The Autistic World of Disney

We've been visitors to the Disney Parks since 1998 and will never stop going. Raising an autistic teen who loves Disney is a powerful force in our lives that gets us to the Disney Parks without question. Our very first cruise with Disney was back in August of 2005, a land and sea which we figured was a smart way to visit Walt Disney World and sail on the Disney Wonder. We were right! I of course tacked on more land days at our Disney resort before and after the cruise making it a nice land/sea/land....it was fabulous. Since then, we've completed eight cruises and are proud Gold Castaway Club members with the ninth cruise in the near future. Most importantly, we've sailed all four ships in the fleet and love every one of them. I would like to share my tips for saving some money, because the cruises, believe it or not cost as much as a typical Disney Parks vacation and in some cases much less. Book Early Booking as far out as possible, will give you lower rates, a much ...

While sailing on our eighth cruise on the Disney Fantasy, this past August 2013, I had the opportunity to join my friend and her daughter at the Royal Court Royal Tea in the grand dining room of the Royal Court restaurant. A lovely and quaint table setting in a restaurant elegantly themed to represent castles and princesses awaited us in the center of the dining room. Photo: JackiePsarianos  As we approached the Royal Court from the atrium lobby, a page asked for each little princess guests name. Upon entry, the child's name was formally announced followed by a greet and picture moment with Lady Chamomile.  Photo: Jackie Psarianos We were then escorted to our elegantly appointed table set for high tea. The guest princess at each table had a lavish setting adorned with many special gifts. Each child received a deluxe, quilted autograph book and pen, a musical jewellery box containing a charm necklace and charm bracelet, a large prince...

Many people find trip preparation and planning daunting at best and that's understandable. Factor in travelling with a special needs family member and the planning takes on another dimension. Deciding on what to bring from home to make your loved one more comfortable and meeting their unique needs takes a lot of forethought and planning. As Platinum Castaway Cay Members with Disney Cruise Line , having sailed on all four ships in the fleet, is testament to the fact Disney does it right. Why else would we keep returning and not travel with any other cruise line? Once you make your special requests known to them, Disney Cruise Line makes every effort to accommodate and make your trip as effortless as possible and positively memorable. Here are a few things that I do to make my cruise 'magic'al, 'wonder'ful, 'dream'y, and 'fantas'tic! Photo: JackiePsarianos Make Special Arrangements: I call Disney Cruise Line and make arrangements with the ...

 Travelling involves a lot of planning and preparation at best, then factor in the pre-planning when a special needs child is involved, and you've got to think about a lot more. Our son is a teenaged autistic, energetic and very happy guy. He's always on the move,......always, and he's very strong. I have to think about where I'll be with him, what might arise and how he might react, be it positively or adversely. I have to check to see if there are family restrooms, because he needs supervision in those areas and I have to always make sure that I'll have a back up exit plan that's ready to be implemented at a moments notice. When planning for our seventh cruise with Disney back in 2011 on their newest ship at the time, the Disney Dream, I streamed videos of anything I could find about the ship. Contacting Disney Cruise Line, they were wonderful in sending me their planning video, which was a useful and informative aid. Disney Dream (photo: Disney Cruis...

Disney Cruise Line will not leave anything out of your vacation. You'll never miss out on the magic and pixie dusting when sailing on the Disney Fantasy because your little girl can be transformed into a princess at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and your little boy can become a pirate at The Pirate's League, for which I will outline in the latter half of this post. In fact, everyone can become a pirate over at The Pirate's League. Photo: The Walt Disney Company Photo: Disney Cruise Line  Your own Fairy Godmother in training will greet your child and will create a transformation of magical proportions. You can select one of many treatment options, such as: Disney Diva, Pop Princess or Fairy Tale Princess . All of the Princess costumes are available and come complete with the wand, shoes and crown. There are also a variety of costumes available which are exclusive to Disney Cruise Line such as: Captain Mickey Mouse, Princess Minnie Mouse, and First M...

The flowers, oh those flowers, the floral aromas, the lushness, the gentle, balmy breezes continuing all day long in beautiful Honolulu was just the beginning of my walk in complete paradise. I never in my wildest dreams imagined what awaited me as I stepped off the airplane into the mostly open air Honolulu airport on a beautiful late afternoon.  The open air walkways at Honolulu International Airport. Here you can look at the airplanes which are a mere thirty feet away.                                                                                      ...