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Thread: Aspergers and Disneyland... Trip planning with my 11 yr old son.

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    Registered User Jaxgang5's Avatar
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    Aspergers and Disneyland... Trip planning with my 11 yr old son.

    We are planning a trip to DL/DCA this summer. While it is an exciting adventure for the majority of my family, my 11 yr old son who has high functioning Aspergers will have a tough time with the line waits, standing for long periods of time and heat. I know I could of planned to go at a slower and cooler time of year, but my family is totally together only in the summer. I have seen where DL has these GAC cards, what current requirements and or documentation will I need to provide?


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    It was a good day! Malcon10t's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jaxgang5 View Post
    We are planning a trip to DL/DCA this summer. While it is an exciting adventure for the majority of my family, my 11 yr old son who has high functioning Aspergers will have a tough time with the line waits, standing for long periods of time and heat. I know I could of planned to go at a slower and cooler time of year, but my family is totally together only in the summer. I have seen where DL has these GAC cards, what current requirements and or documentation will I need to provide?
    My daughter is Aspie. Disneyland has Guest Assistance Cards. Basically, you will speak to with a Guest Relations person in City Hall. If he has problems with standing for long periods of time, they will recommend a wheel chair. If he has problems with line waits, they will explain how to use Fastpass. If he has a problem waiting in crowds, they could offer him an alternative entrance. With this, you inter through the handicap entrance. This line is considerably less crowded, but often is considerably longer than the standard queue. The GAC is not meant as a front of the line pass, but simply to offer access for the person. Often, on rides like Space Mountain, you will wait the same or longer, but in a less crowded area. For my daughter, we usually use the standard queue. (My other daughter has a hearing dog, so when she is with us, we have to use the HA entrance.)

    When she was your son's age, we used social stories to work on what to expect and how to respond to things. We still work on her triggers while at Disneyland. For us, Disneyland offered the perfect set up of rewards for learning experiences. Some of the stories we would work on were lines and why lines were fair. It is amazing how aspergers kids have a good sense of what is fair. Depending on what areas your son has difficulty with, suggestions for social stories I would include would be lines and why they are fair, crowds and why there are crowds at Disneyland, why we can get lost and what to do if lost, how people may bump you but it isn't to hurt you, etc.... Social stories are very helpful with Aspergers.

    Believe it or not, even at 22, we still use social stories with my daughter. Simple things like a change in the ART bus number can throw her off. We tend to stay in the same hotels for our trips, and I try to get the same room, as it tends to help her (and us... "This isn't our normal room, why couldn't they give us our room...") Social stories have been so much help for us. And we still use them. She is finishing college and will have her BA in Animal Science. We even use them for things like how to deal with college roommates, and professors.
    Planning 3 trips at once...

  4. #3

    My 13 year old autistic son has been going to DL since he was 4. I was told while it isn't legally required, the do appreciate the IEP I bring from school as documentation that he IS autistic. They ask what difficulties he will have (standing in long lines, swinging his arms around & hitting everyone around him, freaking out from being in close proximity to others). I'd assume they'd be concerned about how he is going to affect other people in line. You need to have your child with you when you go in to City Hall (I made the mistake of leaving him outside the first time & had to go get him). Of course, standing in THAT line was torture! lol. You'll usually go through Fast Pass entrances or the exit (look for the wheelchair sign). I always save the pass & take it to City hall the next time we go to DL. They once told me that Nick may have a hard time in life, but he's not going to have a hard time at Disneyland. Hope that helps!


  5. #4

    I teach Special Ed and one of my students is Aspie. ( I have a number of Aspie and Autistic students). When they go to Disneyland he has a hard time with the fireworks. It's the sound that bothers him. They have found that going into the Candy Store over by Winnie the Pooh and hang out there until the fireworks are over.helps tremendously. It's the furthest away and the inside helps muffle the noise. Something to think about if your son has problems with loud noises. Also, Malcon is right. I'm a firm believer in social stories.

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    Registered User Jaxgang5's Avatar
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    Thank you for your responses. While he is high functioning, there are moments where his stamina for standing just breaks down. So, a wheelchair is not necessary, however we do have a very small portable chair that folds into a small wallet sized purse we hopefully will be able to use while in lines with out incident. We do alot of role play with him, because for those that know, social skills and communication are not the same as a non aspie. We definately have a game plan as to how are days are going to be played out. Thank you for the info on those cards and the IEP to bring. If anyone else has anymore helpful hints while at the park, like shaded places to rest, etc., please let me know. All info is welcome.


  7. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Jaxgang5 View Post
    Thank you for your responses. While he is high functioning, there are moments where his stamina for standing just breaks down. So, a wheelchair is not necessary, however we do have a very small portable chair that folds into a small wallet sized purse we hopefully will be able to use while in lines with out incident. We do alot of role play with him, because for those that know, social skills and communication are not the same as a non aspie. We definately have a game plan as to how are days are going to be played out. Thank you for the info on those cards and the IEP to bring. If anyone else has anymore helpful hints while at the park, like shaded places to rest, etc., please let me know. All info is welcome.
    Innoventions (Tomorrowland) is a great place to hang out. Lots of techy stuff to do, video games, science-related stuff. Our son loves it! You probably won't have a long enough wait time in lines to warrant bringing a chair. I think the longest we've ever waited (even in peak times) is maybe 15 minutes....and you're walking. talking, looking the whole time so it goes fast. We also got a lanyard & trading pins. It requires Nick to be social and ask to see the pins on Cast Members, ask them to trade, gets him interested in looking at pins on other people in line. He likes taking pix or video on the iPhone while in line too.

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    It was a good day! Malcon10t's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jaxgang5 View Post
    We do alot of role play with him, because for those that know, social skills and communication are not the same as a non aspie.
    Oh, yes, we do know! While you do a lot of role playing with him, you might also discuss how to do social stories with whomever works with him at school. Social stories work so much better than role playing for Aspies. It would not be hard to write a few (note, when we write social stories, the Aspie actually needs to be the one writing and creating the pictures) with regards to things that happen.

    What does he like to do? Does he like the train? Do loud noises bother him? Things many don't think about or take for granted are the gunshots on Jungle Cruise. An Aspie with noise issues can really come unglued and it can last a while. If noises are an issue, don't head towards Tomorrowland during fireworks as it can be quite loud there also. If he has major issues with crowds, I would really work at avoiding Adventureland as a walkway. What about getting lost? At 11, Disneyland doesn't always hang onto them in the baby center. What we do (with nieces and nephews) is write our phone number (including area code) on the upper park of their arm, where their tee shirt covers. Putting a note in their pocket can get lost. Rarely do they lose their arms! Then when lost, they can show the number to someone to call you. If he knows your phone number, make sure he knows the area code also. We've helped with a lost child who did know her phone number, but not the area code. She was lost a lot longer than she needed to be.

    Also, if you have a meal planned at Goofy's, while you wait, there is a cartoon room to keep them occupied. And Main St has the cartoons where it is cool and there is something to watch. Sometimes when we just need a few minutes down time, we ride a few laps on the train. It's a ride, it's moving, it is usually cooler than walking, adn you can take a break.
    Planning 3 trips at once...

  9. #8
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    One method my DH always used with my DD when she was younger was Disney trivia. He had a pack of cards with questions on them and would pull them out during the longer waits. On the times when he forgot to bring them, he would make up his own Disney trivia questions. Keeping her brain working on something helped pass the time for her. Also, for the fireworks, we always had earplugs for her (or sometimes even full earphones). She is extremely high functioning but does stuggle with social situations still. But having basically grown up at DLR, LOL, that is one of her comfort places now (to the point that at 13, I will let her and her BFF go off and do things on their own).
    I hope everything goes well and your DS enjoys the trip!!

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  10. #9

    My daughter doesn't have aspergers so her issues are different, but I'll never forget her first trip to DL. She was seven and I started with the Storybook boats. She cried and screamed so hard I had people staring at me and snot was running down her face. She was scared of going into the whale. I talked to her about it, I bribed her and I finally convinced her to go. She still cried in line though not quite as bad. After the ride she jumped up and down with joy screaming how much she loved it and wanted to do it again. Then the next ride and the same reactions.

    I brought her there to have fun, yet she was terrified of each new ride until she went on it and then loved it. It is such a delicate balance making her scared and going through that and then the joy she gets afterward.

    She is now fifteen and we are going in a couple weeks. She is still terrified of some of the rides and I still need to strike that balance of getting her to go on vs. just letting her enjoy what she already loves. At least she now enjoys most of them so it isn't so hard anymore. Tower of Terror she has done, but it scares her and she doesn't want to do it again. The Haunted Mansions terrifies her, so does the Matterhorn.

    I point all this out just to say, have patience and remember sometimes pushing is a good thing because in the end they like it, but you need to know or guess at the boundary and not push too much. You don't need to do everything; he might have fun at what you consider odd things. Don't let that frustrate you or feel like he is missing out. If he is having fun, that was the point of the trip.


  11. #10

    Sorry if that was obvious stuff. I had to learn it.


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    It was a good day! Malcon10t's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bolivar View Post
    Sorry if that was obvious stuff. I had to learn it.
    Its not, it is stuff we all have to learn. My daughter had/has similar issues. Until she was 15, you would have thought I was a horrible, cruel mother. And I didn't even MAKE her ride, she was allowed to step through the ride and wait at the exit. When she was about 15 (it was the year ToT opened) I left her at the park with her brother, and with the promise of a Jamba Juice and $5, he got her on ToT... (Well, he dragged her on, literally..) He had called older brother, who explained how HE got her on Splash Mountain the year before, and little brother used it to get her close enough to ToT to drag her on, and she LOVED it.

    And while she is 22, adn soon to be graduating college, I love these conversations:

    MDM: We are going to take bus 8, its here now.
    Youngest: But bus 7 goes to our hotel.
    MDM: Its ok, bus 8 goes to the hotel next door, and we can walk to ours.
    Youngest: Are you sure bus 8 is ok?
    MDM: Yes, and bus 8 will be faster.
    Youngest: But the signs say to go to the RIM, to take bus 7.
    MDM: Yes, but bus 8 goes to the La Quinta next door, remember, dad rode it...
    Youngest: But what if it doesn't...
    MDM: JUST GET ON THE BUS......


    MDM has learned a lot from having her sister, and can use a lot of it in her own classroom now!!
    Planning 3 trips at once...

  13. #12

    Graduating college, wow. I just learned at her IEP this week that she likely won't graduate high school. She is only in eighth grade now, so who knows, but algebra is a requirement to graduate and they don't think she will be able to do that. For the special ed kids they spend a year preparing them and then they do the one year algebra class in two years, but still it isn't likely.


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    Registered User ALB2277's Avatar
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    never under estimate any one i was told i would never graduate high school becouse of my problems witch affect my writen skills (as most have seen in my posts) but i did and i graduated with houners and now have a doctite in tholigy.


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    It was a good day! Malcon10t's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bolivar View Post
    Graduating college, wow. I just learned at her IEP this week that she likely won't graduate high school. She is only in eighth grade now, so who knows, but algebra is a requirement to graduate and they don't think she will be able to do that. For the special ed kids they spend a year preparing them and then they do the one year algebra class in two years, but still it isn't likely.
    Aspergers is a high functioning form of autism, meaning some geniuses have it, as well as some without as high IQs. It took her 2 years to do 1 year of algebra. It took her 3 years to do 2 years of community college. It takes her longer, but she strives to make it. We never told her she had Aspergers until she was at Jr college. I felt she might have used it as a crutch. I kept her mainstreamed, but did find ways of getting her what she needed. I never let anyone tell her she couldn't do something, because if she wanted it bad enough, I knew she would find a way. Her IQ is on the lower end of normal, but it is normal. While she is 22, she operates at about a 17-18yo level. Every child is different, and I never underestimated any of mine. I know it has frustrated MDM at times, because I held her to a higher standard. She is gifted, academically. I expected As in most classes (math was an exception), whereas with Youngest, I was very happy with Cs and Bs were celebrated. High school graduation was expected. Jr college was also expected. 4 year degrees were hoped for. I don't approve of a school telling a parent "Don't expect her to graduate." She may have a rougher time, it may take a lot more work for her, but it can be done. I still recall the principal of my daughter's high school calling me her sophomore summer, to excitedly tell me she passed the CA HS Exit exam. He was just as excited as we were over this accomplishment. Your daughter may not graduate high school, but instead of accepting that, why not expect her to graduate, but may have to take an extra year. Don't let anyone tell her she can't.

    BTW - In 1st grade, they wanted to retain her. In 3rd grade, they wanted to pull her out of mainstream classes (she did get pulled out for reading resource and speech.) In 6th grade, they felt she wouldn't complete high school. I looked into homeschooling her for middle school, and ended up finding a charter school, where she excelled. She then went on to a high school that was quite small (only 100 in her graduating class) where she was accepted as she was and she received a lot of individual attention. It was a different high school, where every child was expected to apply to colleges and apply for scholarships. It did prepare her for moving into community college, which then prepped her for the CSU she is in now.

    Many here know her and can say while she is quirky, she is moving into being a pretty good young adult.
    Last edited by Malcon10t; 03-30-2012 at 02:33 PM.
    Planning 3 trips at once...

  16. #15

    Disney does an awesome job with children who need GAC cards. No documentation is needed. Just go into Guest Relations and explain the situation and the cast member will issue the GAC card for your entire stay!!


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    Quote Originally Posted by Malcon10t View Post
    When she was your son's age, we used social stories to work on what to expect and how to respond to things. We still work on her triggers while at Disneyland. For us, Disneyland offered the perfect set up of rewards for learning experiences. Some of the stories we would work on were lines and why lines were fair. It is amazing how aspergers kids have a good sense of what is fair. Depending on what areas your son has difficulty with, suggestions for social stories I would include would be lines and why they are fair, crowds and why there are crowds at Disneyland, why we can get lost and what to do if lost, how people may bump you but it isn't to hurt you, etc.... Social stories are very helpful with Aspergers.

    Believe it or not, even at 22, we still use social stories with my daughter. Simple things like a change in the ART bus number can throw her off. We tend to stay in the same hotels for our trips, and I try to get the same room, as it tends to help her (and us... "This isn't our normal room, why couldn't they give us our room...") Social stories have been so much help for us. And we still use them. She is finishing college and will have her BA in Animal Science. We even use them for things like how to deal with college roommates, and professors.
    WOW - your daughter and mine sound quite a bit alike! (my DD is 18) If you happen to be in the parks when we go in Dec., let me know - I think it'd be interesting to meet!

    I also want to add a bit more about our experience.

    My DD is an aspie. One of her major triggers when younger was crowds. It still gets to her from time to time, but believe it or not, we used Disney to help her learn coping skills through the years. To make a very long story short, at around age 10 she started to notice that she had a hard time with things other people found easy. That really frustrated her because she has a lot of big goals. I had her write down a list of things she wished she could 'get over' - at the top of her list was overstimulation in crowds. Since she's such a Disney fan (movies, park, TV network, etc.), I told her that going to Disney was going to be her 'homework'...that we'd go to help teach her how to 'maintain' when people were around.

    We practiced before going. We used lots of 'what if' scenarios and went to crowded malls. We came up with key words and phrases for her to use when she was feeling overstimulated that were practiced over and over. We viewed maps and I showed her where all of the quiet areas in the park might be. We scheduled times of day where we'd either go to the hotel or go to a quiet place. She looked at pictures of cast members in every area of the park so she would know who the safe people were if she were to get lost.

    Basically we took the mystery out of the trip.

    Sure, she had hard moments, but she recovered quickly. This was, in part, BECAUSE of the Aspergers. She's a stickler for rules, and loves to learn. We used both of those things to pre-plan so that we could have a more successful trip. Heck, she even managed a Thanksgiving at DLR one year!

    Hope this helps!

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    Registered User Jaxgang5's Avatar
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    "We practiced before going. We used lots of 'what if' scenarios and went to crowded malls. We came up with key words and phrases for her to use when she was feeling overstimulated that were practiced over and over. We viewed maps and I showed her where all of the quiet areas in the park might be. We scheduled times of day where we'd either go to the hotel or go to a quiet place. She looked at pictures of cast members in every area of the park so she would know who the safe people were if she were to get lost.

    Basically we took the mystery out of the trip."

    This is exactly what we are currently in the process of doing right now. Instead of writing stories down, we verbalize our stories/role play. The dexterity in my sons hands make writing very frusturating, typing on a key board works much better for him. This is not our first trip to DL with him. We went when he was 5, before we knew about Aspergers. So thankfully, he remembers bits and pieces of the noise, the crowds, the heat and the long waits. The fireworks don't bother him anymore because he knows what to expect. The crowds, the lines and the heat are my main concerns. The people he has been working with for the last four years have been absolutely AMAZING for him, and he has come so very far. And, so have we as far as knowing his triggers and mannerisms. He is learning to regain his own self control, but he does need coaching from time to time. He has learned alot about himself, which is just fantastic. That was the reason for the question about quiet places within the park. Some where cooler, quieter and less crowded that we could name his 'Safe' zone when he needs a moment to regather while in DL/DCA. Some where perhaps not seen on the maps. Innovations will be AWESOME for him, right up his alley.


  19. #18

    Although not really cooler, I think Tom Sawyer Island is a quieter and less crowded area to visit. It's a fun place to explore too. The area behind Big Thunder is pretty quiet too. It seems like most people get to Frontierland though the main entrance. The walk from Fantasyland to Frontierland along the back of the mountain is nice, shaded, and less traveled. There are also benches placed along the way where you could rest.


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    Quote Originally Posted by Jaxgang5 View Post
    That was the reason for the question about quiet places within the park. Some where cooler, quieter and less crowded that we could name his 'Safe' zone when he needs a moment to regather while in DL/DCA. Some where perhaps not seen on the maps. Innovations will be AWESOME for him, right up his alley.
    Here are some of our safe/quiet zones:

    DISNEYLAND:
    • Court of Angels (NOS)
    • First Aid (Available in both parks)
    • Innoventions (TL)
    • Monorail Platform (TL - only during certain parts of the day)
    • Railings Between TL and FL (Across from Matterhorn)
    • Platform Across from IASW (FL)
    • Pirates Lair



    DCA:
    With all of the changes in the park, I'm not sure about this one. Hopefully someone else will jump in.


    Regardless which park we happen to be visiting, the most important thing for my daughter is to have some way of letting me know if she's getting overwhelmed. Since she didn't always verbalize her stress at first, I started to learn to recognize her growing stress and would suggest one of our quiet spots.

  21. #20
    It was a good day! Malcon10t's Avatar
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    For us, in DCA, Animation building works well. He would probably enjoy watching the Zoetrope.

    And writing on a keyboard for social stories is great. I have a son who is dysgraphic. He used a computer in the classroom from 3rd grade on. (We had to disable spell check cause he figured out how to use it during spelling tests...) Part of his IEP was he had a laptop. Has he been tested for dysgraphia? Although dysgraphia is usually a brain issue and not a dexterity issue.

    There are benches back by the baby center/first aid station we will use for quiet time. Court of Angels is also a great place to just relax, but there are more and more people back there now.

    One thing we watch is making sure the kids have enough protein. Nothing creates more stress in our trips than not enough protein. We have learned to watch my older daughter, and if her mood starts to swing, even an order of kids chicken nuggets will work to hold her over.

    Planning 3 trips at once...

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    I agree - Animation building works well. For my DD, it's more about being able to draw than anything else. She REALLY wants to be an animator for Disney, so this is her favorite attraction in the whole park. It doesn't matter that she can draw all of the characters with her eyes closed. It's more about talking to people who actually DO draw for the company. She's 18 and finishing her first year @ the Jr. College, so we'll see if the dream sticks through the many layers of education needed.

    I thought of a few other quiet spots:

    - If you walk through Hollywood backlot, there's an area way to the back near where the bathrooms are near Aladin. I don't know if this is still relatively empty, but it used to be.
    - The trails around the Redwood Challenge
    - The building stoops between GRR and the Pacific Wharf area

    I also wanted to add something about the school telling you your child wouldn't graduate HS. We had a HUGE issue with that sort of thinking with DD. We worked within the system for as long as we could, but she started living 'down' to that expectation. I decided to take a controversial step and homeschool her. It isn't for everyone, but for DD, it worked like a miracle. She was more social when we left the house, more successful when she did her lessons, and far more confident overall. We took 3 years to do algebra and were able to let her hyper-focus on topics she was passionate about (including animation). The transition to college was seamless and very successful. For our family, this worked. As other posters have mentioned, though, every aspie child is unique. My point in sharing what worked for us is to let you know that it's okay to look at your child's strengths/weaknesses and do what you think is right for his particular situation. Whether it's fighting for his rights within the system or bucking it entirely is up to you :-)


  23. #22
    Registered User Jaxgang5's Avatar
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    Thank you!! Thank you!! Thank you for the wonderful tips on those places.

    Just Keep Swimming, Just Keep Swimming.......

  24. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by Jaxgang5 View Post
    If anyone else has anymore helpful hints while at the park, like shaded places to rest, etc., please let me know. All info is welcome.
    If you want a shaded place to rest make sure you aren't in DCA in the afternoon. When we went last time I was PG and we were in DCA in the middle of the day. It was a VERY warm day and I couldn't get cool because there just aren't the trees like in DL. I was miserable! We went back to DL in the evening and wished so bad that we had reversed our plan.

  25. #24
    Quote Originally Posted by Bolivar View Post
    My daughter doesn't have aspergers so her issues are different, but I'll never forget her first trip to DL. She was seven and I started with the Storybook boats. She cried and screamed so hard I had people staring at me and snot was running down her face. She was scared of going into the whale. I talked to her about it, I bribed her and I finally convinced her to go. She still cried in line though not quite as bad. After the ride she jumped up and down with joy screaming how much she loved it and wanted to do it again. Then the next ride and the same reactions.

    I brought her there to have fun, yet she was terrified of each new ride until she went on it and then loved it. It is such a delicate balance making her scared and going through that and then the joy she gets afterward.
    When my DS was younger he was scared to go on Space. I wanted him to try it before he absolutely said no becuase that had happened with other rides and once he rode it he liked it. But this time he wasn't making a scene but he was holding onto my arm in line and saying he didn't want to go on it. We got seated and he was still holding my arm with his face buried in my arm. The CM asked him if he wanted to go on it and he shook his head no. They took the train off the track and made everyone get off and wouldn't let him ride. I wasn't happy. I felt it was my choice as his parent. He wasn't in danger and I know his personality, not them. It kinda ruined the rest of the trip because he realized that he could just throw a fit and not have to ride it .

  26. #25
    Registered User dban3's Avatar
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    I love this thread. My great nephew is autistic, not to the point where he is unable to enjoy outside public activities but enough to where it severely impacts his participation in them. But he loves going to Disneyland. The idea of him going into a simplest of Fantasyland dark rides, Pinocchio, Snow White, Alice has proven out of the question, reducing him to heart-breaking tears but he is perfectly content to sit on a nearby bench with adult supervision while his sisters, brother, and parents enjoy their rides. Fireworks, Fantasmic, anything else with loud noises are equally out of the question. So what is Disneyland for him? Where is his fun, his opportunity to experience the magic? Strangely enough, it starts with the little rides of A Bug's Land in DCA and the Gadget Go-Coaster in ToonTown. These small harmless little rides are his Disneyland. Give him a chance to take a spin on Flik's Fliers or Heimlich the Train and he is all smiles and perfectly content to let others enjoy their fun.

    That's why it angers me to a certain point when people say to get rid of A Bug's Land because the simple off the shelf rides aren't really up to Disney-like standards. What those people are really saying is "I have no interest in those rides, take them out and put in something I might want to go on". Well listen up. There is a percentage of people, people of special needs and challenges where the simple rides of A Bug's Land are just fine just as they are. Disneyland park development shouldn't be left up to those with the loudest voices and deepest pockets. Sometimes people with no voices at all have just as much at stake.

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