I don't know why, but I am so nervous posting this! I'll try to follow the format I've seen others use 
We are off to Disney in just over a week! I have been busy planning away and would love any and all input you may have to offer. It is our first family vacation ever and we have lots to celebrate!
So, who are we? Well, I am Heather and my husband is Ethan. Our big boy, Alex is 8. This trip is in part to celebrate his adoption just a few weeks ago! He is my biological child and Ethan just adopted him. Ethan has been his only real daddy since he was 3 and we are SO THRILLED that it is all legal now.
Our little guy, Spencer, is 23 months old. So this is obviously a birthday trip, too, lol. Spencer is on the autism spectrum. That will be a challenge. We are hoping to get a GAC to make the waiting a little more tolerable.
I know a doctor's note is not required for the GAC, but I asked the doctor for one anyway. I am SO MAD because they refused! Not because he doesn't need it - they agree that he does. But because another patient just got back from Disney and said they never used it. I really hope that doesn't cause problems.
He melts down when he has to stay in one place, sobbing and flailing
He has never really been in a crowd, I have no idea if that will result in his silent staring or crying. He is also a runner. If you let go of his hand for a MILLI-SECOND he will be gone. We have a little tether leash for him and also the tattoos with our phone number on them.
He is mostly non-verbal, for example, he has been able to say "mama" for a while but he only just started to use it to mean me and he says "hiya". He can sign "more" and "finished" and that is about it. Being out of his safe place is going to be hard on him. Some people have suggested we shouldn't bring him. But the only thing worse for him than coming is being away from the only people who can understand him for almost a week!
Another thing to know about us: we are not rope-drop people.
I know for others that ruins the planning right there. But along with autism comes sleep issues and my little man just fell asleep at 3am. That is why I am writing this up at 4am.
So, yeah, no rope drops. It is ok. I'm not a morning person either.
On to the planning:
We are using the Deluxe Dining Plan. Spencer does have a hard time in the time between ordering and the food arriving, unless there is bread or something on the table. Sometimes a toy or crayons help, otherwise one of us takes him on a walk where we won't bother other diners.
I guess it is getting a bit late (early?) so I will stop here for now. Please let me know if you have any advice so far with the little planning I have mentioned. Thanks!
We are off to Disney in just over a week! I have been busy planning away and would love any and all input you may have to offer. It is our first family vacation ever and we have lots to celebrate!
So, who are we? Well, I am Heather and my husband is Ethan. Our big boy, Alex is 8. This trip is in part to celebrate his adoption just a few weeks ago! He is my biological child and Ethan just adopted him. Ethan has been his only real daddy since he was 3 and we are SO THRILLED that it is all legal now.
Our little guy, Spencer, is 23 months old. So this is obviously a birthday trip, too, lol. Spencer is on the autism spectrum. That will be a challenge. We are hoping to get a GAC to make the waiting a little more tolerable.
I know a doctor's note is not required for the GAC, but I asked the doctor for one anyway. I am SO MAD because they refused! Not because he doesn't need it - they agree that he does. But because another patient just got back from Disney and said they never used it. I really hope that doesn't cause problems.
He melts down when he has to stay in one place, sobbing and flailing
He has never really been in a crowd, I have no idea if that will result in his silent staring or crying. He is also a runner. If you let go of his hand for a MILLI-SECOND he will be gone. We have a little tether leash for him and also the tattoos with our phone number on them.He is mostly non-verbal, for example, he has been able to say "mama" for a while but he only just started to use it to mean me and he says "hiya". He can sign "more" and "finished" and that is about it. Being out of his safe place is going to be hard on him. Some people have suggested we shouldn't bring him. But the only thing worse for him than coming is being away from the only people who can understand him for almost a week!
Another thing to know about us: we are not rope-drop people.
I know for others that ruins the planning right there. But along with autism comes sleep issues and my little man just fell asleep at 3am. That is why I am writing this up at 4am.
So, yeah, no rope drops. It is ok. I'm not a morning person either.On to the planning:
We are using the Deluxe Dining Plan. Spencer does have a hard time in the time between ordering and the food arriving, unless there is bread or something on the table. Sometimes a toy or crayons help, otherwise one of us takes him on a walk where we won't bother other diners.
I guess it is getting a bit late (early?) so I will stop here for now. Please let me know if you have any advice so far with the little planning I have mentioned. Thanks!
