Thursday, June 18, 2009

Disneyworld? Yes, it is Magic!

With school out and summer here you may be considering taking your family to Disneyworld. Wondering "IF" you could take your ADHD or special needs child to such a crowded and fast moving place. I worried and wondered about the same thing for some time. Then I took a great big leap of faith and held my breath. Since I was about to turn blue I decided to breath.... and yes, I kept taking long calming breaths until I found my two feet planted in the world of Disney. I was traveling alone with my 4 year old wild child for out first trip to the world. This past april my son and I have completed our 6th trip together. Trust me you can do this!

~Fear of characters you say? Yes, my child too. The Easter Bunny was never a good thing at Easter Brunch.
~Fear of loud noises. Oh boy and Oh yes! We have never seen fireworks or made it past the first 60 seconds without screaming and running for shelter.
~Fear of large crowds, lots of commotion, to excited to have good behavior at a party. YES, YES and YES! This was my child.

Then one day, actually it was Christmas time. I, against my better judgement, boarded a airplane with my son to go to Disneyworld. Mind you this was with a 4 year old who could out run me! Out run me he did right to the first character he saw! Pinocchio! I was in a state of shock.

YES, YOU CAN! Do I sound like I am campaigning for Obama? Well, I am an advocate for children facing challenges and believe me you can do it! What many people do not know is that if your child has challenges such as ADHD, Autism or be it some other challenge physically limiting or mentally, you may receive accomodations at Disneyworld. Once you enter the parks you must visit their guest services office located at the front of each park. In this office you would speak with a "CM" letting them know your childs challenges. They will at their discretion give you a pass or handicap placard (for a stroller for example) which will give you accomdations for your child.

My son and I have visited Disneyworld twice a year now since he was 4 years old. This year we went at spring break which is the busiest time of year. I am a single mother and if I can do this alone so can you! Disneyworld is my son's favorite thing in the whole world. He is already counting down our next vacation there (Christmas 2009). Let me tell you, talk about being able to re-enforce positive behavior. When he misbehaves I remind him that Disneyworld is his reward for good behavior all year long! It works!

My favorite spot for information about everything Disney:
DISboards.com - Disney World Discussion Forums
If you take a trip to the "World" please come back and let us know how it went! Also please do not attempt to go to Disney World without a plan. I suggest reading one of these books to help you prepare for your trip.




I hope your family can find the magic too! We LOVE Disneyworld!