would be too much 3 times a day anyway, IMO. So we loved having our own food and had no troubles bringing it into the parks.

It seems to me that if you have a special needs child the DLH should accomodate heating up the occasional meal for you. Cast members usually try to say "yes" whenever they possibly can. Do your kids like mac and cheese? You can buy Easy Mac and maybe uses the hot water from the coffee maker to prepare it. Also if you are going anytime soon it will be hot while you are there and so your kids probably won't mind eating lots of cold sandwiches, fruit and yogurt. We had a microwave in our room last week and barely used it.

Congratulations and good luck. The budget section of this board should have some great suggestions as well!

 

[TravelingJen24]

There is also a Target right down the street. We usually go there to get essentials like water, diapers, etc. Sometimes they are cheaper then the grocery stores. We usually bring gummies and crackers, etc. It helps when the kids are a little hungry and starting to get grumpy. Also, if you bring things like jelly beans or chocolates, etc. You can get a bag from the stores in the parks and give them to your kids. They won't know any different.
Also, the disney store is havng great sales right now. If you pick up some small things and keep them for the trip, you can give them to the little ones, (I don't know how old your kids are) and they wouldn't know the difference. For example, last week the Dis store was selling their little phones by the register for 57 cents. I hope you have a great time.

 

[LisainCalifornia]

I called guest services at DL to get more information on the GAC (Guest Assistance Card) for my daughter who also has autism. I went to the disabilities board here first, but after reading the FAQ's there--thought that we were out of luck as far as certain accomodations.

I think I have it worked out now, and will let everyone know how it goes when we take our trip in June. This will be our first attempt asking for a GAC, but we have needed it for years.

I am very happy to hear about your trip. I'll bet you will all have a fantastic time!

Hugs,
Lisa

 

[jencav5]

I called guest services at DL to get more information on the GAC (Guest Assistance Card) for my daughter who also has autism. I went to the disabilities board here first, but after reading the FAQ's there--thought that we were out of luck as far as certain accomodations.

I think I have it worked out now, and will let everyone know how it goes when we take our trip in June. This will be our first attempt asking for a GAC, but we have needed it for years.

I am very happy to hear about your trip. I'll bet you will all have a fantastic time!

Hugs,
Lisa

I also have an autistic child and we've been going to DLR and using the GAC for years. Please pm me and I would be happy to give you any advice.

 

[bumbershoot]

(4) Fortunately, my two oldest sons (young adults) still live in So Cal, so they will just drive over to the park. I am going to go to Albertsons and stock up our rooms with simple things for snacks and quick meals. I understand we can take bottled water and plastic bottled cokes, sprite, etc into the park with us so we don't have to buy drinks.

You can bring in food, too. Just not some huge cooler. But if your son needs to take care with his diet, definitely bring in foods he can eat safely.

My son doesn't have any diagnosed conditions, but he absolutely has to avoid anything with corn syrup (including high fructose c.s., etc), so there's no "kid" foods at DLR he can eat (no dole whips, no uncrustables, and very likely no Nestle ice cream including (confirmed he can't have them) Mickey Bars). So if he's not in the mood for real food bought at the parks, we have to make sure we have the Safeway organic peanut butters and jams with us, along with the bread, and I'll make a sandwich or two to pack, along with our safe granola bars. This trip I'll even be bringing a little container of safe, real, syrup for his Mickey pancakes b/c he gets tired of just powdered sugar on his pancakes (we're lucky he's not sensitive to cornstarch in powdered sugar).

They don't mind it, and if they tried to deny it I'd let them know what he would act like if he had some corn syrup, and I'm sure they would let me in.

Anyway, my long-winded point is that, within reason, you can bring in more than drinks.

 

[sweetbrat]

I also have an autistic child and we've been going to DLR and using the GAC for years. Please pm me and I would be happy to give you any advice.

I would truly appreciate any advice or input as well about the GAC. I was told to go to town hall only to get it. Yet I have read other things on the boards, but maybe it applied to WDW.

 

[sweetbrat]

You can bring in food, too. Just not some huge cooler. But if your son needs to take care with his diet, definitely bring in foods he can eat safely.

A few of you have shared this with me. You use the insulated lunch cooler bags and pack a few snacks and then throw it into a backpack. Where can you eat your foods that you bring with you? Any place in the park or only speicified places?

Thanks again for so much help!

 

[bumbershoot]

I would truly appreciate any advice or input as well about the GAC. I was told to go to town hall only to get it. Yet I have read other things on the boards, but maybe it applied to WDW.

From what I've read, you simply need to figure out what your son needs, and tell them. I know that sounds simplistic, but it seems to be what the people on the disAbilities forum seem to distill the GAC process down to.

 

[bumbershoot]

A few of you have shared this with me. You use the insulated lunch cooler bags and pack a few snacks and then throw it into a backpack. Where can you eat your foods that you bring with you? Any place in the park or only speicified places?

Thanks again for so much help!

We'll eat our granola bars anywhere we happen to be. If Eamon is just eating a sandwich I wouldn't find any special place for him. They do have a picnic area outside the gates of Disneyland, to the left, behind some trees (it's kind of hidden!), so if your guy needed a quiet place to eat, away from the noise and activity, that might be a great place to take him. Over in DCA there are benches on broad "boulevards" everywhere, and seating areas where you can have some food.

I sat on benches near a counter service place in DCA when I had a headache where I thought my head would explode...sat in the shade, got a FREE cup of ice water from the food place, and just relaxed for an hour or so...no one said a word to me about not buying anything.

Now, I might not take a meal into a restaurant, though again, if Dh and I were ordering something and explained why the menu offerings weren't OK for DS, I bet they would be kind about him eating a safe homemade sandwich instead of their Uncrustables or whatever...not sure, we've never tried it, but I think they'd be OK. Maybe.

 

[jencav5]

I would truly appreciate any advice or input as well about the GAC. I was told to go to town hall only to get it. Yet I have read other things on the boards, but maybe it applied to WDW.

You're welcome to pm me as well!

 

[jencav5]

A few of you have shared this with me. You use the insulated lunch cooler bags and pack a few snacks and then throw it into a backpack. Where can you eat your foods that you bring with you? Any place in the park or only speicified places?

Thanks again for so much help!

Technically, I believe it is said or written somewhere that no outside food/drinks are allowed and they have a picnic area outside the park for you to use for this purpose. However; I have never "hidden" eating or drinking a snack from home, and no cm has ever told me I couldn't! Most of the restaurants in DL are counter service, so you can get a table and eat whatever you want. No one will bother you. Many of the places have outdoor seating. You can also sit on a bench, etc... The only thing you don't want to do is bring glass bottles, alcohol, etc... We've brought our own soda's, though, and water, bags of chips, sandwiches, etc...

 

[Rapunsel]

We bring in lunchables and premade salads from Trader Joes..

You can take in just about anything. The only thing that I have seen people being denied is a bag of lunch meat and a loaf of bread.. The Security people said that the sandwiches needed to be made. So they sat and made the sandwiches and took them into the park.

I take in cans of coke, granola barss, chips, candy, fruit, yogurt, anything. I can go an entire day and not purchase any food...

 

[corrinna]

Just curious....What are the dates of your dream trip?