Summer Vacation- Day Five

Day Five- Disneyland!
We heard that Disney accommodates those with special needs- which was a major influence in taking this trip.

People with autism become impatient and don't like to have their personal space invaded. Disneyland does recognize autism and understands that these kids need a little special treatment so they can enjoy the park, also. We had long heard about the Guest Assistance Card that Disney would issue.

When I called Disneyland it seemed like getting the Guest Assistance Card would be kind of a pain. We wanted to get on rides as early as possible to avoid lines, etc. The woman at Guest Services suggested renting a wheel chair, and seemed to understand the needs of an autistic child to not be crowded, and he's a bit big for a stroller. Chad and I decided we would rent the wheelchair (and then Chad wouldn't have to carry Xander everywhere- because he doesn't like to walk) and if we had problems with the lines we would go to get the Guest Assistance Card later in the day.

We never needed the card! There are special queues for Wheel Chairs with smaller wait times. Our son was treated so well and had a blast! It was also cool because at some of the queues we saw some other kids with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), which was comforting. So often we aren't able to do the things that "typical" families can do, and this is a rare instance where we are honored and needs are recognized.

Xander couldn't stand "It's a Small World," and I don't blame him. It's long and slow. He doesn't care about the story driven rides at all- Xander loved Space Mountain and Thunder Mountain, and any ride that was FAST! We actually rode Space Mountain twice the first day. We're going to have to take this kid to Six Flags or somewhere with big coasters in a few years. He loved the Churro's!

We had a great time but didn't overdo it. We averaged 3 rides an hour and were back to the hotel swimming by 3pm. We had dinner delivered= pizza, salad and spaghetti from a local pizza place. We finished Running with Scissors, which was very good and makes me want to check out more of Augusten Burrough's writing. He had a very interesting childhood, with an author mother who was obsessed with Psychiatry and gave her shrink custody of him. The acting was absolutely incredible.