September, 2013 | The Angel Forever

Monthly Archives September 2013

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Changes with Disney Guest Assistance Cards

Posted on September 23, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

If you have followed along with my blog for a while, you know that I am a huge Disney person. I basically grew up going to Walt Disney World, spent my honeymoon there, and have taken my children there multiple times in recent years. On our first trip to Walt Disney World with the kids in May of 2009, I worried about my oldest son. He was in kindergarten, but due to his low muscle tone he would have trouble walking for a long time and get exhausted. This would lead to anxiety and system overload that we did not understand at that time. This was several years and multiple trips before we confirmed that he is an Aspie. We rented a double stroller for the boys and brought a note with us. I had been told that we may want to use our stroller as a wheelchair on a day when NHL was struggling. What I did not realize at the time was that we were given a GAC – Guest Assistance Card along with a sign to put on the stroller for CMs to see. We only used the stroller parking option closer to a venue once. We never used the GAC for anything else because our son did well. Thanks to the Fast Pass system and way that we approached the lines he was able to cope.

Not all individuals with Special Needs are able to do this. For many reasons, the lines, queues, crowds, and other items can be overwhelming to them. The GAC helps them to experience the magic of Disney in a way that they never dreamed possible. Then, this summer, we all heard about people that were trying to abuse the system. This meant that Disney took a look at the Guest Assistance Cards that are currently being used. Last week, rumors started to circulate about the new program that Disney will have for guests. Rather than wait for details, heated posts and more have been going around and around.

Saturday evening, I received a statement from Disney and want to share it with you in case you have not read it:

In our continued efforts to keep you in the loop of Disney experiences that touch families, we would like to share an upcoming change in the Guest Assistance Card. Disney has an unwavering commitment to making our experiences accessible to all Guests. After careful consideration, we will be replacing the Guest Assistance Card with the new Disability Access Service Card on Oct. 9 to create a more consistent experience for all our Guests while providing accommodations for Guests with disabilities. Until Oct. 9, we will continue to use Guest Assistance Cards. We look forward to sharing more information about the Disability Access Service Card as we get closer to implementation.

We know that you often share news from Disney with other moms so we have prepared the following questions and answers.

We appreciate your support and look forward to sending you more details as we get closer to October 9^th.

In addition to this, some frequently asked questions were included:

How will the new Disney program work?
The Disability Access Service Card will offer Guests a return time for an attraction based on the current wait time. Guest Assistance Cards will continue to be in effect until Oct. 9. We look forward to sharing more information as we get closer to implementation.

Did Disney receive assistance in developing the Disability Access Service Card?

Yes, Disney is engaging disability groups, and Autism Speaks was instrumental in providing feedback as we developed this new process.

Why is Disney making these changes?
Given the increasing volume of requests Disney receives for special access to our attractions, we are changing our process beginning Oct. 9 so that it creates a more consistent experience for all our Guests while providing accommodations for Guests with disabilities.

Who will be eligible for a Disability Access Service Card?
Our goal is to accommodate Guests who aren’t able to wait in a conventional queue environment due to a disability (including non-apparent disabilities).

Will Guests on wish trips also use Disability Access Service Cards?

No. Guests who are visiting through wish-granting organizations will have access through a separate program.

What should Guests do if they have concerns?
Guests should contact Guest Relations to discuss their assistance needs.

Changes are hard for people to accept, especially when all of the details are not available. As the parent of a child on the autism spectrum, I have learned to roll with the punches and take everything one day at a time. I can not get bogged down with rumors, speculations, or here-say. Unfortunately, rumors are running rampant right now about the Disability Access Service Cards and we need to try to be patient and trust Disney.

Disclosure: As someone that went to previous Disney Social Media Mom Celebrations, I receive information from Disney. I was not asked to share, but wanted to because this topic is important for so may families.

Categories:
Disney DisneySMMoms Special Needs travel

Lunch and Recess Time at School

Posted on September 20, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Schools are stressed for time. Every minute of every day is strategically used in one way or another. Of course, in my mind too much of the focus is spent on testing and more specifically teaching to the tests. I will not even get into that right now because it is too much of a hot topic with the Common Core State Standards being pushed into almost every classroom throughout the country. In New York State, my children are in the second year of this transition. It is not only rough on them, but also on the teachers and parents. Rather than focus on the negative (I could go on and on), I want to check in with parents from throughout New York and other states. What is the topic?

At a recent PTA meeting, an interesting topic came up and got me thinking. A parent asked about the lunch and recess time at our school. Our children have 30 minutes for a combined lunch and recess. Of course, young kids rush or do not bother to eat to get outside into the fresh air to run, play, and get energy out. Who can blame them really? The question came up as to whether there is a standard amount of time for lunch and recess in elementary schools. I honestly can not recall the time at our last school. When I was teaching, I believe our students (PreK-8) had 30 minutes for lunch and then recess after that.

So my question of the week is inspired by the PTA meeting:

How much time do your children have for lunch and/or recess at school? I would love to know grade levels and if you are comfortable what state you live in.

Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this Friday fun. These days, Pamela at A Renaissance Woman is reviving the fun Friday Meme. Head over there to link up and join in the fun.

Aloha Friday by Kailani at An Island Life

Aloha #254

Categories:
Aloha Friday school

5th Annual Start Smart Field Day

Posted on September 19, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Sharing is caring and that is my feeling about local events that reach out to the community. The Addictions Care Center of Albany is having their Start Smart Field Day on Saturday, September 28. It is completely free for families to attend and will have a wide variety of items for kids of all ages to participate in. This event will help to kick off ACCA’s prevention education programs in Albany County schools.

If you are not familiar with ACCA, they provide programs on substance abuse prevention and bullying awareness. Their current prevention programs include:

In addition to this they deliver interactive workshops and presentations around the area on the following topics:

Bullying Prevention: Take a Stand, Lend a Hand
Cyberbullying: The Wave of the Future
Alcohol Awareness: Myths & Facts
Addiction Awareness: Signs & Symptoms of a Deadly Disease
Current Trends in Substance Abuse

The timing of these events are wonderful to spread the word about their services before October and National Bullying Prevention Month.

National Bullying Prevention Month

I applaud ACCA for coming up with programs that embrace literacy as a primary focus in helping children. You can read more about that on their website. So if you happen to be in the Albany area on September 28 from 11 am – 3 pm, please think about heading over to this family friendly event to support this organization that works to help our community.

Categories:
Educational local event

Disney Style Family Favorites

Posted on September 18, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

If you ask my family what our Disney favorites are, many of them would change from day to day. Of course, there are a few constants in the food category like Dole Whip, Mickey Ice Cream Bars, and eating at Boma. Rides would likely change up a lot and be park specific and I have written about that as well. Then there are the character meetings, and iconic images that you need to visit. Just off the top of my head are a few favorites from all four of us from the magical past. I would love to know what some of your family favorites are as well.

Be sure to stop by Focused on the Magic by clicking on the button above to join in the Disney magic this week.

Categories:
Disney travel vacation

Tuesday Tales – Battling Reluctant Readers with Tablets

Posted on September 17, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

I recently wrote about the dangers of Quantity vs. Quality When Reading with children. Over the years, I have watched my oldest son’s interest in reading change. While NHL adores to read, he does not like being forced into specific genres, told how many pages to read, or pushed into a specific time to read outside of school. He will often pick up a book about people, places, science, and math just to read for fun. Yes, you read that right. He will often select items like that over a chapter book about fictional characters. So what does a parent do in this situation? Well, over the summer, I introduced NHL to the audio books on CD at the library. Then, the Samsung Galaxy Tablet that we received as part of the Verizon Lifestyle Bloggers changed things again.

Thanks to several fantastic apps available for Android devices, we can “shop” for library books from home. As residents of New York, I have a New York Public Library Card. Using that, along with the options from the Upper Hudson Library System, I am able to browse through a lot of books for children. They not only have Harry Potter and countless other books for Kindle, but also MP3 audio versions. While some people may wonder why I would find audio books acceptable, I look at it as listening comprehension and expanding his appreciation for new books and authors. If something clicks, he may switch to an eBook format or possibly a paper book down the road. In addition to this, I know that some children do better when they hear stories. Some individuals on the autism spectrum have a hard time relating and connecting to fiction stories. Listening to them read by others sometimes breaks this and storytelling via audio helps to connect them to the fictional world. This just takes away one more sensory overload that could keep some individuals away from certain books.

The start of school meant that NHL came home with a weekly reading assignment. He has to read 20-30 minutes each night. To assist with this, I installed the OverDrive Media app onto his Galaxy Tab. We are not using this all the time, but it will be there in a pinch. It is something he can listen to on the go in the car, or in his room when he needs some quiet time. I loaded a series of books for him to try, but next time I am going to get NHL more involved in the search for something to read.

Do you allow your children to listen to audio books? I would love to know your thoughts on the subject. As always, please share what you have read recently. Be sure to link up to your book posts in the comments below. Include something you read on your own, with a child, or someone else. Tuesday Tales are all about spreading the love for books.

Disclosure: As a member of the Verizon Lifestyle Bloggers, I received a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 to test out and share ways that I use this in my life (we purchased a second one on our own). There was no other compensation. I am a long time Verizon customer, and all opinions are my own.