Just have to tell everyone!

[Twinkletoes77705]

I have been alot of places (ammusement parks) I was VERY worried about taking my 15 year old (blind, autistic, and amputee) to Disney World in 2008, due to long waits and everything. needless to say, you guys helped me out SO much that we are now going back this up coming January. the info I was given was VERY accurate and right on target. I actualy felt like we were treated like special guest. I am sure alot of you with autistic kids understand that our days are sometimes cut VERY short. However we were able to do EVERYTHING and somethings up to 5 times. My son has alked about Disney World EVERYDAY from the second he got home. his teachers wanted to shoot me for taking him because he NEVER stops talking about Tower of Terror and Rocking Rollercoaster (3....2....1....GO!) Now they want to strangle me because it is a new year and all he talkes about is "I cant wait to go after Christmas" I know we all say how magical Disney World is for us...how it just takes all our cares and concernes away. But coming from a mother that just wanted her child to talk and exspress feelings...taking him to Disney World really brought something out in him I had NEVER seen before...he would tell me "i want to go see ToT" and "lets do the 3....2.....1....GO!" I just had to share. I am sooo excited we are getting to go back. It means more to me than alot of people know. yet I do know alot of you know and feel my joy. I just wish all parents could see what I saw (the change in my son) thank you all again for helping him have such a magical exsp. and I am sure yall will have even more questions about our upcoming trip! YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!@!!!!!!!!!!!! :thumbsup:

[cajunprincess]

I am sooooooo excited for you and your family. Disney does have a way of making magic in ways you never though possible. I hope that you have a trip that was just as magical as your first.


3...2...1....GO!!!!!

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

I am so glad to hear how much he loved his trip.

Disney is simply magical sometimes, isn't it?

[Briansmom]

I completely understand! It just fills your heart up, doesn't it? You see the changes and the absolute joy your child is experiencing...it's pure magic. We took our DS11 for the first time in May 2008(autism, developmental delays and sensory integration) and I was completely worried as you were. I shouldn't have been....it was love at first site and has been ever since. There isn't a day that goes by that he doesnt say something about 'Ditty Our World' or Mickey or Goofy or Donald (his fave!) He's talking about Mickey Mouse-Big Hug right now as I type this! We were able to work it out to go back again this past May, and it was so cool that this time he knew what we were talking about when we would tell him we were going to Disney World. He was as excited as we were this time! And since all of you on these boards love WDW so much, you can understand how cool it is when someone you love experiences WDW the first time and ends up being totally in love with it just like you are. And it's extra cool when your special child 'gets' it!

And the 3.....2.....1....Go. That is too funny BECAUSE the first time we went on RNRC, when we had ridden it and it came to the end where it stops the first time before it goes into where you get off....our son (who I was scared to death about him riding this ride) yells out the 3.....2.....1....GO!!! That is one of our fave stories to tell!
Twinkletoes...you keep on gushing about it....I'll keep listening! And I am sure the great folks on Intercot will too. Congrats on getting to go again this year! We haven't planned our next trip yet, but by golly, don't you worry...we will be going back! I am so happy for you!:mickey:

[TheVBs]

That is so beautiful! :mickey: We have been through some different challenges, but I understand exactly what you mean about just wanting your child to open up and communicate and how a Disney vacation has helped that happen. It's so wonderful to hear!

[g8rgirl29]

Thanks for sharing your story!! It brought tears to my eyes!! The Magic of Disney never ceases to amaze me!! I hope your upcoming trip is just as magical!!!

[ransam]

awesome post.

[2 princes and a princess]

What a great post. I totally understand how you feel. I have three children on the spectrum (DS 6, Asperger's, ADHD, Sensory Integration Dysfunction; DS 4, Autism, SID, ADHD, Epilepsy; and DD 3, High functioning Autism and SID), and the ONE thing that makes them completely happy is WDW. They talk about it every day, and we will have the pleasure of going back in February. It's amazing just how MAGICAL that place really is. We watch the vacation planning DVD every day and it just brings tears to my eyes to see their excitement.:mickey:
I hope that you have a great trip and I look forward to your next post.

[Twinkletoes77705]

Wow...thanks for all the AWESOME replys. I never thought of watching the dvd everyday. I am going to do that...well at least once a month. Also I can agree Briansmom about him having a part of the planning this time. Now he actually knows what we are talking about when we start asking what park everyone wants to go to first he says " I really like the ToT and RnRC" that is his way of telling me he wants to go to Disney Studios first. He is so excited. When I tell people he talkes about it EVERY day. I dont think they realize there is NO exaduration in that. I mean EVERY day. I am glad to talk to people that understand where I am coming from. Infact I am glad that it has changed up a bit from talking bout last trip for 2 years...to our upcoming trip in Jan. I just want to tell a small bit about another thing Disney did to make it special! Ok...stitch only has 3 fingers...well my son only has 2...and we went to see stitch and my younger son told Stitch that his brother was blind...well Stitch grabbed his hand and allowed him to feel his face and everything. Normaly my son would have freaked, being blind and autistic he is VERY tacktile deffensive, but he LOVED it. Then Stich would rub his fingers then count that he had only two...and Stitch would wipe a tear from his eye and count his own fingers...1....2....3, then count my sons....1....2...and point to himself...kinda like, we are alike!~ My heart EXPLODED and tears ran down my face. After that my younger son fell in love with stitch and that is his FAVORITE character! ONLY AT DISNEY WORLD!

[disneydeb]

Awesome, thanks for sharing

[Kathy Jetson]

Wow! I'm crying like a baby. What a wonderful story about your son and stitch I'm so glad you BOTH got to experience that:stitch2:

[tinklover]

Oh man Twinkletoes,
That story about Stitch :thumbsup: I am sitting here with tears welled up in my eyes. That story was awesome. Stitch is one of our favs in this house as well. 2 yrs ago was The first time for both DDs and my DBF. My no 6 yr old DD was terrified of the non face characters IE mickey, goofy Donald. She loved the face characters though. even got a 20 min private meet and greet with Cinderella. Well towards the end of the day we were hot and wanted to slow things down a bit so we headed to tomorrowland to CoP. Stitch was out over near the entrance and my 6 yr old saw him. I had braced my self for her to run into me and hide form him. well she did the total opposite. she took off after him and wrapped her arms around him so hard that she almost knocked him down. I am so thankful there was no line for him set up for him yet. He spent so much time with her it was great I just cried like a baby and he saw it and he came over to DBF and grabbed his shirt and lifted it to wipe my tears. After her Stitch encounter we could not control her she wanted to meet every character she could so the last day of our trip was a character meet and greet day we just ran form park to park so she could meet all she could and we ended up catching stitch again and it was the same one he remembered her as he ran to her whe she was the next in the line, to hug her as she did him the day before LOL and he waved his finger at me as to say no and then made like a crying gesture. LOL it was too late though I was done.

Thank you so much for sharing your story and bringing up great memories for me. I hope your son has yet another magical trip in Jan.

[Twinkletoes77705]

Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences also. And thanks for all the wonderful replys. We should get together and write a book for all our "special" children's "Magical" experiences at WDW :sob: . It would be a big tear jerker...and we could even get Kleenex to be our sponsor!! Any takers...lol.

[SurferStitch]

Okay, I'm crying now....I'm am SO glad you and your family had such a magical vacation, and are planning your next vacation! I think it's so great that your son talks about his experiences all the time. It just shows how special that trip was to him, and how he'll keep that in his heart forever.

Stitch is my very, very favorite character, and I thinks it's absolutely wonderful how beautifully he interacted with your son. You know, your son has very good taste with Stitch being his favorite, too!! ;)

Thanks for the photos!! :thumbsup:

[Dawn,DeniseandDiane]

Wow! What a wonderful post! Tears are flowing from my eyes while reading all of these wonderful peoples experiences.We are so grateful that there is a place like WDW. There is no one in this world w/out struggles or trials. We all have different experiences, yet we can go to this place that can change us and can bring us true joy. We all have different needs and desires. Us girls never had a childhood and that is why WDW appeals so much to us. We are free from worries. No fear of being unsafe. Only joy. You can be any age you want to be and your excepted. Everyone... physical, emotional handicaps, it doesn't matter.We are all the same. Looking for joy, peace and exceptance. The only place this truly happerns this side of heaven for us girls, is WDW.
We know your next trip w/ your son will be even more magical! That is how it rolls at WDW. It only keeps getting better. We are over joyed for you!!!!!

Dawn,Denise&Diane:wave::wave::wave:

[poohbearkris]

Reading your post gave me goose bumps!! I am so happy you had a great experience and that you will be able to visit again. Hope you have another magical trip!

[minnie04]

I thought your story was awesome..and then I read the part about Stitch and started to well up with tears of happiness. What an awesome thing to have happen. very cool on Stitches part !!! gotta love Disney..and the poeple that make it happen..have a great trip in Jan. :mickey:

[Twinkletoes77705]

Thank you all, and trust me...we will have a blast. He is sooo excited!

[nicster]

Walt would be so proud! :grouphug:

[IloveDisney71]

The original post gave me goose bumps and the post about Stitch made me cry happy mouse tears! You just can't discount the magic of Disney!:magic::stitch2:

[frakers]

We have a blind child too. Our younger son just turned 3 on the 6th of September and we are going for his third trip to WDW the first week in November. We have found all the characters to be very accomodating with him once we tell them that he is blind. I think the characters must get guidance/training on how to interact with different types of personalities, abilities and so on because we noticed that, at least on previous trips, the characters would motion to us to take our son's hands so he could feel their face and head. We liked that he could experience them like his big brother only in a little different way, like he does most everything else. However, on this up-coming trip it may be kind of hard to explain to him why the characters don't talk like they do on Mickey Mouse Playhouse and the various cartoons because he now associates a voice for each one. If anyone has any suggestions on that part, I'd love to hear them!

[Twinkletoes77705]

With Jarroth...I just tell him what they are doing...tell him how they are acting and stuff. He is old enough to know why they do not talk anyway. :secret: I would not know what to tell you. his situation is so rare anyway...as far as multipul dis. Goodluck on that one :thumbsup:

[Iluvpooh]

Thanks for sharing your magic with us. Have fun planning the new trip.:mickey:

[Greenlawler]

Awesome posts! We have taken our three year old with Downs the last two years and the characters always make such a fuss over him. He loves them. He screams with joy everytime he sees one. I shared this story with a CM, and told them how much he loves the 7 dwarfs. The afternoon parade manager found out about it, and low and behold we were told to meet at a certain location at a certain time. We walked through the door and there they were all seven dwarfs! He went crazy kissing and hugging them. It was possibly the cutest thing I have ever seen. This past year we had so many magical experiances Disney truly takes care of special kids!