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[BellaBugz]

My daughter has cerbral palsy. She has low tone thru out her body. She is actually quite mobile with only the occasional falls from her "wobbly" ankles. She has very poor fine motor control. It is also hard for most people outside of the family to understand her. She wears pull ups because she has control issues. My questions are: Are there any rides where you need to actually hold on?? (This is something that she really couldn't do.) Do the rides like Buzz Lightyear and the other one (can't remember its name) require you to push buttons to shoot? (Also something she would not be able to do.) I am also considering booking a pirate adventure for her and her brother. On one brochure it said the children needed to be potty trained to participate. Would they make an exception for her because it is a part of her disability? Is it even a good idea for me to send her on something like this? Does anyone else on this board have a child with CP or a nonverbal or child with a huge speech impairment? How do you handle the character interactions? How did the characters respond to the children if they couldn't understand what they were saying?

Thanks for any and all the advice ahead of time.

[SueM loves WDW]

A little about my youngest daughter before I reply to your questions.
She is now 23 years old and has been coming with us to WDW at least twice a year since she was a year old.
She has mixed type of cerebral palsy and most of her doctors has said she has more mixture than most people they have ever seen. She varies from rag-doll low tone to what I call "Barbie Tone" (very stiff with joints that move with great difficulty) all on the same day. She also has some atheoid movements and when she is exited, there are arms and legs flying all over.
She used to walk with a walker, but now only uses a gait trainer to walk because, as she grew taller, it was just too difficult for her to balance with her very strange, back bending gait and she needs the support of the gait trainer. She does have pretty good gross motor control of her arms (although lifting against gravity is hard for her), but she has many fine motor challenges.
She understands everything, but is non-verbal. She knows quite a few signs, but even people in the family have trouble understanding them because she tends to simplify them to whatever parts are easiest for her to do.
She also has attention deficit disorder, obsessive compulsive tendencies and seizures.

Originally Posted by BellaBugz

My daughter has cerbral palsy. She has low tone thru out her body. She is actually quite mobile with only the occasional falls from her "wobbly" ankles.

It's not clear to me whether you are intending her to walk at the parks or not, but I would highly recommend bringing a wheelchair or stroller for her. Most people don't realize how much they walk in a day at WDW - I've seen estimates of anything from 3 miles per day to 9 miles per day. Because of her tone, she will be using more energy than the rest of you to walk the same distance.

If you are traveling by air and are bringing a wheelchair or stroller from home, you can gate check it at the airport at no cost and it will not count toward your baggage allowance. It would be useful to have a wheelchair or stroller at the airport because the distance from the airport entrance to the plane gate is pretty far. You can get wheelchair assistance at the airport, but the wheelchairs they supply are adult size and our daughter can't sit in one of them because they are way too wide and don't provide any support.
If you don't have a wheelchair or stroller, check with your Physical Therapist or school - they may be aware of lending closets in your area where you can borrow one. There are places in the WDW area where you can rent a special needs stroller (basically, a stroller made for older children) or a pediatric wheelchair.

She has very poor fine motor control. It is also hard for most people outside of the family to understand her. She wears pull ups because she has control issues. My questions are: Are there any rides where you need to actually hold on?? (This is something that she really couldn't do.) Do the rides like Buzz Lightyear and the other one (can't remember its name) require you to push buttons to shoot? (Also something she would not be able to do.)

If she has a wheelchair, there are attractions with special cars that can hold a wheelchair. Buzz Lightyear is one of those. That would put her in a better position to push the button to shoot the cannon. She may be able to push the button by hitting it or (like my daughter), she may decide it is not worth the effort and just watches (there is a lot to watch) or she swings her cannon around without firing it. There is also a joystick in the middle of the 'control panel' that controls the direction the ride car is facing. If she is able to do that, she may enjoy moving the ride car around.
The other attraction I think you are talking about is Toy Story Mania at the Studio. That also has a wheelchair car. The wheelchair location has a push button; the 'regular' seats have a string to pull.

I am also considering booking a pirate adventure for her and her brother. On one brochure it said the children needed to be potty trained to participate. Would they make an exception for her because it is a part of her disability? Is it even a good idea for me to send her on something like this?

You are correct that the potty trained part does not apply to her because not being trained is related to her disability. Those programs are licensed as child care providers and need to follow the ADA as far as making reasonable accommodations for disabilities. One accommodation might be to have her in a pull up, have you with a beeper or cell phone number so that they can call you with questions or of she needs care (like changing a pull up) that they can't provide.
The age of the brother may be a consideration - if he is old enough to help 'translate' for her, that would be helpful.

Does anyone else on this board have a child with CP or a nonverbal or child with a huge speech impairment? How do you handle the character interactions? How did the characters respond to the children if they couldn't understand what they were saying?

Thanks for any and all the advice ahead of time.

Each character has a handler working with them. I usually clue in the handler a bit - i.e. she understands, but can't speak. That works very well and one of us is nearby to 'translate' what she is trying to say.
Keep in mind that the characters are pretty used to children who can't talk. Many kids with special needs visit WDW each year. Plus, they see many little kids who are too young to talk. So, your child won't be the only non-speaker they see,

[BellaBugz]

Thank you so much for this info!!! I know I am being an overly worried momma. Thank you for helping quell my fears. I just get worried that Bella (my DD) would feel left out or different somehow. It is good to know that Disney deals with these kind of issues all the time and are very well equppied to handle them.

[eff051102]

Originally Posted by BellaBugz

Thank you so much for this info!!! I know I am being an overly worried momma. Thank you for helping quell my fears. I just get worried that Bella (my DD) would feel left out or different somehow. It is good to know that Disney deals with these kind of issues all the time and are very well equppied to handle them.

Disney goes all out to support people with medical/physical issues (IHMO) and
once you go you will be ready to plan your next trip right away. My BFF loves
Disney because her niece gets to be like all other little kids when there. Her
niece is in a wheelchair.

[taylan1]

My DS has mobility issues and is also nonverbal, he loves WDW. We do use his wheelchair when at the parks, no need to exhaust him and have meltdowns. I have found that the CM's are absolutely fabulous with him and make every effort to cater to his needs. The character handlers are wonderful as well and all the characters(human as well) are just fantastic with him. They all took the time to make sure that he got what he needed from them and just did a wonderful job. They were all gentle and very kind. As for the rides, most of the rides had some sort of restraint or they could take his wheelchair. I recommend Passporter's Open Mouse, it has a lot of information on the rides and how to access them and the restraints, etc. Have a fabulous trip.

[Sandra Bostwick]

Yes, great advice, Sue. This is a great example of how the internet can bring people with similar needs together.

Are there any other questions Bella Bugz?