Disney, Autism, GAC.....Oh my!

My friend Elizabeth Kaplar (and fellow disney fanatic) wrote this terrific article for me, to help you!  She's awesome!

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 Traveling anywhere with a special needs child, especially Disney, and especially with 3 special needs children (all on the spectrum) can seem nearly impossible.....

But Disney has become our "home" away from home. Being the parent of three special needs children, for me, Disney has almost become my lifeline. It's a place where we get to go and....Just....Be. We get to forget about schools and IEPS, therapies, extra-curricular activities, doctors, work.....Just the craziness that life tends to throw our way on a day to day basis.

Back in 2004, we took our "once in a lifetime" trip. I was the only one, at that point, who had ever been to WDW. But, once we finished that trip in 2004, we, as a family, were hooked! We've returned every 12-18 months since then. And in January 2012 we took another one of those "once in a lifetime" trips: A 7 night Eastern Caribbean Cruise on Disney Cruise Line. That trip was nothing short of amazing! Oh......And we've rebooked another cruise since. We'll be sailing DCL for our second time in March 2013.

As amazing as these trips are, they don't come without some extra help and pixie dust. The extra help comes in the form of a GAC (Guest Assistance Card). Due to my boys' disability, it makes it difficult for them in certain situations, such as standing in large, loud crowds. You are probably thinking....Well, then WHAT on earth are you thinking when planning a WDW trip? It's full of large AND loud crowds of people. This is where the GAC comes in to play. It allows the special needs child, and up to 5 family members to use an alternate entrance to the rides. This minimizes standing in the lines with 100's of people that can cause them to become so over stimulated, and then cause a meltdown. One of my boys cannot handle going in the room with the "moving walls" before boarding our doom-buggy at Haunted Mansion, however, he LOVES the ride itself. With the aide of the GAC, we are able to bypass the room, and walk through some "secret walls", as my boys call them. It doesn't necessarily get us on the ride faster, but it does help make a smoother transition for us to board and enjoy the ride as others do. A GAC can also allow you to use a stroller as a wheelchair. So if your child is not able to stand in line, or in our case, the stroller can help our child avoid some of the extra sensory overload (he can sit in the stroller, and cover his head with a small blanket) to help 'escape' his overwhelming surroundings, and allow him to regroup. Basically, any extra assistance that you feel would benefit your child, and make the day more enjoyable, not only for your child, but those around him/her.....Make sure to mention to the Cast Member assisting you in getting the proper GAC.

People often think that, in order to get a GAC, one must get a note from their doctor, or bring a copy of their child's IEP to WDW. This is just not the case. On your day of arrival, at your first park.....Go to Guest Services. Bring your child with you (the person requiring the GAC must be present). Explain to the Cast Member your child's needs, how many people are in your party, and how long your visit to the World is. You only have to do this once during your stay. The GAC will be dated for your specific visit, and will be good in all 4 parks.

Now, for the pixie dust.....I'm not sure how true this is, but I've been told that Disney Cast Members have been trained to identify autism. Like I said, I'm not 100% sure this is true, but I wouldn't be surprised. The CM's have always been wonderful with my boys. I truly believe they are able to distinguish autism. We've had many CM's approach us throughout the years, and just happen to sprinkle a bit of pixie dust our way. It could be something simple, from just talking to our family and making my kids feel special, to them receiving some kind of special token....Just because. There was this one specific CM who stopped to talk to my husband and middle child (age 10 at the time). She was carrying on a conversation with them as they were waiting to board Space Mountain. Nothing big, just "How has your day been? Are you enjoying the park? Have you seen Mickey yet today?" Then as they were getting off the Space Mountain, the same CM approached them again to see how Jeremy, our son, enjoyed his ride. He said he liked it. The CM then asked my husband if she could get her "New Space Ranger friend a slushie from a nearby kiosk. My husband told her that was fine. They ordered the slushie, and while waiting for the slushie to be made, the CM asked my husband if she could ask a personal question. My husband told her "Sure". She then asked "Does Jeremy have autism?" He said yes. At that point the drink came up. She handed the drink to my husband to give to Jeremy. And as she did, she said "I understand how challenging living with autism can be, I hope this slushie makes his day at the Magic Kingdom just a little more special. Have a magical day"....And then she was off......

This is a very common theme while at Disney for our family. We don't expect this extra pixie dust....But when it comes our way, it just makes it all the more special for our entire family.

While cruising, we found the same level of care....Actually a bit higher, if you can imagine that! On our fist day on the ship, we went to the Kids' Clubs so we could meet the staff and introduce them to our boys, and to see if the Clubs were even an option for them. The CM we spoke to had two questions for us (one being that the boys had to toilet independently, which they do)...After getting that out of the way, the CM asked "What can we do to make this the most memorable vacation ever for you and your family?" They were amazing with our boys! And even though we cruised almost 5 months ago, our boys still talk about it as if we just got off the ship yesterday.

When all is said and done, I think the biggest thing I would say to other special needs family is: Don't think a vacation to Disney (World, Land, or Cruise) is impossible. We once thought it was too, and wow would we be missing out! And one other thing.....Don't be afraid to ask for a GAC if you have a child with special needs.