Disney and Disabilities

Being part of a family that has multiple disabilities, we know how hard it is to travel while meeting ALL the needs.  In my family of 5, we have mobility issues, heart issues, food allergies, and cognitive disabilities.  It can be overwhelming, and it's difficult to know how to start.  Disney has always worked hard to create a magical environment, and with proper planning, you can have an amazing vacation without your disability being the center of it.  

Cognitive Disabilities 

 Meet Timothy!

Timothy is our youngest child.  We had the joy of adopting him on Valentine's Day four years ago.  Timothy came to us with many special needs, including Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, which affects his cognitive abilities.  Some of that manifests in ways similar to autism and other cognitive disabilities.

The Disability Assistance Service is designed to help those who can’t stand in line for long periods of time for cognitive reasons.  Disney cannot require a doctor’s note or any sort of documentation when you request this service, but do keep in mind that it is up to the cast member’s discretion on whether or not they believe it is required.  For example, somebody with MS might be told to utilize a wheelchair or scooter, but a person with Asperger’s or Autism might be granted a DAS card with no issues. 

The DAS card allows you to go to an attraction and get a return time for later in the day.  This return time is at least the same length as the current wait time.  For example, if you go to Anna and Elsa at 11, and the wait time is 2 hours, they will have you come back at 1.  Once you have that return time, you can go and enjoy other attractions in the park, and return to the attraction with return time at ANY point after, which is different from a FastPass, which gives you an hour window.  When you return to your attraction, simply present your card, and the Cast Member will direct you to the appropriate entrance. 

The best way to utilize this service at is to alternate FastPasses and DAS card rides.  

At Disney World, we start our first FastPass at 9:30, start the second around 11:30, and the third around 1:30.  Once we arrive at the park, we immediately go to an attraction we do not have a FastPass for, and get a return time. Then we do the attractions that don’t need a FastPass until our first window.  After our first FastPass, we go to our first DAS ride.  As soon as that is finished, we go to the next attraction without a FastPass, and get a second return time on our card. Then, we go to our next FastPass attraction.  We continue to alternate through the rest of the day.  When booking your FastPasses, be sure to leave about an hour in between each one so that you can use the DAS card in between each time, and that should leave enough time to alternate the whole day. 

 Physical (Mobility) Disabilities

Meet me!

Both my daughter and I have a genetic disorder called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.  It can affect pretty much every part of your body, which can be really tough.  There are good days and bad days.  On the good days, I can do everything, including run half marathons!  On a bad day, even walking from my bedroom to the living room is painful.  

Fortunately, Disney is wonderful with mobility disorders.  Animal Kingdom was built in such a way that every single attraction can accommodate a wheelchair in every queue!  Most attractions at all the parks in Disney World and Disney can accommodate a wheelchair, but for those rides that cannot, they have an alternate entrance that your party can use.  Please keep in mind that when using an alternate entrance, sometimes the wait can be long if there are several wheelchairs.  Each ride can only accommodate a limited number of wheelchairs at a time.  

All of the shows that have seating have reserved rows for those who need to take in their wheelchair or ECV.  The whole family will be sat together, so be sure to keep your party together!  The fireworks shows and parades also have a handicapped section.  Your party whole party will be allowed to stay together here as well, but be sure to arrive early, as the areas can fill up, especially if you have a larger family. 

If you are like me, and you don't use a wheelchair in your everyday life, and need to rent one, you can do so either onsite with Disney, or you can use one of the many companies that will bring the equipment you need to your hotel door.  If you choose to rent from Disney, they do offer a multiday discount.  You will pick up your wheelchair or EVC at the park entrance, and return it there each day.  They will give you a receipt to take to the next park, where you will pick up the next one.  You will be given a courtesy wheelchair to use to get back to the parking lot, bus stop, or monorail.  

If you are cruising and you have mobility issues, there are companies that will lease a wheelchair or EVC to you for the length of your cruise.  Disney has many excursions with wheelchair accommodations for those who would like to explore.  Just like the parks, the shows have special seating for those who need it.

Food Allergies

Meet Davalyn!

Davalyn  has the same genetic disorder I do.  Hers primarily manifests itself with food allergies.  She has eight different ones.  Needless to say, that can make going out to eat or on vacation quite complicated!  However, Disney has mastered taking care of food allergies.  

All the chefs are amazing with food allergies.  Prior to your trip, you or your travel agent should contact the dining team, and let them know that you are coming.  They will give you a form to fill out that includes your dining reservations and what you are allergic to.  If there is a need, or if you have any special requests, they will have a chef from your chosen restaurants call you.  In most cases, Disney has separate kitchens for food allergies in order to protect against an anaphylactic reaction. They always have separate stations.  If they are not able to use a separate kitchen, they will let you know.  If you choose to dine at a buffet, the chefs will prepare your food in the kitchen so that you do not risk cross contamination with other foods on the buffet.  You you arrive at a restaurant, and there is nothing you can eat, or nothing looks appetizing, talk to your chef.  They will do everything they can to accommodate your needs.

Quick service is a bit trickier.  Each location has a book with all the ingredients with each item on the menu.  The location manager will come out and talk to you about your allergies and help you find something that works for you.  Now, we had a time period where our  son, Reese, was reacting to 16 different foods.  There was not much on any menu that he could eat! So the quick service locations went well far and above with us.  They took down his list of allergies, then prepared his food in a full service restaurant in the allergy kitchen.  This process is time consuming, so I recommend that you set aside a good amount of time, and that you try to eat at off times to avoid crowds.  

What to do if you have more complicated disabilities?  Disney does their best to anticipate as many needs as possible, and to have good practices in place to make the process as smooth as possible.  If you have disabilities that go beyond these standard accommodations, please reach out to guest services when you arrive, and talk to them about your needs.  They will do everything in their power to accommodate you as best they can. 

"Resorts for Everyone" - Beaches® Resorts

A Caribbean beach resort vacation sounds like a dream come true, yet for many families with children on the spectrum, it sounds like a definite impossibility.   However, it doesn't have to be!  Beaches®, award winning Luxury Included® resorts, were the first Autism-Friendly Resorts in the Caribbean.  The kids camps are certified Autism Centers and all team members have the training and skills to work with children of all ages.  Optional One-on-One Beaches Buddies are also available for familes who desire additional assistance.  Beaches® is home to many  Sesame Street® characters, including Julia who lets childen express themselves through art at Amazing Art with Julia in the Kids Camps.

Last fall, I had the opportunity to visit Beaches Negril and Beaches Ocho Rios in Jamaica.  Arriving hot and tired, I started my stay at Beaches Negril by treating myself to the chocolate treats left in my club level room before heading down to the pool where I relaxed and cooled off floating in the lazy river.  During my journey on the river, a little boy swam by and chatted with me about how much fun he was having on his vacation.

After the Lazy River, I hung out in a hammock while I waited for the exciting Sesame Street® parade to begin.

Sesame Street® friends and guests gathered in the front of the resort for a little dance party and face painting, before beginning the parade down to the beach for a giant beach party.

 I am ashamed to admit I did not take photos of the tables and tables of food available for guests to enjoy, but I did manage to take a photo of the beautiful sky backdrop to the party!  However, in regards to food, I must say that Beaches® knows how to do food right!  And if you have special dietary requirements, a Culinary Concierge Desk works directly with the chefs and restaurant managers to ensure you have a worry-free dining experience on your vacation.

As the Beach Party wasn't the only option for dinner, we made our way to The Venetian restaurant for some delicious Italian food and first class service.  I am a tiramisu snob and very picky about my tiramisu.  No worries here - it was as tasty as it looks!

While I did not have young children with me, I did find their accomodations for children smile-inducing and just kept thinking "too bad my children are too grown for this! What a fun place for a family vacation!"  Maybe some day there will be grandchildren to share it with. (hint! hint! grown children of mine! haha) 

At breakfast, I couldn't help but smile at this little guest seated at his own child sized table, having gotten food from the child sized buffet line.  The pool, is having an early morning rest, before laughing, squealing, happy guests join it shortly.

After saying goodbye, to a Sesame Street® friend at Beaches Negril, it was time to move on to a different area of Jamaica. 

Beaches® Ochos Rios was very different from Beaches® Negril, and is also a wonderful destination for a family vacation.  While my room at Beaches Negril was in a garden setting, my room at Beaches Ochos Rios walked out to the beach.  Super convenient for my snorkeling excursion and sunbathing, not to mention the gorgeous view, especially of the sunrise on the morning of my departure.  Sadly, my camera was not a fan of the humidity and would not cooperate with my attempts to capture its image.  You'll just have to go see for yourself.

Having spent the afternoon relaxing on the beach and snorkeling, we had a delicious seafood dinner.  It was pouring rain  yet we were outside under cover staying dry and enjoying the humorous banter with our server as we ate our yummy feast.  After dinner, we strolled up to the main stage area where we enjoyed a cultural taste of Jamaica with Silver Birds and their steel drums.  Afterwards, we sung karaoke - yes, even me...my deepest apologies to the others gathered for the fun!! 

The Beaches resorts, with their beautiful beaches, bright blue sea and sky, luxury service and delicious food offer the best of both worlds for ALL families....a lovely mix of family activities and opportunities for couples time while children are well cared for and entertained in the Kids Camps!

Managing expectations with Special Needs Travel

Children giggling and whispering contendedly in the backseat of the car with nary an argument.  Cherubic children sleeping peacefully in their beds - where they went without a fuss -  after a full day of sightseeing.  A day in the Magic Kingdom without a single tear, cross word, or disagreement amongst family members.   Precious ...and extended moments with Mickey Mouse.  Every family member eating everything on their plate and not a bite of wasted food.  All family members equally interested in every event and activity planned on the vacation. 

When we are planning a family vacation, perfect peace and harmony and blissful vacation memories are what we envision for ourselves.  After all, once we get away from the stress and demands of our everyday life, we are "on vacation" and expect things to run smoothly for us during our break from the real world.  And while most do not experience complete perfection and no glitches or conflict during their family vacations, the positive experiences and memories far outshadow those glitches such that the glitches fade away over time, or more likely, become a part of the family vacation legend.

Realistic expecations and proper travel planning are a vital part of a successful family vacation.  When travelling with family members with special needs, those factors are even more important.  Over the next month, we will be sharing information about travel planning for family members with special needs.  Getting away from the daily routine and challenges of caring for loved ones with special needs is both necessary...and daunting.  We share a passion to help make that happen!

When travelling, having realistic expectations of what can be accomplished can make or break the trip. Prioritizing, allowing for periods of rest, and being flexible are crucial for minimizing the glitches that threaten to interfere with our vacations.

Prioritizing:  Think of vacation plans like a cupcake.  What is the "cake" portion of your trip? What must you see? That is the foundation of your plans.  While icing, is not mandatory for a good cupcake (just ask my daughter! lol), it does make it a whole lot sweeter.  What would you like to do that would make the trip even sweeter?  And finally, as sprinkles add a little fun and magic to your cupcake, what extras would be nice to hope for if all is going well?  As you have those things in mind when travel planning, you'll be sure to get in your vacation essentials and chances are, many of the extras as well.

Allowing for periods of rest:  We all know an Energizer bunny.  Sometimes they are even in our family and they can be relentless in their efforts for us to see and do it all.  While their heart is in the right place, in actuality, the results are often detrimental and can even be catastrophic in the case of special needs travel as family members are pushed beyond their limits.    Plan for periods of rest and quiet so that all family members are at the top of their game and able to enjoy themselves and savor the moments.  Yes, you will miss some opportunities and seeing some things, but the experiences you are able to take in will be all the sweeter for it as you avoid personal limits being maxed and possible meltdowns.

Be flexible:  Even the best laid plans, can experience unexpected obstacles.  Unforeseen circumstances such as weather, noisy hotel neighbors, or personal health issues can pop up.  While they can be aggravating and disappointing, keeping a level head and just moving on to the next best thing will help get you back on track quickly to enjoy the rest of your vacation.

While travelling with special needs family members may feel overwhelming and impossible, it can (and should!!) be done!  With realistic expectations and careful planning, wonderful vacation memories are a definite possibility.

A Memorable Christmas

 Every family has their own Christmas traditions.  And if they are fortunate enough to be able to travel together, their own travel traditions.  Every family has their own Christmas memories.  And if they are fortunate enough to be able to travel together, their own travel memories.

As the year comes to a close and my family is once again blessed to spend the holidays together, I can't help but reflect on our own Christmas traditions and memories. And because this is a travel blog, aptly named "Incredible Memories", to combine such things with travel memories and traditions is a double blessing.

This post is a walk down memory lane to the Christmas my daughter got engaged...in Germany at Christmas time. A precious time of family togetherness and welcoming our wonderful son-in-law into the fold.  He was already completely enamored with our daughter, and we didn't want to scare him off with our craziness so we opted to wow him with a German Christmas and introduce him to our family style Christmas vacation!

Walking is always a part of our family vacation!  But of course we have to be well nourished to do so and as partaking of the local cuisine is another very important travel tradition, we stopped at a konditerei for some coffee and kuchen before we began our trek around the village.

We don't just walk in the day and were rewarded with this beautiful sunset on our evening walk!

Christmas in Germany just isn't Christmas if you don't visit a Christmas market.  Being overachievers, we visited not one but two.  And in that same "overachiever" vein, we also visited two countries as we  drove to Innsbruck, Austria to experience at Austrian Christmas market as well.

The Garmich Christmas market was in the evening and the lights were magical.  

On Christmas Eve, our family separated to accomodate our different interests and abilities.  And in keeping with tradition,  I took half of the children on a safe, beautiful sightseeing expedition..in this case the Zugspitze...

while my husband went off on a risky adventure with the others..in this case, skiing in the icy Alps of Austria because the snow was so bad on the German side.  In keeping with tradition, they came home with a hair raising tale, but also in keeping with tradition, they did come home safely!!

Everyone dreams of a White Christmas and we were not disappointed!!  It started snowing Christmas evening and by the next morning we woke to a Winter Wonderland!

*Notice my husband out there with them engaging in risky behavior of snowball fights while I'm safely warm indoors with my camera! lol

And speaking of my camera, I'm ALL about the photos on our vacations.  And my family is pretty good about obliging me.  A definite tradition is a "rock star" pose. 

And because its always about the memories, this photo is the one that is framed in my living room to always remind me of this trip. It captures my family perfectly!!

Christmas at Disney Part 2

(Continuation from Part 1 of Kristy's husband's post)

So, after having gained roughly 2 pounds each just from inhaling the air surrounding the gingerbread exhibits...

...we had to move on.

We had lunch reservations and tickets to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. The Christmas Party, for those unfamiliar with it, is an after-hours event inside the Magic Kingdom, available for a not quite seizure-inducing fee, should you discover you haven’t maxed out your credit yet. Lunch reservations, for those unfamiliar with them, are a kind of appointment you make at nicer restaurants to come by, have a chat with some of the staff, try out the lobby chairs, then after a while stagger away in search of food.

At least that’s what seems likely to happen when you first check in at a popular Disney restaurant. They are generally swarming whatever time you go, including four hours after closing.

Here we are waiting to enter ours.

If you are trying to plan ahead and are unsure whether the establishment you are considering qualifies as a popular Disney restaurant, there is a simple two-step test. Step 1: before you enter, check whether the building is located anywhere within 10 miles of the Walt Disney World border. Step 2: after you enter, check whether anyone is eating. If the answer to both questions is yes, it is a popular Disney restaurant.

However, as you veteran Mousekovites know, Disney usually manages to pull off the surprising, and, in our case, we were seated in less than 15 minutes. We were eating at Sanaa, a delightful, African-theme restaurant inside the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Disney bills it as “African cooking with Indian flavors.” Maybe they also have an Indian-themed diner somewhere that serves antelope burgers. I’ll let you know when I find it.

The atmosphere at Sanaa is top-notch. In a helpful example of the always-clever Disney effects department, some of the menu items actually appear outside the windows to assist in making your selections. African Chicken, for example.

If you are fortunate enough to enjoy a meal at Sanaa, you can’t really do better than to order the Indian-Style Bread Service. The bread itself is called naan. I do not know what ‘naan’ means, nor do I care. It might simply mean ‘bread,’ so that the title is redundant, like how some restaurants serve torte cake. Or it might mean something wholly unrelated to food. If I found out tomorrow, while on my way there for lunch, that naan is Swahili for “rolled out hunk of tree bark often given as a prank to Westerners overeager to part with their money,” I would still order it right after greeting the waiter.

At Sanaa, naan is a circular, flat loaf served with nine different dipping sauces, each very unique and very delicious.

                                                               

                                             

For some reason, this comes, as you can see, on a long wooden board instead of anything resembling traditional serving ware. This could simply be a continuation of the African theme, or it could be that the last joke about what naan means has more plausibility than I am comfortable exploring. So, moving on.

Lunch was our last major event before heading to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. One of the selling points of the party is the non-stop hot chocolate, hot cider, candy canes, cookies of various kinds, etc., served all over the park. While nice, this presented a dilemma for my family. At the time of our trip, we were battling several food allergies, the total list of which meant we as a group were allergic to roughly 85% of any given grocery store. This meant two things: 1) the plumbing in my house was seriously earning its keep in those days, and 2) three of us couldn’t eat a single thing served at the party.

Enter the head chef of Sanaa; a fine gentleman by the name of Eddie, pictured here.

(As a side note, the little one in the bottom of the picture is not scowling because of Eddie. He’s a big fan of Eddie’s work. I don’t remember precisely, but I think he was mad because we had cut him off after his fourth serving of Butter Chicken.)

Anyway, my blogette had gotten to know Chef Eddie a little on a previous trip, so she contacted him in advance of this one to see if he knew any chefs working in the Magic Kingdom that we could ask about special ordering allergy-friendly snacks. Eddie did us one better. He insisted on making something himself. That was surprising enough, but even more surprising was the bulging bag he brought out that contained a thermos of hot chocolate, brownies, chocolate covered strawberries, and an assortment of various other treats, all completely allergy-friendly. He made each one himself, from scratch, for not one dime, just because we had taken the time to get to know him and he wanted to make sure our time was memorable and easy. Since our trip, Eddie has moved to Jiko, an even more upscale restaurant in the same resort. Apart from his culinary skill, which is formidable, it’s clear to me why he was promoted.

[LEGAL DISCLAIMER SENSIBLE PEOPLE DO NOT NEED: We did not ask Eddie to do this and Eddie is not required to do it for you. Nor is any other Disney chef. We had simply been nice to him in the past and he chose to be nice in return. We have witnessed a surprising number of Cast Members respond with over-and-above generosity and gratitude when shown a little kindness and interest in them as people. To me, this suggests those are things they don’t get much of. END LEGAL DISCLAIMER]

Onward to the Magic Kingdom and Mickey’s Christmas Party.

So, having already donated bone marrow to purchase your park admission tickets, you now more or less agree to let the Walt Disney Company sell up to two of your non-essential organs. In exchange for this, they give each member of your party a small, green wrist band that looks a little too much like a hospital admission bracelet. This is an important item it turns out, because at some point during the early evening, the Cast Members start kicking out anyone who doesn’t have a one. Suddenly all these dedicated Disney-goers find themselves badly wishing they too looked like recently recovered medical patients.

Inside the park there are snack stations, as mentioned, each one helpfully marked by a large, inflatable bathroom scale.

Kidding. They look big peppermint sticks, like this:

Each one has a different variety of snacks and drinks, all available in unlimited quantities for nothing but the paltry entry fee we already discussed.

There are other unique aspects, too. There is the Once Upon A Christmas Time parade that you can only see during the Party. It features a lot of familiar and expected Disney faces, but also a few things you don’t often see. Clarabelle the Cow baking Christmas cookies, for example.

I am not sure why, but for some reason Disney seems to be trying to orchestrate a Clarabelle Comeback. Maybe I’m just not the visionary type, but I don’t see it happening.

There were also some very fun Christmas Dancers I did not get any good pictures of, so here’s a passable one.

Our favorite was the marching toy soldier band. They played their own music, including actual brass instruments. Give it a watch:

There were several unique floats we hadn’t seen during any other parade. And of course, the Big Guy.

There wasn’t anything wrong with my camera. It turns out Santa is actually a little out of focus in real life. It’s his age, I think. Have you ever noticed how really old photographs never look all that sharp? Apparently, it was the subjects’ fault, not the equipment.

Who knew?

Anyway, there are of course also several character meet-and-greet stations. These are always a hit with the kiddos. They are also a hit with adults who, for reasons that are absolutely, totally fine, like to join in pretending the 20-yr-old actors signing an endless stream of autograph books actually are corporeal manifestations of cartoon characters.

We met Rapunzel and Flynn. Both were very sweet and very fun. The Little Guy got tips on The Smolder.

He’ll get there.

The Castle Lighting was a sight to behold. It begins with a show on the Castle steps starring the Frozen characters. It culminates with Elsa, as the name suggests, lighting up the Castle. I will grant you that doesn’t sound terribly exciting. I get it. But bear something in mind; we are experienced, hard-bitten, grizzled Disney veterans. We are not easily impressed. We have been to Disneyland and Disney World. We have been on two Disney cruises. We have seen all the fireworks. We were at Epcot during its anniversary month, we have talked to Mickey, been the Grand Marshalls of the Festival of Fantasy Parade, I’ve been the Veteran of the Day (invited twice), we’ve been onstage at the start of the Indiana Jones show, we have Bob Iger on speed dial, etc.

The point is, we have seen it and done it, whatever it is. And yet this was an absolutely stunning light show. Truly. We were very impressed.

I have many pictures and even a video. They won’t do it justice, so instead here’s a nice shot my daughter took during the fireworks finale, which was also truly excellent. As for the rest, you’ll just have to take my word for it until you’re ready to put some of your own organs up for sale. We can’t spare anymore of ours.

Its the Most Magical Time of the Year

Its the Most Magical time of the Year

For vacations and going,

To see lights a-glowing

At Christmas marts far from here!

Its the hap-happiest season of all

A French Christmas Market with its ferris wheel so tall

Crepes and gifts galore

A magical, wintry place to explore.

Germany Christmas Market

Its the Most Magical time of the Year

For vacations and going,

To see lights a-glowing

At Christmas marts far from here!

There'll be chestnuts a-roasting,

and Mullwein for toasting.

And caroling out in the streets.

Nutcrackers, sweetmeats,

And sights of the glories of the 

Christmases long, long ago.

It the most magical time of the year

There'll be Christmas parades

With St Nicholas's aides

Such joy when he's here

Its the most magical time of the year

Its the Most Magical time of the Year

For vacations and going,

To see lights a-glowing

At Christmas marts far from here!

**with my apologies to Andy Williams