Walt Disney World - Magic Tricks (Not Rocket Science)

I am NOT a Disney expert by any means! In 6 weeks we'll embark on our third trip to Walt Disney World. We're fortunate that we live within a day's drive so the travel expense is minimal. A tank of gas, eight hours and a great deal of patience - and we're there!

Luckily, right now my girls like a lot of the same things - Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Disney Princesses and simple rides. I think this may be the last easy trip before my youngest outgrows my older daughter's interests. Its an odd truth to be facing. So, I feel like making the most of this trip.

There are almost as many blogs and websites about traveling to WDW as there are travelers. My perspective is unique primarily in that I will be traveling with a teenager with special needs and a preschooler. Also, I'm very budget conscious. I wish I had the money to rent a 2 bedroom suite at the Grand Floridian (currently a "mere" $2,285/night), but I don't. And, truthfully, probably wouldn't if I did.

I do understand the appeal of the Disney Experience. They offer a great deal - especially if you have to fly. You can take a Disney shuttle from the airport to your lodging and use Disney transportation for the rest of your stay - saving the cost of a rental car and daily theme park parking (totalling about $250). A full-size car rental will cost approximately $156 for six days and parking will cost roughly $90. Remember - you only have to pay to park ONCE per day -save your receipt if you leave the park and return to either the same park or a different park on the sae day.

Staying at a Disney Resort gives you lots of amenities - a beautiful lobby and pool, on site restaurants and shops, proximity to parks or park transportation. You get to use any other resort pool or amenity - so you can go to the outdoor movie at Fort Wilderness one night if you want. You also get some small services like delivery of any park purchases to your resort so you don't have to carry bags all day or worry about your souvenirs being stolen. And, of course, the Extra Magic Hours that allow you to arrive early or stay late at a particular park.

As a family we have personal preferences that may not suit everyone. For instance, we tend to like to sleep in til about 9AM and the girls go to bed around 10PM so the Extra Magic Hours wouldn't give us any advantage. Since we don't have to worry about renting a car we prefer to rent a house rather than stay in a Disney resort. Any Disney guest (even those not staying on property) can use the Disney transportation - monorail, boats, etc. so we can still move easily between parks, etc. if we chose to. It isn't entirely about budget although it looks that way on first glance. Right now (April 2012) a Disney Value resort with Quick Service Dining plan is $276/night (not including taxes) for a family of four. A night at a Disney Moderate resort with  is $348 - or $2,088 for 6 days (not including taxes.)

We rented a three bedroom house with a private pool  for  $115/ night. That's $805 for six nights (not including taxes). The difference in cost is $851 less than the Value option and $1,283 from the Moderate plan. We will, of course, have to pay for all of our meals out of pocket. I think the Moderate plan is a good deal if you plan on eating all of your meals at the park - for example, a character meal (table service) would cost our family (3 adults and 1 child) about $200.

The Moderate plan costs includes 6 snacks, 6 Quick Service meals and 6 Table Service meals per person during those 6 days.  However, if you choose to use your plan at certain places - Cinderella's Table, Signature Restaurants and Dinner Shows - it will  "cost" 2 meals per person per event. If you use your meal plan for any of these you need to add the cost of at least one additional meal to your budget. Similarly, if your family wants to eat 3 meals a day as well as a snack you will need to budget for additional meals. If you have bought into the Disney Experience all of these will by default have to be on Disney property since you won't have a car. The Value plan doesn't include the ability to attend any prepaid Character or Signature meals. So if your kids want breakfast with Mickey, you'll need to pay for it privately, just like I will. Somehow, I bet most people end up buying a few extra meals or snacks even if they are on one of the Dining Plans. Who knows? Maybe they buy cold cereal and PB&J and just eat in their room a couple of times.


It's easy to spend to $200 a day for a family of 4 to eat on Disney property (1 character meal and you're there) which would make the cost of the house vs. the hotel even over 6 nights. Having done this before I know that we will eat breakfast at the house as well as some dinners and snacks. The cost is no different than our regular grocery bill - probably $100- 150 for the week. That leaves me with $1,043 (after theme park parking) in the budget before I hit the same cost as the Moderate plan. We will eat a few meals and snacks at the parks when we are hungry or staying longer than we planned. We also will have the ability to eat at local restaurants or even Burger King if we feel like it. It is possible that we will spend an additional $175/day on food, but unlikely. Which is one of the reasons we rent a house.

Floor plan Caribbean Beach Resort

The other is SPACE. We like not only having a kitchen, but three bedrooms and a living room. We don't have to go to bed when our kids do just because we're all crammed into the same room. A typical room at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort  is about 340 square feet. These are among the largest rooms on Disney property that aren't suites or villas. The house we're renting is approximately 1500 square feet. My oldest doesn't do well in the heat so we typically go back to the house in the middle of the day.

With a house we can spread out. Amanda can play on the computer or watch TV. Danielle can watch a different TV, nap or swim. Kevin & I can read, swim, watch TV.  We've rented houses in several places. This year we are returning to a house we rented through Florida Spirit Vacation Homes. In addition to a full kitchen and 3 bedrooms we'll have a private pool, washer & dryer, 2 full baths and 4 TVs. Another advantage for our family is that everything is on a single floor- no messing with transport, elevators, long walks etc. pushing a wheelchair every time one of us wants a meal or a swim.

Floor plan of the house we're renting

Minor Miracles

Minor Miracles - Adaptive Softball League

This article first appeared on the Exceptional Parent website in April, 2008. We owe special thanks to so many of Amanda's teachers and paraprofessionals who volunteer their time to Miracle League!

We are very fortunate to have an adaptive softball league near our home. The North Metro Miracle League (NMML) provides inclusive adapted sports for children and adults of all abilities. As their website states, “Each of the NMML players has an on field Buddy to assist with the things the player’s disability makes difficult or impossible. The resulting interaction between buddy and player is an essential part of our mission. We want to remove the barriers to inclusion, accommodation and friendship that often arise just because a person has a disability.”

Amanda has been playing softball with NMML for six seasons now. The environment at the games is relaxed and supportive. During the first season she spent most of the game crying and trying to escape the field. Amanda rarely expresses emotion. It is as unusual for her to cry as it is for her to laugh or smile. My husband and I had to reassure ourselves on every drive home that we were doing a good thing.

During Amanda’s second season, another dad called out, “Way not to cry, Amanda!” There couldn’t be a nicer group of people involved in children’s sports. Everyone cheers as each player walks, rolls or is carried into home plate. There is no score. Still, we felt awful taking her.

We told each other that Miracle League was a good form of exercise for a child who has difficulty walking. We discussed the value of fresh air and socialization with her peers. We’d quote Tom Hanks from the movie A League of Their Own, and remind Amanda, “There’s no crying in baseball.” But mainly, we felt terrible that every Saturday morning we forced our little girl to do something that made her cry in the name of “fun”.

Of course, Saturday morning softball wasn’t the only time that we’ve had to force Amanda to do things she doesn’t want to do. We made her go to therapy several times a week for years. We’ve taken her to have multiple surgeries. In a way, going to baseball toughened us up for all of the other things we had to do for Amanda's benefit.

The most surprising outcome of our participation in North Metro Miracle League has been Amanda’s friendship with Erin. A typical teenager, Erin is Amanda’s first and best friend. For the past three years, Erin has been spending her Saturday mornings acting as Amanda’s Miracle League buddy.

With Erin’s gentle guidance, Amanda stopped crying during games. She even began to cooperate. Now she looks forward to going every Saturday morning. At the beginning of this fall season Erin called to let Amanda know that she was going to be her buddy again. Amanda was so happy that she made a card for Erin. Amanda never draws or colors voluntarily. That in itself was a minor miracle.

Erin’s friendship has expanded beyond the baseball field. She has helped us out at home - she even came to Amanda’s birthday party! Due to her disabilities, Amanda finds social interactions difficult. However, Erin never makes Amanda feel different. They enjoy each other’s company and smile when they are together. Just as the website promised, playing softball really did remove a barrier to friendship for Amanda. As far as we’re concerned, more than exercise or fresh air that has been the biggest miracle to come out of the North Metro Miracle League.

Peach or Orange?

 Parenting a Special Needs Child

A bit of a cheat - Written when Amanda was only 2 years old...

The other day at lunch my neighbor laid several Popsicles in front of her two year old daughter. “Purple, orange, red, blue,” she recited as she set them down. Her daughter responded, “Purple, orange, red, blue.” My friend beamed and asked “which do you want?”

At our neighborhood play group I hear the mothers of typical children quizzing them all the time. “Count my fingers.” “Which is green?” Each competing with the other to prove their child is smartest. Why is it that parents of typical children all believe that their children are geniuses?

My two-year old daughter’s biggest accomplishment recently has been to eat a peach. To actually pick it up in her hands and take bites. We were so excited that we videotaped it.

This is the first time I’ve realized that having an atypical child is a gift. We’ve accepted Amanda’s limits. I don’t expect her to go to Harvard or compete in the Olympics. I don’t even expect her to show off in front of the neighbors. I’ve come to understand what most parents don’t realize until their children are much older. That my child was born her own person with her own strengths and weaknesses. That little I do can force her to excel in the areas I choose. My neighbors may be in for a rude awakening when they discover that their typical children are just that -- typical.

I like having an exceptional child. She’s freed me from the stress associated with competing with other children her age. We’re still waiting for the big milestones like first words and first steps, but until then we celebrate each small success. We don’t let the little steps slip by unnoticed like most parents. After all, the first bite of a ripe, sun-warmed peach really is the sweetest.

By the way, the little girl picked up the grape Popsicle and proudly waved it in the air yelling, "orange!"

Amanda when she was about 3 years old

Spring Break Atlanta Stay-cation

Spring Break Atlanta Stay-cation

We're staying home during Spring Break this year. Mainly because the one time we went away for the week of Spring Break the return traffic (from Florida to Atlanta) was insane - the trip home took 3 hours longer than the trip down. I know it's not a novel idea. As a child we never went anywhere for school breaks. I think sometimes as parents we feel that we "have" to make vacations special. The beauty of this plan is that it is special. It allows late mornings, lazy afternoons laying the grass looking at the clouds, ball games in the yard and al fresco dinners on our back deck. So relaxing!

I researched all sorts of things to do within an hour of our home, a suburb north of Atlanta. I debated some farther trips - like Chattanooga, TN but discarded the idea. I found plenty of free or low cost activities within an hour of home. Some of the things we did were every day things. We went to the local mall and had soft pretzels and ice cream cones. We window shopped, watched videos in the Disney Store and rode the carousel. Total cost about $20. One afternoon we went swimming at our local YMCA.

We have are lucky enough to have two nice nature centers close to home- Autrey Mill Preserve and Chattachoochee Nature Center. Located on 46 acres of ravine forest Autrey Mill is FREE to explore the historic homes and nature paths.  The Visitor Center is accessible and houses several tanks of snakes, lizards and frogs. Outside there are ducks. For a small donation you can get a cup of duck feed and the ducks will adore you. None of the historic homes or trails are wheelchair accessible but its a fun place to spend an hour - longer if you aren't mobility impaired. Some of the trails lead to a replicas of a Native American lodge and tee pee as well as a beautiful stream. They offer a number of historical and nature programs for about $5.00/person.

Chattahoochee Nature Center offers several walking trails including a boardwalk path, animal encounters and a nice play area.They a licensed rehabilitation center for native raptors, mammals and reptiles so you can see more than 50 different species that were rehabilitated, but unable to be safely returned to the wild. Chattahoochee charges $8.00 per adult and $5.00 per child to visit. We were able to bring a wheelchair to the Nature Center and along the boardwalk. The remainder of the Center wasn't accessible. Still, a great afternoon for under $30.
 
Another great FREE Atlanta destination is the Fernbank Science Center which houses a small museum, a planetarium (cost $4/adults, $3 kids ) and on Thursday & Friday nights an observatory open to the public. It is all wheelchair accessible. Nearby is the FREE Fernbank Forest which has 1½ miles of paved trails through 65 acres relatively undisturbed forest in the middle of Atlanta. Fernbank Rose Garden is also FREE and a lovely place for a quiet walk.

Because we live outside of a major metropolitan area there are a number of large tourist attractions. Our big splurge was to get annual family memberships to three local attractions. All are withing about an hour of home and will pay for themselves in 2 visits. We joined Fernbank Museum (see my previous blog)-family Membership cost $95- and Zoo Atlanta - family membership cost $99 (you can get a $10 discount online).
 
Zoo Atlanta is fully paved with (for the most part) gradual slopes. The path between the Backyard Habitat and the Children's Zoo is extremely steep and I wouldn't recommend taking it if you are pushing a wheelchair or stroller. The rest of the park is easily accessible by wheelchair. However, disabled parking is very limited - causing many visitors to become pretty aggressive about getting a space. We tried to go this week but were beat out of a parking spot despite waiting and having our turn signal on. So much for Southern hospitality!

I love Zoo Atlanta, despite the difficult parking. It is a modern Zoo with roomy naturalistic habitats for the animals to enjoy. One of the best things about being a member is free admission to the 2 member nights offered each year. Its wonderful to explore the Zoo in the evenings. The animals are often more active as the temperatures are cooler. Members Only Nights also feature live entertainment and special animal encounters- which my girls love!

For the first time we also bought season passes to Stone Mountain Park. Stone Mountain is a truly weird place - its a gigantic monument dedicated to the fallen leaders of the Confederacy. The carving depicts Confederate President Jefferson Davis, General Robert E. Lee and Lt. General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson. It is literally carved into the side of a mountain - the South's own answer to Mount Rushmore. Really - it's not my goal to glamorize the secession and all it stood for. The annual pass lets us explore the various park exhibits and rides like the SkyRide and Gesyer Towers anytime we want throughout the year.  Stone Mountain houses a petting zoo, has a petting zoo attached to the Antebellum Plantation and Farmyard attraction. The farmyard offers a live show with trained goats and sheep.

My goal in going to Stone Mountain is to desensitize Danielle to fireworks before we head to one of those overpriced theme parks later in the year. Stone Mountain has a lasershow most nights during school vacations and on weekends. Despite living in the area for 15 years, we've never been to the show. You don't have to join to see the show - its FREE, sort of. You still need to pay the $10 park admission (parking fee). You can bring your own chairs and blankets. I didn't know that when I joined...  

I would encourage everyone to follow our model if you can. Most areas have unique, fun local spots to explore. Consider searching for a nature center, a playhouse, a puppet theater or a local history or children's museum. For less than the cost of two days at a theme park we had a week of great experiences as well as opportunities for a year of family fun through our new memberships.