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Jun
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Posted by Little Miss Know it All
June 6, 2007 |
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Its that time of year again…school vacation. The time of year when all the little darlings are at home again, happy to be free of school, and BORED TO TEARS. Yes, its only 10 am on the first day of summer vacation and you are already pulling your hair out. By the end of the first week you find yourself yelling “I don’t care where you play, or what you play, just go outside and play!”
We have two young kids in our family. Kate, our three year old is bold and brash, and very used to having the run of the house. Dylan, our six year old, is on the autism spectrum, and used to having control of his world, keeping a tight rein on how things are done around him. He also functions best with a strict schedule, while Kate prefers to scream a bloody fit whenever structure is imposed upon her. When brother and sister are forced into a small space together, one screams and pushes, the other cries, whines and melts down.
Oh, what a joy the summer is.
So this year, we’ve bought season passes to the local amusement park/water park, Kings Island. We consider it a very wise investment towards our sanity. Once a week we can travel up to the park, let them swim, spin and bounce to their heart’s content. A big plus is that its great therapy for Dylan–all of that spinning, swimming and bouncing is excellent sensory input, creating a calmer, saner child for us at home. But amusement parks aren’t cheap, so here’s my survival tips for visiting your local park without breaking the bank or losing your cool!
- Most amusement parks have special needs assistance, even Disneyworld. Call and ask for their Guest Services, and ask about special passes for special needs children. Disney and Kings Island both have passes for autistic children that allow them to bypass long lines, the kind that guarantee a quick and messy meltdown in sensitive children. You still have to wait, but often in a quiet waiting area, or by entering through the exit and waiting till other members of your party come through the line. At Disney, you automatically enter via the Fastpass lane.
- Plan your day with plenty of breaks. If you are travelling to the park, make sure you can return to the hotel for a rest at midday. Your kids will object, but a quick rest is good for all of you. You miss the hottest part of the day, and have more stamina to hold out for the end of day fireworks or parades. If you live close to the park and have passes, consider visiting during the evening hours, or early morning, missing the crowds and the heat.
- Take turns picking rides. Especially with autistic children who love to be in control, give them the opportunity to be in control of say, two or three rides, but let the other family members pick too. This has been a wonderful tip for Dylan, who would ride Sporticus’ helicopters all day long if I let him, the most boring ride I’ve ever been on! (You actually pedal the cars!) Last weekend we visited Kings Island and my pick was the Scooby Doo ride, a verison of Buzz Lightyear at Disney and a family favorite. Dylan had been afraid to try the Scooby Doo ride, but we told him he had to stand in line with us, but if we got to the cars and he didn’t want to ride, he didn’t have to. One of us would sit with him while the others rode the ride. By the time we got to the cars, the fear was gone, and he rode it happily. He got off the ride singing the song and begging to ride again! Same with the kiddie coaster, it was Kate’s choice, Dylan tried it and loved it!
- Take snacks. If you have special needs children, they will likely allow you to bring food into the park that is specialized to their needs. Even if they don’t, eat before you arrive and have snacks in the car for leaving time. If someone can walk out to the car, have them go get snacks and meet them at the gate for a quick snack break. When a bottle of water is $3 and slices of pizza are $5, you’ll save money even if you stop at McDonald’s on the way in! Kings Island told us that as long as my son needs the snacks, its okay for us to bring it in. We don’t abuse that, bringing in only some protein and carb snacks that keep him from melting down when he gets tired, along with instant kool aid packets to add to water we buy in the park.
- Buy the nighttime glow-wear before coming into the park. You know what I mean, all those flashing bracelets, necklaces and hats that are irresistable after dark. The kind that your kids will bring out their best, this-one-always-works-on-mom whines for. Go to your local dollar store, or www.orientaltrading.com and buy the glow in the dark bracelets for cheap, and whip them out at dusk. We spent $2 at our dollar store and walked out with two necklaces and four bracelets. They were selling the bracelets for $3 a piece at the park. The kids won’t know the difference, but your wallet sure will! By the way, this also works great at carnivals, the circus and any other kid-concert/event. Who wants to pay $15 for a flashing Wiggles flashlight that will die in two days? Go to your dollar store and buy a flashing/spinning light thingy and pull it out as your kid starts begging–they’ll be happy.
- Bring a wagon or stroller, or rent one from the park. At Disney, we rented theirs, and they are wonderful. But at $18 a pop for a double stroller, we can’t do that this summer. Even with Dylan being 6, its too much to expect him to do all that walking and remain happy. In Disney, I highly recommend renting, even though its an extra expense. Their strollers are light and easy to push, have pockets for your stuff, and dry quickly in the summer showers. Its also very much worth it when you consider the lugging on and off of a stroller onto buses, trams, etc. Trust me, lug a stroller onto a packed Disney bus and you’ll get a whole bunch of dirty looks and grumbles as you take up space and time. Besides, the park strollers make your kids almost weightless, a truly magical trick.
- Watch the fireworks from the car! Ask at Guest Relations if the fireworks show will be visable from the parking lot, then go out before the show begins. You can sit on a blanket or on top of the car, and watch the fireworks, then hop in the car and skeedaddle before the crowds navigate the turnstiles.
- Tag your kids. I’ve read about wearing similar t-shirts, but my family is not that coordinated. So we’ve taken old conference name badges and replaced the conference tag with one that has their name, my cell phone number, and directions to take them to Guest Relations. It says “My Mommy is Looking for Me! Please take me to Guest Relations.” I pray and hope they never get used, but just in case…its nice to know that we’re prepared, just in case.
- Even on the sunniest of days, pack an umbrella. You never know when those pop up showers will roll in! Its an extra plus when the kids are hot and tired and the only seating you can find is in full sun. Open the umbrella and rest in the shade for a few minutes. Don’t forget a super soak towel (get them in camp stores)–you will really appreciate them after that rain shower (drying off seats) or after that water ride!
Lastly, know when to call it quits. You may be holding out for the fireworks at the end of the night, but is it worth the battling if you are all hot, sweaty and cranky? Make sure to drink lots of fluids and stagger your breaks. Don’t run from one side of the park to the other–work in a circle and you’ll save your feet some work. Take some time and investigate their website, then look for private websites that list all the perks, pluses and tricks of that particular park. You will find invaluable information!
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[…] definitely time to add some fun, or maybe find some fun out of the house. Heather Tenney presents Surviving the Amusement Park posted at Truth in […]
[…] definitely time to add some fun, or maybe find some fun out of the house. Heather Tenney presents Surviving the Amusement Park posted at Truth in […]
Thanks for sharing this with the Carnival of SAHMs! This is a great post, thanks for the tips.
Great tips! We just returned from WDW and I wanted to let you and your readers know about something I found before our trip - temporary tatoos that say “To reach my parents, call (cell phone number)” My co-workers made fun of me for ordering them, but once we were there, several moms stopped us and asked where we got them. The website is http://www.tottoos.org/
Thanks!
Emily
http://momminitup.com
Thanks so much for the tip about the Tottoos site. I just saw them on the news.
They even make glow lights that come with special decals you write your phone number or emergency info on. They luminesce so you can read the writing in the dark. Totally cool idea!