Disneyland - A Mikey Adventure

Some of you may have seen my earlier blog about Mikey's trip to Knott's Berry Farm. Although he had some fun, we decided they did not accommodate special needs in any significant way that would make us want to return.

Last Friday, we went to Disneyland. What an enormous difference! This is a park and a company that truly accommodates all kinds of special needs and diversity.

My husband and I are annual passholders (yup, that's one way to release my inner child; although it does not need a lot of coaxing). I went to City Hall and asked about accommodations for autistic kids a while back, and they said that they would issue a "guest assistance pass" that would allow us to skip or shorten most lines. They added, "But the child has to be with you." :-) Well, of course. The issue with special passes is that people look for ways to get them when they don't truly have a need.

So, on Friday, Aunt Evie and I took Mikey to Disneyland. As with Knott's I typed up a document that talked about how the trip would go:

Drive to the Disneyland and park

Walk to the tram

Wait in line

Ride to the entrance

Go through Security

Go through the gate (I bought the tickets online to avoid the ticket booth)

Go to City Hall for Mikey's special pass

Go on rides.

There were also a set of rules about behavior: no fussing; go to lunch when Grandma tells you; go to the bathroom when told; etc.

I have to say that we expected - nothing. The deal with Mikey especially is this: You never know how he is going to react to anything. We were totally prepared to blow the $138 admission fee (2 tickets; I had my pass) if it turned out that he was not able to deal with the crowds, rides, etc. I am most pleased to report that the day was a bigger success than I could have imagined.

We arrived somewhere around 10 am. The first thing we did was wait in line at City Hall for Mikey's pass. That was the longest wait we had all day. Naturally, he was antsy - as were most of the kids waiting in line for anything. Aunt Evie took Mikey to the fire station (attached to City Hall) and he climbed around the fire equipment while I waited. Then he came back, and the line was still long. Pluto and another Disney employee were receiving kids close by. Aunt Evie took Mikey over, and waited beside the line of kids. When it was Mikey's turn, the other Disney employee called out, "Here, Pluto; here boy! Come here! I want you to meet my good friend, Mikey!"

Pluto came over and gave Mikey a big hug, and Mikey gave him a hug and a kiss. What a wonderful way to start the day!

By this time we were getting close to the front of the line. Evie brought Mikey back and went in to sit on a bench. There are several benches there (I said the were accommodating, didn't I?) and he was OK. When it was our turn, the Disney employee asked how many were in our party, what the issue was (Mikey is pretty obvious once you try to talk to him), and she issued us a "guest assistance pass" and explained how to use it. "For most rides, you go through the exit and show the pass. If it's not obvious what to do, go to the entrance and ask the ride attendants. If you have any issues at all, ask for help. If the ride attendant doesn't know what to do, they can call here. If you are unhappy or unsatisfied in any way, come back here and we'll take care of it." Wow!

I'd also like to comment on - and compliment this Disney employee - on something else. When we take Mikey to a place like this, we prepare a name badge - we have several holders from conferences. Typically, I put an autism ribbon and "Mikey" on the front, and then some information and cell phone numbers on the back. She said that the park recommends we do not display the name as a security issue, because someone might use his name to lure him away. I thanked her and said that Mikey would not go with strangers, but was grateful they were so attentive and proactive.

So after all this preamble, here we go!

We walked up Main Street, with Mikey taking everything in. Going up Main Street you face Sleeping Beauty's Castle, which just recently reopened. So we walked into Fantasyland and went in. This attraction is not a ride; it is a walk through with dioramas and effects, along with an abbreviated story written out. You walk in and up the stairs and then down the stairs - recreating Sleeping Beauty's walk to the top room of the Castle where she slept until Prince Phillip woke her with his kiss. We made him stop and read then look at each diorama and effect - he was enthralled. As we emerged from the Castle, he said, "Again!"

"Mikey," I said, "We have many more things to see. We can come back later if you like."

One of the more terrific things that is starting to happen is that Mikey's understanding has improved and he is willing to negotiate. We did a lot of negotiation this day.

Next, we took him to Peter Pan. We went to the Exit, and showed our pass. THe ride attendant was more than gracious - she seemed to be, as did most everyone that day, trained to handle special needs. She asked us to wait while a couple of cars unloaded, then had us get into one of the cars. Off we His head was jerking back and forth to take it all in, and he was pointing to each thing and saying it's name. He exited the ride at the end with no fuss whatsoever.

So, off we went to our next adventure, Pinocchio. The line was not long so we made him wait in the regular line. We feel strongly that he needs opportunities to learn appropriate behavior. Again, he was totally engaged.

We rode many rides, and I forget the order - but soon after Pinocchio, we went on the train. Disneyland has a train that circles the park. During one segment, there is a n diorama of the Grand Canyon, followed by a primeval version of the Canyon that includes animated dinosaurs. Mikey was so engaged with this ride, he wanted to go again and again. During the course of the day, we "negotiated" going on the train 4-5 times. However, we are pleased to report that he was very good with statements like, "We're going on Space Mountain, then Star Tours, then train."

Pirates of the Carribean

There was actually a long line in the "guest assistance" line (which includes wheel chair access) to get on Pirates. Mikey was a bit antsy in line . The Disney folks were allowing about 1 wheelchair per boat - which makes sense; doing more than that would have really slowed down the line, and there were lots of folks in the regular line, too. However, at one point, they asked for all the folks who were not using wheel chair access, and put most of us in 1 boat.

Pirates is a water ride; no seat belts, but there are two "drops" that are somewhat exciting - especially the first one, since most folks are diverted into looking up at something when the drop starts. Mikey sat between us, singing along with the well-known, "Yo! Ho! Yo! Ho! A pirate's life for me" theme song that plays throughout the ride. Again, he pointed and said the names of things out loud.

Space Mountain

Space Mountain seats two people to a car. I let Evie take Mikey, and I waited for them. Space Mountain puts you in a "rocket" car. You are held in tightly. The ride moves fast, is "blackout" dark with stars, and has fast turns. This is the one ride Mikey did not like; Evie reported that, after the first fast turn, he said, "All Done!" and repeated it after every turn, and got anxious. However, he was very good. Somewhat dizzy coming off the ride, but very good nonetheless.

End of Part I. Stay tuned for the second part!!