The Happiest and Most Accommodating Place on Earth!

We all need a break and sometimes family vacations are not a break. In a typical family I know that vacation trips are a lot of work for moms in particular. There is a lot of packing and planning well before the trip departure as well as managing the children on the trip. Many dads are a big help but for most people I know the mothers are the organizers and even the planners in many cases. When you have a special needs child this process can be overwhelming. David and I have traveled with our children many times and it is a lot of work but usually it is worth it. We have been to the beach with Nadiya 3 times, once to Washington, DC and 3 times to Disney World in Orlando. Even though I felt I needed a spa afterwards, David and I agree that Disney is the most accommodating place in the world for a child with special needs and their family.

We want other families to know how manageable a trip to Disney can be with a special needs child. It is work but usually well worth your efforts and in the end you will have pictures and memories that cannot compare. This article will share our most recent Disney experience as well as provide a how to guide for families who have never traveled to Disney with a special needs child. Even if you do not have a special needs child this information can be very useful for typical families as well. We have discovered many things with Nadiya that most people may not even know about.

 The Flight Experience

         Our family uses Southwest airlines. We have found them to be very accommodating to families who have a special needs child. When you have a child with a disability, especially if they are wheelchair bound, you must be a loud voice for that child. Plan right away to advocate and educate because no matter where you go that is what you will be doing. Resister ahead of time so that you can get A class seating. This will allow your family to board the plan first and your child’s disability entitles you to do this. When you check in your baggage you will check in your child's wheelchair and get a tag for it. Your child will remain in their chair until you board the plane. At that point you will transfer your child to the plane and the flight attendants will see that the wheelchair is put in the plane’s cargo hull.

        Your TSA experience could get interesting. We have had several different experiences so anything is possible. Being calm and prepared is crucial to you having an acceptable experience. If you become angry and belligerent they very well may haul you off kicking and screaming until you miss your flight. They have a lot of power and some of them respect that power and others abuse it. Don't set yourself up to be a victim. Cooperate and plan ahead. You can advocate and still respond appropriately. You may want to say, "Look genius, my kid has Cerebral Palsy. He isn't getting out of this chair unless you carry him" I don't recommend this. You can say, “My son is severely disabled. How can I help you safely check him?" They will be more willing to work with you and won’t see you as a threat to national security. If someone is truly inappropriate you reserve the right to speak to a supervisor. We have mostly had very good experiences with TSA. They have been compassionate and appropriate for the most part.

           Some airports have an express handicap line for the security check. Orlando is one of those airports. I suggest you bring all of the medications your child will need in a carry on bag. Some of Nadiya's compounded drugs require refrigeration so we pack those meds with ice packs. I also include a current medication list and have one of Nadiya's physicians sign a note stating that they must be kept with her at all times. This has been helpful. When TSA sees how organized you are they can quickly check everything. We have had them look through her medications but they have never opened the bottles. They have asked David what something is and have been satisfied with the answer. Since Nadiya is on the Ketogenic diet we have to bring a day's worth of meals with us. We have a doctor's signed note stating this as well which we keep in her food bag. They usually want to check her wheelchair. Our first trip, back in 2008, they asked if she could walk. I told them no and they made me carry her and hold her while they tore apart her Kid Cart therapeutic stroller which is a wheelchair. She was only four years old but she was heavy to hold while they did this. Luckily David knew how to put the chair back together because they ripped all of the padding out as if a four year old disabled kid were likely smuggling some sort of contraband. I felt they were a bit aggressive with the wheelchair. They walked away and left us to deal with their destruction. This never happened again. We have been permitted to leave her in the chair and have two officers check the chair and her. This last time the Orlando gave me the option of taking her out so that the process would be faster. I helped Nadiya walk through the metal detector. This was easiest for us because Nadiya can walk short distances with full adult assistance. Over all most TSA agents are kind and respectful. As with anything there are always bad eggs in the group. 

 

Once we are through the security we find our gate. Immediately we check in and remind them that we have a disabled child with a wheelchair. People need to be told or they will not know. Always approach someone in a friendly manner and ask any questions that you may have. I always say thank you no matter what, even if I am unhappy with the circumstance. A few minutes before boarding you will want to stand at the front before the gate and make your child's presence known so they don't overlook you. You will board first. I take Nadiya while David takes Anastasiya and sets up our CARES Aviation Restraint. http://kidsflysafe.com/ This is an excellent restraint for special needs children who are too big for your lap and who have car seats too large for a plane. I show the flight attendant how to fold Nadiya's wheelchair and then carry her onto the plane. This time I was able to make her slowly walk with my assistance onto the plane. This was easier for me because the isle is so narrow. David usually secures Nadiya in her seat. I sat with her for the first two trips but David sat with her for this third trip. Occasionally she needs to be adjusted in her restraint and since she is 49lbs now that is hard on me. David can physically manage that better.

If your child is susceptible to illness or has a compromised immune system a plane ride can be rough. That is usually why we choose to go to Disney in September when it is less crowded and flu season hasn't started yet. This time we went in late November. I was very worried and of course "Snotsy McGee" sat right next to David. I was livid. Luckily she spent the flight hacking into her scarf. You really have to plan for this if your child could easily become ill. In Nadiya's case a severe respiratory illness could result in unstable break through seizures which would ruin our trip. Bring some disinfecting wipes in a Ziploc bag to wipe down the seat, tray, and window. Maybe Snotsy sat in your seat on the previous flight. Do you want to catch that? Bring a mask or 4. If Snotsy hadn't coughed into a scarf the whole flight we would have had to protect Nadiya and maybe ourselves from this woman and her obvious respiratory infection. If someone vomits on the plane from a gastro bug your doomed unless you are masked. We all take risks.

 

Our children do great on the flights. The first time the take off and the landing hurt Nadiya's years and she cried. You can purchase a bottle of water after you get through security which you can take on the plane. Having your child drink can help with the ears. Now that Nadiya is older she loves taking off and landing. It is like a fun ride to her. She does kick the seat in front of her so Anastasiya and I sat in front of her. A stranger would not appreciate her kicking them all the way to Orlando! We usually wait to be last to exit the plane. This allows lime for a flight attendant to bring Nadiya's chair to the door. I always remind them when we land so they don't forget her. Nadiya can look very typical at a casual glance. They can easily forget she needs a wheelchair. It is also easier for me to have Nadiya walk off the plane without a crowd impatiently pushing us.

 
Where to Stay


Here with Merida from Brave

When you plan your trip you must first decide what your needs will be with your child and then look into having those accommodations made. For us we have many needs for Nadiya. She is potty trained 85% if she has an appropriate adapted toilet. She does not at Disney so we bring our Leckey Potty Chair http://www.leckey.com/product-care/easy-seat-potty-trainer-how-to-assemble/ We put it in a box and check it as baggage. The bowl comes out and a seat and tray are placed in it so it functions as both an adapted chair and potty. We use this to feed Nadiya her breakfast and have her use the potty in the morning and evening. In the park we do not have access to a potty so we use the changing tables which I will discuss later. We also need to make Nadiya's Ketogenic meals so a kitchen is a must. Nadiya is big enough now to sleep in the pullout sofa with her sister. The resort provides a bed rail so Nadiya will not fall out. She is able to sit in the bathtub now without me holding her so we can bathe her easily in the tub. We belong to the Disney vacation Club so we always stay on Disney property. We can have groceries delivered the day we arrive if we set that up in advance. We have been able to get everything delivered except Nadiya's heavy whipping cream. Our first trip they were able to find some in their restaurants. Now we give the cream to our friends who drive down.
I prefer to stay at The Boardwalk since we can take a boat to Hollywood Studios or Epcot or we can walk to Epcot. From Epcot we can get to the Magic Kingdom on the monorail. We only have to take the bus to Animal Kingdom or Down Town Disney. This past trip The Boardwalk was booked and we could only get reservations for Saratoga Springs. We could walk or take a boat to downtown Disney only. The parks required a bus ride and sometimes a significant wait for the correct bus.

It's not your typical bus ride...

           

Nadiya on the bus

All of the Disney buses are equipped with lifts or ramps for wheelchair or scooter access to the bus. Some buses have 2 spots for anchoring wheelchairs or scooters and some have 3. In order to access the wheelchair or scooter compatibility several seats must be folded to expose the space and hooks for the belts. Great, right? Well it can be most of the time. Logistically the buses are set up to meet the needs of a disabled child but socially not so much. Let's start with the waiting line. There is a separate line for wheelchairs and scooters. This allows a handicapped person with equipment to board first. This would also apply to people with walkers, casts, or crutches. Really anyone who cannot stand and who could be injured climbing the steps of the bus can access these accommodations.

Sometimes the other people in line can be the problem. I have a policy that I have developed. If people are rude and inappropriate to Nadiya privately then I deal with them privately. If they are publicly offensive then I publicly deal with them. On this past trip I had two very similar experiences. As I approached the driver to make sure he saw Nadiya a man in the front of the line yelled obnoxiously, "This is the front of the line. The back is that way." So I turned to him, smiled and loudly explained, "Yeah, well we have a child in a wheelchair. She needs to get on first." I spoke clearly and loudly emphasizing the word "wheelchair". In both cases the men were apologetic and no doubt embarrassed. This is highly effective in a crowd especially if you are appropriate and not picking a fight but instead educating the ignorant. People tend Many of the pediatric wheelchairs look like strollers. Where this style is often preferred by parents it causes a lot of confusion. Since there are many over sized and over aged kids riding in strollers at Disney this confuses people. I always hold up Nadiya's handicap card, which I will discuss later, to let the driver know that Nadiya needs wheel chair access. If the driver does not see me or nod to me I walk across the front of the line to tell him as the door opens. If the driver loads the bus before letting your child board then there may not be enough space for the wheelchair. Usually the driver smiles and acknowledges that he or she saw Nadiya. Sometimes they ask if it is a wheelchair. Either way is proactively and politely ensures Nadiya's needs will be met. The drivers are generally wonderful with Nadiya. Sometimes they are unfamiliar with Nadiya's chair so David shows them where the metal loops are for the bus belts and he often assists them. We also tell them the chair is crash tested. This is good because the next time they see a Convaid Cruiser like Nadiya's they will know. to side with the family with the disabled child and not the inappropriate and rude person. If they would have quietly confronted me I would have given them the same respect and quietly explained. Maybe these men learned a lesson. It is important to assess the situation. There were many wheelchairs that I saw that resembled strollers. I visually assessed the child and the chair to quickly realize they were disabled. I know Nadiya looks typical at a glance but if you watch for a minute or two it is easy to see that she is older and extremely impaired. Her neurological problems are evident pretty quickly. Disabled children are sometimes invisible to others. It is important to comprehend a situation before you get into a confrontation. I feel it is my mission to educate people and make the world a better place for the truly disabled. Important Protocol for Buses I believe this is very important information for people to know. There is a sign posted in each Disney bus indicating the select seats which are priority seating for wheelchairs and scooters. It states that passengers must give up these seats. So if a partially full bus pulls up then the driver must ask people to move from the handicap seats if there is a wheelchair or scooter. That is what the drivers are told in training according to a Disney resort worker assigned to the resorts bus stop. If they do not do this you can report them so make sure you see their name tag. We had one incident where the driver did not ask anyone to move and told David and I that there was no room for Nadiya on the bus. Through the window I clearly saw people sitting in the handicap seats so wheelchairs were not already occupying them. He then allowed about twenty passengers to board the bus leaving Nadiya to wait for the next one. He was required to ask the people to move. If I had known that then I would have asked him, "Sir have you asked anyone to move?" He was clearly avoiding a confrontation. What he failed to realize is that he will have an even more uncomfortable confrontation if a parent with a disable child gets hold of him. The passengers have the right to refuse to move and then the bus driver can't do anything about it. Seriously though do you know anyone who would deny a child in a wheelchair their seat so that they can safely ride? If you know someone that selfishly rude then answer this...would they deny that child in front of a bus load of people? Probably not. If the handicap places are taken on the bus already then that is acceptable or if the bus is completely full and no one is able to get on then that is also an acceptable reason for them to deny Nadiya access. What that driver did was discriminatory and I am sure it was because he didn't want to ask the adults sitting there to move. Had I known to report him I was assured there would have been follow up. It won't happen again. As a family you need to know that you may have to stand but your child will get the accommodations they need. If the bus isn't crowded your family is entitled to sit with the disabled child. If you know how this works then your transportation experience will be much better. The Parks    Anastasiya, Nadiya, and David on "It's A Small World" When you arrive at the parks you will have to go through a security check to enter. This is pretty quick even though we have a lot of bags. Nadiya carries her backpack and lunch cooler bag for her Ketogenic meals on her wheelchair. We have a camera and Anastasiya and I each have a small purse. We are able to split the bags up between us and quickly have them check. Be ready and you'll get through without incident.  Once in the park go immediately to Guest Services. Ask them for a handicap pass. I find if I explain that Nadiya is severely disabled and will need to remain in her chair for some rides or transfer with one of us carrying her they get it. The first year we were given the wrong pass because the park worker thought Nadiya was a young child in a stroller. It took about two days for us to have that corrected. Now we know. We get a red card to show the ride attendants and there is a red tag on her chair indicating that it is a wheelchair and not a stroller. Still you will need to actively inform park workers of this as they will continue to ask you if the chair is a stroller. Kids who are in more standard looking wheelchairs will probably not have this happen.     The girls with Ariel  Your card entitles your child and family up to 6 people to use the fast pass lane or handicap lane, if it is separate, to board the ride. It is significantly faster. Sometimes it is difficult for a disabled child to wait in long lines for an extended period of time. Their level of discomfort from the crowd, heat, or being confined to a wheelchair can be intense. Disney recognizes the need for accommodating these children and adults for that matter.           Nadiya on the Teacup ride Some of the rides are equipped to accommodate your child's wheelchair. It is amazing how many different ways we have seen this work. Some of the rides require transfer into the seat. Nadiya is able to do this on many rides if we sit with her. The staff will stop or slow down the ride to get your child on the ride if you require it . I am very uncomfortable with the moving platforms while I am carrying Nadiya. David does a lot better with this set up. The staff will work with you but sometimes we have had to make them understand the situation.  The Haunted Mansion ride comes to mind. We got on this ride 3 or 4 times over the course of our trip. One time a guy wanted us to carry Nadiya a challenging distance rather than allow her wheelchair to the furthest point possible. He assumed that because we were transferring her we could do this. I had to tell him that Nadiya is 49 pounds and cannot walk with assistance under these conditions. It was narrow and dark and there were other people walking through. he understood and Nadiya was accommodated. Sometimes you may need to spell it out.   Nadiya rides Toy Story in her wheelchair  The Toy story ride in Hollywood Studios was great. Not only did it accommodate Nadiya's wheelchair but there was an adapted button on the gun so that she could play the arcade game. Every time Nadiya gets on this ride she immediately pushed the button and grabs the wheel to turn the gun. She knows how this works.   Nadiya signs beautiful as she is loaded into the boat ride.                                                 In the Magic Kingdom there is a boat ride that has a lift that safely lifts Nadiya in her chair onto the boat. The safari ride in Animal Kingdom allows a wheelchair in the first car. There are accommodations and handicap seating in all of the Disney shows. You just have to make your needs known to a cast or staff member and they will tell you what is available.  Nadiya on the safari These accommodations mean the world to a family with a disabled child. It is uplifting to see Nadiya so excited and happy. She expressed pure joy to be included. Nadiya does not have a sign for to express her appreciation of something beyond "I like". Lately she has been signing "beautiful" to describe things that are truly wonderful to her. She signed "beautiful" throughout the trip. She signed "play" since she does not have a sign for "ride" Being able to ride these attractions and be included in the fun was absolutely wonderful for Nadiya. Don't be afraid to ask questions about the appropriateness of rides. Ride yourself first to see if it is manageable for your child. David and I have done this before. For those of you with typical children who travel to Disney with your families maybe this will give you some insight as to why some people are given the privilege of using this handicap line. It is easy to become frustrated when you have been waiting a lot longer, especially when it is hot and your kids are complaining. Just know that I would give anything to have Nadiya stand and wait in that hot line and verbally complain in actual English. This isn't the case for us. Disney has found a way to make the experience a little easier for families who struggle every day just with daily life. Cut them some slack and say a prayer of thanks that you are not managing what they are managing. It frustrates us when we are met with impatience and lack of understanding. Being able to include Nadiya on our vacation is a big deal. We know this is also true for other families with a disabled child. We know the privilege is abused and I will talk about that later on. It doesn't take long to realize why a family needs this accommodation if they are truly disabled.  David and Anastasiya ride together on Toy Story Helpful Management Ideas Lets talk about the food...   If you have feeding challenges Disney is still doable. As most know Nadiya is on the Ketogenic diet and has been for over 6 years now. Disney is familiar with the Ketogenic diet and in some cases may be able to prepare Keto meals with guidance. Since Nadiya is not a "typical" child with epilepsy she has many other disabilities that complicate her life. Feeding difficulties that include chewing and swallowing make it difficult for Nadiya to eat regular foods. Nadiya requires pureed foods or foods that are considered a soft mechanical diet. Though we are working on challenging textures in feeding clinic Disney isn't the best place for us to manages those foods. David makes Nadiya's meals for the day in our kitchen at our resort. We put them in a cooler type lunch bag with ice packs. Nadiya gets breakfast in the room. We are able to manipulate the diet so that the meals are still evenly spaced but that she is eating with us at the restaurants for the most part. There are snacks and occasional meals that must be given to Nadiya while we are in the park. We can manage either situation. Unfortunately there is a Florida state law now that prevents restaurants from heating up food that is brought in by a family. This was a huge obstacle at first but we found a solution. The waiter can bring you a bowl of very hot water and a towel. Most table service restaurants can provide a large enough bowl of hot water for you to sit your sealed container of food in to heat up. Place the towel over the bowl to hold the heat in. Nadiya's pureed foods heated quickly with this method. The ketogenic diet has a lot of butter in the meals. It is important to melt the butter to make the meal more appetizing. Quick service food areas are not as accommodating. They usually have a cup of hot water for tea and that is it. You will have to transfer your food into a small container to soak it in such a small cup. If you plan ahead you can avoid this. The other option is the baby care stations. There is one in each park usually located in the entrance area near customer service. These areas have a changing area suitable for babies and large disabled kids assuming you can lift them to the table. There is a small toddler size public toilet and an area with a microwave to heat up food. These centers are very nice but not convenient if you are on the other side of the park. If you plan accordingly you won't run into a problem. For tube fed children the baby care center is a great place to feed your child. It is semiprivate, clean, and comfortable.  The park and resort restaurants address food allergies as well. you must make the staff aware of any food allergies your child may have. If you are bringing your own food for your child for medical reasons you may have to indicate that. I also have a signed doctor's note on a script that says Nadiya is on a strict Ketogenic diet and must only consume food prepared by us. If you plan ahead and know what to expect you will manage meals with little difficulty. We even took Nadiya to meals that were included in a show. She did everything we did but ate her own food instead of the buffet or menu provided. A Case of Bathroom Management.... This is my least favorite topic because it is my most frustrating and challenging task. Nadiya is 49 lbs and about 48 inches tall. At home she uses an adapted potty but in public she does not have access to this. She is too small for a public toilet but too large for a typical changing table. Disney is somewhat of the exception. Most parks have large metal or solid surface changing tables. Magic Kingdom's changing tables are the largest having much room to spare. Epcot's are the smallest where I barely fit Nadiya diagonally. If you have a large child, stay away from the crowded quick service restaurant bathrooms especially in Epcot. They are short on space so their bathrooms are small and the changing tables are for infants only. The companion restrooms are usually occupied since many elderly people use them. If you are not near a baby care station your best bet is the large public restrooms in the parks. Down Town Disney's bathrooms only have flimsy plastic baby changing tables so you may have difficulty there. In the other parks the large bathrooms are easiest to manage in. Before I get Nadiya out of her wheelchair I get long strips of paper towel to paper the changing table. I get Nadiya's wipes then her diaper and Poise pad inserted and set up before I even put her on the table. I change her quickly and get her back in her chair. It is easier if there is someone efficient to help me. My friend Lisa and I had it down to a science. There are some drawbacks that you should prepare for. Most facilities have a paper towel dispenser and a trashcan next to the changing table. A few do not. Assess the work area and get what you need before removing your child from their wheelchair. Sometimes the changing table is directly behind a handicap stall with a swinging door. I have handled this a few ways since I was almost taken out by the door one day and Nadiya's wheelchair has been hit by someone swinging the door open. I am aware if someone is in the stall and I wait to hear the toilet flush so I can grab the door when they swing it open if possible. If someone goes to use the stall next I ask them to be careful that they don't hit us when they come out. If the stall is empty I have parked Nadiya's wheelchair in front of it. A non disabled person can wait until Nadiya is safe and clear or use another stall. Should a disabled person need to use it I would move her chair but that has never happened. Touchy Toilet Tribulations  Always remember you are your child's voice. I will say my incidents in the bathroom are becoming less as Nadiya gets older. Two years ago women yelled at me saying to get to the end of the line. I had to reply with, "My child needs a changing table; were you going to use it?" This shut them up but made me angry. Technically Nadiya gets first dibs on a handicap stall should she be able to use the large toilet if no other disabled person is waiting for it. This goes back to the idea of assessing the situation because I am sure they thought her chair was a stroller back then. This time no one said anything to me as I went past a line to find the changing table. In years past I had several occasions where a mother plopped their infant on a large changing table at Nadiya's feet completely oblivious that Nadiya could kick their baby into next week. Each time the mother was a non-English speaking tourist. They understood "no" but I'm pretty sure they didn't understand that Nadiya could cause their child to have a traumatic brain injury. I found this to be very frustrating. This time I said, once again to a foreign guest, " No, don't. My child has Cerebral Palsy. She will kick your baby in the head". This was accompanied by hand gestures. The woman got it and let me finish. For the most part people were friendly and waited patiently. They watched me lifting this 49 lb eight year old onto a changing table. They saw she did not have full command over her body. Most were compassionate and friendly. There was one bad experience in the bathroom this past trip. Lisa and I were managing a poop explosion that we did not have an adequate amount of wipes for. Anastasiya and Lisa were wetting paper towels at this point. Nadiya's chair was parked by the handicap stall and we had our hands full...literally. A clueless woman with two perfectly healthy school aged children stood behind us waiting with a confused and somewhat impatient look. She asked if she could get by. I asked her if she needed the changing table knowing that wasn't likely the case. She looked at the handicap stall and said she needed the big stall. Now there is a difference between need and want. Sure, many moms use the large stall with their kids. This is fine if there isn't a disabled person who needs it and in our case we needed the space to clean Nadiya up. All I said was she would have to wait a few minutes until we were able to get Nadiya back in her wheelchair. Remember that word "wheelchair" can snap the oblivious back into reality. I did not have to remind her that she wasn't a priority for the handicap stall because she quickly agreed to use a regular stall. This really bothered me because it was a reminder that so many people are disconnected and unmindful of anyone else. They are not faced with the challenges we have so therefore they are unconcerned. It makes me grateful to those who do see the challenge and are part of the solution rather than the problem. These are things you will have to deal with before going on this trip. If you are consumed with anger over other people's careless attitudes you will not enjoy yourself. Decide how you will confront these moments in advance and it won't consume your trip. The Company That You Keep Sometimes it is best to go on your trip with others as long as they are a good fit and can be helpful. If you go with family or friends who create more chaos than comfort that may not be good for you're family. We once went on a trip to Europe with a friend who wandered off through villages and cities in search of the perfect sausage. He never told anyone where he was going; he just disappeared. We spent way too much time looking for this guy. We didn't have children yet and so we dealt with it. In our situation now he would not be a good travel companion. We had friends who were at Disney at the same time we were. One family was there for half of our trip and the other for the entire trip. In addition my parents and my sister's family were there at the same time. We did not stay with any of them but we met with each of them at different points. Know your pace. Our family keeps moving and we like to see as much as possible. Our friend's have children the same age and they are similar to us but the kids have different favorites. My sister's kids are younger and they enjoy Disney at a slower pace. That is all OK but we go our separate ways for some things and come together for others. Know your pace and your interests and match activities accordingly. You do not have to be tied to one another to enjoy the trip together. If it looks like a duck it isn't always a duck... There is a phenomenon at Disney called the scooter. Scooters are not really wheelchairs. I believe the original purpose of these scooters was to assist the elderly or those with orthopedic problems that prevented them from walking long distances. The reality is that anyone can rent a scooter and they do. Most feel that with the scooters come all of the accommodations and privileges that a disabled person would get. As a result they are renting handicap accommodations. Nadiya has had to wait while a completely capable person with a rented scooter got on a ride or on a bus. We have had to wait for another bus because a bus was filled with scooters. Where I recognize that there are many people who need a scooter there are just as many, if not more, who do not. They abuse the handicap accommodations and there isn't anything that can be done about it. I would like to see Disney require a doctor's note to document a person's disability in order for them to get a card. Anyone can rent a scooter but anyone shouldn't be able to use the handicap line and seating. Disney does not require documentation. There have been cast members who have recognized the difference between Nadiya's impairment and that of a person renting a scooter but that isn't always the case. A few years ago we saw a family with a courtesy wheelchair taking turns in it. That sickens me because I would gladly give them Nadiya's chair if she could be "typical". If the price for the handicap line was that they had to have a child as impaired as Nadiya I am sure they would pass. Obviously they do not think of it that way. I am not including people with casts, injuries, and orthopedic or medical problems that affect mobility in my judgment. They are legitimate. There are other people there just like you... Nadiya dancing with her new friend You will not be the only family managing a disabled child. There is a kinship among these families. They often smile or not in appreciation and recognition for what you are managing. Many will talk to you and compare notes. This can be helpful if they have tried something you haven't and can give some insight. We were waiting for a boat to Camp Wilderness for Mickey's Backyard Barbecue. A girl with special needs approached Nadiya and said hello. We then began to talk to the other family and since they had 2 children with wheelchairs they were seated at the table next to us for dinner. The kids danced together and had a great time. Another family approached us at Hoop-Dee-Doo and asked about Nadiya's condition since she seemed so similar to their son. We have had families comment on Nadiya's wheelchair. I saw a family with a disabled child exit a ride and I was able to ask where the wheelchair entrance was. They are usually open and friendly. I saw a child who was on a vent get on the It's A Small World ride. Even if you think it will be difficult others have done this and it worked out for them. There are many children from the Make A Wish Foundation at Disney since that is often their wish. They manage this trip with success and we see so many of them smiling. Special children get special treatment... We had dinner one night at Marrakesh which is the Moroccan restaurant. Nadiya enjoyed watching the belly dancer and listening to the live music. the man playing the sitar spotted Nadiya and came over to her and played for her up close and personal. He did not do this for anyone else. A waiter brought her a fez to wear while having her picture taken. They were so good to her. Nadiya is noticed where often in the world she is ignored and forgotten. At Disney everyone goes out of their way to ensure that she is having a good experience.   Nadiya loved the Christmas lights Me with Anastasiya and Nadiya at the Dance party Nadiya finally asleep with Nemo For us this trip gives us many wonderful memories to cherish. Life is uncertain. We want to have as many of these moments as we can which is why we go to Disney every other year. This past trip was the best. Nadiya was so engaged and so excited. She loved the trip and all of the adventures. Our friends convinced us to get on the dinosaur ride in Animal Kingdom. David and I put Nadiya between us and held on to her tight. I had an arm across her chest and held her hand and another arm between her legs so she wouldn't slide. David held onto her as well and she wore a belt restraint but the ride was wild. I was horrified and couldn't wait for it to end but Nadiya was laughing and squealing with delight. When the ride was over she signed, "Favorite". The next day we were on the hydroponic garden ride in Epcot and Nadiya's signed, "Want favorite"! When we saw all of the Christmas lights Nadiya signed, "Excited" and "Beautiful". She loved the rides and the shows and the overall experience. We spread her meals out from 8:00 am until 9:00 pm so that Nadiya would have energy for the long days. She remained seizure free and her stamina was amazing. We usually headed to the bus stop between 8:00 and 10:00 in the morning and didn't return until arounf midnight. While all of the other children were melting down on the bus and falling asleep, Nadiya was laughing and still ready to party. When the trip was over and we finally got home, we put Nadiya to bed. She had her own meltdown and was crying and signing, "All done". She was sad to see it all come to an end. We will always remeber this trip and we will look forward to the next one. Each time we go we learn more and it gets a little easier. I remeber be aprehensive the first time we went to Disney. Now we can't wait for our fourth trip in 2014. It is an experience that you grow and learn with. No matter how much work it is there is no other place on earth so accommodating that brings such happiness.