A Great Big, Beautiful Tomorrow

The Etter family did the unfathomable:  We took a family vacation to Disney World!  Now, for a family that has been there 5 times in the last 8 years, this feat in and of itself isn't remarkable.  What is shocking, however, is that we did it with our newest family member - and we all lived to tell about it!

You see, as Disney Vacation Club members, we have a very vested interest in Niky's tolerance for the most magical place on earth and all things Disney in general.  This trip, booked before he even joined our family, was slated to determine the future of Etter family vacations.

We prepped.

As annual pass holders for Six Flags, we had plenty of opportunities in the fall to take Niky to a fast-paced, crowded amusement park.  He did remarkably well and even enjoyed every ride he went on.

We also spent lots of time at home watching YouTube videos of Disney attractions and POV tours of our resort hotel.  Yes, you can watch full length, professional quality videos of the Tiki Room from the comfort of your living room til your heart's content!

On the Enchanted Teacups!

We planned.

Trust me when I say this trip was planned with precision from the very beginning.  From the location of our resort which was walking distance to the Magic Kingdom, to the flight times which were built around mealtimes to keep the kids occupied on the plane, we set the bar extremely low for ourselves.  We only focused on Magic Kingdom, picking a different section of the park to visit each day.  We were able to walk back to our resort each day for lunchtime and naps.   One whole day was set aside as a pool day, to rest, relax and recuperate from any sensory overload.

We also took advantage of Disney's Disability Access Services.  They have a tremendous resource for any family with a member who has special needs.  In our case, Niky's Sensory Processing and Non-verbal conditions qualified us for this service which basically held our place in line without actually having to wait in the queue.  Hooray for Disney for having something like this!!

Aladdin's Magic Carpet Ride

We played.

Turns out, Niky loves roller coasters and teacups.  He loves bright lights and music.  He loves Dole Whips and the monorail, and he's particularly fond of character dining buffets.  He was fascinated by Goofy's whiskers and gave Mickey a great big hug.  I think it's safe to say Disney runs in his blood, which is a good thing for the Etters.

Of course the vacation had it's high moments (seeing him hug Mickey Mouse for the first time) and low moments (two four-year-olds, 1 stroller...you do the math!)  There were a fair amount of meltdowns.  Oh, and Niky had some too!  (See what I did there?)  Disney is major sensory overload for everyone.

But it's also the most magical place on earth.  And we're already planning our next trip!