Traveling with two SN kiddos, one blind and DD, one with autism? ANy tips?

[reneandbaby]

This our family's first trip to Disney World with our three children, though we have been before when we just had one baby.

We are so excited! We'll be there for two weeks!

I have two children with special needs. My oldest daughter is 6. She is blind due to ROP and is also cognitively disabled and low verbal (says about 20-50 words total). However, she is completely ambulatory with no physical limitations whatsoever. She does have some sound sensitivities

We also have a three and a half year old boy with high functioning autism, confirmed celiac's disease and a very bad dairy allergy. He has a hard time with people in his space and a lot of sensory issues, and a bad tendency to wander, but otherwise is also ambulatory and sweet and I know he will be excited beyond belief.

Adding to the rear, we have our 13 month old daughter who is a typical 13 month old in every way.

Does anyone here have any good advice for us as novices? Specifically, does anyone know of how we can accomodate our DS's food allergies? He gets very sick and ends up with severe bathroom issues when he is exposed to gluten or dairy. We figured we'll end up bringing a lot of his food with us as a safety measure. We are staying at SSR and we will have a rental car, so I am hoping to go out and do some grocery shopping for him the day we arrive.

I'm trying to figure out ride accessibility for my oldest daughter. With a parent's hand, she can get on and off rides without too much trouble (that's my assumption anyway)....but what can we do with her cane? Can we take her cane with us on most rides, or should be expecting to hand it to a cast member to hand back to us when the ride is done? I know some rides have seperate loading and unloading areas....how would we get her cane back if that's the case?

I'm also wondering about shows. My oldest does have some "hand motion" vision...so she is not totally blind. If she is close enough to some objects then she can even tell you what color they are etc. Are there shows with close enough seating that she could have a chance at actually "seeing" something? Is there is a way to request closer seating so that she could better experience a show?

Thanks so much for sharing all your wisdom!


Rene

 

[mamaminnie]

Welcome.

I'd start with the FAQ's at the top of the page, they'll give you a good starting point.

I'd think about going during a slow season (I've had great luck with the week after a major school holiday) to limit crowds and make moving around easier.

With your ds' allergies, I'd make ADR's and contact the restaurants in advance to work out menu issues. You can call Brenda Bennett (if you search her number is here) too.

When do you plan to go? Where do you want to stay? Do you have to fly?

Happy Planning!

 

[reneandbaby]

Duh--- I forgot to put that all in there! We are actually leaving in two weeks to go. We picked end of October because that is where we'd had our success at lower crowds in years past....though admitedly it has been awhile since we have been.

We are staying at Saratoga Springs, mainly for the zero depth entry pool, which is really important for my kiddos to actually be able to use it.

We are flying from Colorado to Florida and then renting a van to get us there.

Honestly? We don't have a ton of expectations about "getting stuff done". With three children whose mental ages are three and under, our real goal is watching the children enjoy themselves. My son is very scared of loud noises and the dark. There will be no roller coasters or splash mountains or test track or any of that for us. I don't even care how many rides we get to do, per se. I'm hoping they can enjoy stuff like It's a Small World, or Dumbo, or the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. My son is OBSESSED with trains and my older daughter really loves their motion, so I'm sure we'll do every train disney world has! But really, our whole goal is to make sure the kids have a blast. No hurry, no agendas, no "must dos". We are completely flexible!

Rene

 

[mechurchlady]

I have celiac so my advice is stay away from Rice Dreams and any of their products. They have a bit of gluten in them. I love Almond Breeze from Blue Diamond and it comes in chocolate flavour.

Most important is talking with Disney in general then when you arrive at a restaurant make certain they understand that no gluten and dairy means no malt, maltodextrin, soy sauce unless verified gluten free, whey, food starch, as well as the common dairy and gluten products. Make certain they have a dedicated deep fryer for french fries. Disney goes out of its way to help guests with allergies but you have to remind CMs about what specifically you can have. Carry known safe products in case he gets hungry.

Do not ever assume that something is safe unless you know for sure the product is safe such as knowing the brand or seeing the label. My favourite local restaurant makes me burgers that I put on corn tortillas. I was wondering why one day I was a bit off when I had no dressing that day. The mustard had soy in it to make it pour easier. Farmer John bacon has gluten but not Oscar Myer. Cook's ham is gluten free. Some wait staff and even chefs do not realize that the ham in the soup has gluten for example.

I use a pulse test where I eat a bit of strange food and with in a minute my pulse will be racing if I am sensitive. I could not stop drinking Jones Soda until I saw it had gluten. I was high and bouncing then crashing. Cravings are a sign for me.

You can google or ask for local markets but some products like Annies may not be available. I would pack in the suitcase gluten free cereal and stuff he likes to eat just in case you cannot find stuff in the store. I do that on every trip even when I went south for 5 days and it was only 15 miles from home.
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the FAQ section has lots of answers from experienced guests of WDW and elsewhere.

Make sure you bring your disabled tags or plates to get disabled parking and free valet parking.

The basic rule of thumb on the cane is whether it will stay in the ride. Bobsleds, Dinosaur and the Roger Rabbit rides would require it to be left with the CMs for example. It might be possible for you to get some adult rides in if one parent can handle three kids, I admit to not being able to handle even one, lol. Do watch the kids and see what they want to do as it might amaze you want they can do as the parks seem to have magic in them.

Definitely do not be afraid to ask CMs for special treatment such as sitting near the front of a theater and characters and CMs tend to be really nice and treat disabled kids really special. I am a disabled adult and I was treated special at WDW with CMs helping me out and doing little special things for me. I have seen online many happy stories about CMs and special children.

 

[DannysMom]

Honestly? We don't have a ton of expectations about "getting stuff done". With three children whose mental ages are three and under, our real goal is watching the children enjoy themselves. My son is very scared of loud noises and the dark. There will be no roller coasters or splash mountains or test track or any of that for us. I don't even care how many rides we get to do, per se. I'm hoping they can enjoy stuff like It's a Small World, or Dumbo, or the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. My son is OBSESSED with trains and my older daughter really loves their motion, so I'm sure we'll do every train disney world has! But really, our whole goal is to make sure the kids have a blast. No hurry, no agendas, no "must dos". We are completely flexible!

Rene

Well like somene else said read the FAQ -- ton of info there.

I'd say that if you and your husband are ok with splitting up on occassion you definitely would want to get a separate GAC for each SN kiddo -- different kids, different needs. You say in your post that your DS (ASD) would not like any roller coasters, test track or splash mountain -- but (depending on how brave she is) your older daughter might enjoy those same rides. So while one parent might take her on something the other can do a tamer ride w/ the other kids.

Also I know you said that your DS (ASD) is fully ambulatory -- many here have said that their ASD kids really liked the rented strollers (firmer plastic) it gave them physical boundaries & their own space -- like a bubble in the crowd. Just a thought, since you said that your son does not like strangers in his space.

What else, oh you are staying on property! The midday break, I find crucial. My son generally lasts til just after lunch & then either peters out or gets really cranky. We head back to the resort for either a nap or a swim (or swim then nap) & head back out at around dinner time. Much better time than trying to keep him up & out when he just can't handle it.

Like others mentioned -- if you are eating at any of the restaraunts Disney is pretty good about accomodating special dietary needs-- just lets them know ahead of time (like when you make the ADRs.) Folks around here rave about the help gotten from Brenda Bennett.

I also like the book Walt Disney World with Kids 2007 by Kim Wright Wiley for the descriptions of rides. You can get an idea of what a ride or show entails and if its appropriate for your crew or only part of your crew. And if you ever aren't sure if it's a ride or show you want to try ask the cast members on the appraoch to it any specific questions you have (is it noisy, dark etc.)

Have a great trip.

 

[ducklite]

Just an FYI, Publix Grocery Stores have a decent selection of wheat free/gluten free foods. Everything from condiments to snacks to baking mixes. They are in the "Greenwise" section, usually near the front of the store by the produce section, although that will vary with older stores.

I have a friend with Celiac and stock up there before she comes to visit. She's also lactose intolerant, and many of the WF/GF foods are also milk/dairy free.

I ahve visted WDW with a friend who is legally blind and uses a service dog, as well as my friend with Celiac, and for the most part the cast has gone out of their way to make my friends be able to enjoy the trip.

Have a great trip!

 

[emilee&tylersmom]

Check your PM's...I just send you one.
Kelly

 

[SueM in MN]

The basic rule of thumb on the cane is whether it will stay in the ride. Bobsleds, Dinosaur and the Roger Rabbit rides would require it to be left with the CMs for example.

Just for clarification - Bobsleds and Roger Rabbit are at Disneyland, not WDW (don't want to confuse anyone).
For most rides/attractions, you will be able to bring her cane into the attraction/ride car with. Ask the CM at the entrance to the queue and at the boarding area.
In general, the rided that are more 'turbulent' where the cane might be a problem also are the ones with health warnings (marked with a red triangle icon on the park maps). There is a link in the disABILITIES FAQs thread to the WDW official Guidebook For Guests with Disabilities which will give that information.

I'd say that if you and your husband are ok with splitting up on occassion you definitely would want to get a separate GAC for each SN kiddo -- different kids, different needs.

GAC = Guest Assistance Card and you can find a section about it in the disABILITIES FAQs thread.

I also like the book Walt Disney World with Kids 2007 by Kim Wright Wiley for the descriptions of rides. You can get an idea of what a ride or show entails and if its appropriate for your crew or only part of your crew. And if you ever aren't sure if it's a ride or show you want to try ask the cast members on the appraoch to it any specific questions you have (is it noisy, dark etc.)

Have a great trip.

Another good book is Walt Disney World for Kids by Kids. That book gives recommendations from kids' perspective and has things like a 'scariness' rating.
You can also check for ride videos on youtube.com
Some of the videos are better than others, so if you can't tell what you need to from the first one you see, search a bit more.

 

[mechurchlady]

I am on the West Coast so I know most rides there by heart. Hope I do not confuse people. When the reactions or nap attacks are coming on I tend to think west coast, lol, sorry about that.

The stroller is a good idea as it helps keep the kids from tiring out. Since you are staying on property you might want to do a morning at the parks then rest for a couple hours then do the parks in the evening. I wish I could have done that on my last WDW trip.