I have not written in a while because I have been preparing for our family's first vacation. First of all, it was fabulous. So many positive wonderful things and amazing memories. Standing next to my oldest as he marveled at the Walt and Mickey statue, my second son 's expression after he went on the rides, having dinner with my beautiful daughter with all the princesses in Cinderella's Castle and my third sons amazing connection when he is in the water.
I have to express how truly grateful I am to Disney for being so amazingly helpful. My children could eat meals in a restaurant for the first time. The chef came out spoke with me in person, showed me all the ingredient labels and guaranteed fresh pans and utensils would be used to cook with. These meals were beautiful and you just can't imagine what that meant to my children or me.. We were also given a special pass so we didn't have to wait in lines because of my third sons disability. We rented strollers which was a blessing for my third son. It was amazing and magical. I must have took over five hundred pictures. Everything from my daughter being dressed up as Cinderella in the castle at the Royal Dinner to the Mickey not so scary Halloween party and my second son and daughter dancing in the street to the Halloween music with some of the disney staff and other kids.
As I was waiting with my daughter to get into our Royal dinner I spotted something I understood so completely. A couple was blocking their daughter from side to side. The girl was dazed stimming just like my son does. Sometimes they are so into a stim, it is like they have no ability for any safety concerns. I immediately looked at the Mom and said, " I understand my son has severe Autism too."
You know I don't believe anyone can understand unless it is there son or daughter, you can't read up to understand, you can't guess or imagine. My son is a beautiful boy, wouldn't want him to be anyone but who he is. It is all about the safety factor. You know when my son gets in the water he says he is a dolphin. Here is the catch he has no fear and still does not know how to swim. When we were at a park he wanted to just jump off a bridge. Here is the amazing thing with all the deep pressure from the water, he connects so well to others. Sometimes it is like you feel as if he has opened his eyes for the first time to say hello. Something he loves so dearly, helps him so much, but at the same time is such a danger. At the top of one of the rides my son just tried to stand up to get off, at the top in the middle of the ride. He is finally riding a bike with training wheels this year, but I have to walk beside him because he will completely let go of the handle bars to hand flap every so often. There is no turning off the high alert status, you are in it 24/7. I saw a look of pure exhaustion on these parents faces. I so appreciate the ways in which Disney helped so many kids. As tired as those parents looked I knew that Disney helped in every way that they could, just as they did for us. My whole family was able to enjoy the rides because of that pass, a lot of the lines he could not have waited through.
The rest of the vacation was visiting beaches, lots of swimming for my son in a heavy duty life jacket , exploring, souvenir shopping, fine dinning and visiting family. What a blessing my kids are and how truly grateful I am for that vacation. More then memories, moments that can not be relived or replaced.
On a side note the Art of Animation Hotel is brand new, only a month old now. Everyone except my husband has asthma and we had no problems. I had a hepa filter running in case, but this place was brand new and absolutely amazing. Thank you so Much Disney! I loved Disney before, but now it takes on a whole new meaning. Thanks so much as well to my dear husband for making this wonderful dream vacation come true.
