Tag: Travel

Quick Tips for Sensory-Friendly Theme Park Travel

On By justmymomsenseIn Sensory Resources, TravelLeave a comment

If you’re a parent or caregiver of a neurodivergent child, the thought of visiting a theme park can feel both exciting and overwhelming. Between the crowds, the noise, and the unexpected moments, there’s a lot to navigate. But here’s the good news: with the right tools and preparation, places like Disney World, Universal Orlando, and Legoland Florida can be magical for our sensory-sensitive kiddos.

In the latest episode of the Just My MomSense Podcast, I’m sharing some quick tips and tricks I’ve learned from traveling to these parks with my kids. Whether you’re planning your first big theme park adventure or want to improve the experience for your family, this episode is for you.

Listen to the full episode here or on your favorite podcasting platform!

To go along with the episode, I’ve created a printable Sensory Friendly Vacation Prep Kit available now in my Etsy shop:

  • Visual Schedule Cards to help kids understand the flow of the day
  • “My Day” prompt sheets to prep for big outings
  • “I Did It!” badge to celebrate bravery
  • “I Need a Break” card for when communication gets tough

Grab the kit here on Etsy

There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to sensory needs and that’s okay! What matters most is meeting your child where they are and giving yourself grace as you go. Theme parks can be a great experience for you and your family.

Have a favorite sensory travel tip? A must-visit quiet spot at a park? Share in the comments or send me a message I’d love to hear from you!

30 Day Writing Challenge | Day 13 Update

On By justmymomsenseIn Travel, writing challenge4 Comments

I have a confession to make.

I have missed one day of my writing challenge. That day, was yesterday.

On Thursday, I went away for a few days and made sure to schedule blogs so I didn’t miss anything. Only to come home Sunday and then needing Monday to recover.

I have decided that I will do 2 blogs today to make up for yesterday! Do I have a plan for what I’ll be writing in this one or the next? Nope! So we’ll just roll with whatever comes to mind.

Going away solo as a parent is a weird thing. I’ve mentioned in previous blogs that I co-host the Dillo’s Diz Podcast with my brother. It covers our love for Disney, random tangents and some pop culture thrown in along the way. This trip was our first every meetup and it meant so much to us. I’m still processing trying to find the words to explain how much it meant, but I’m not sure I ever will.

We’ve taken a few Dillos trips and they’re always a bit tough for me. My mom guilt kicks in, missing them is a constant and I never want to be away from them for too long. On the flip side, it was great spending time with the friends we’ve made along the way thanks to the podcast and I am so happy we did it.

If you’re a parent and can relate to feeling all the things all at once, comment below and let me know!

<Shameless plug time> If you like Disney, pop culture and hearing siblings tangent, then be sure to check out the Dillo’s Diz Podcast, available on your favorite podcasting platform or by clicking here!

Disney’s Disability Access Service Card

On By justmymomsenseIn Travel1 Comment

Back in 2018, I wrote about visiting Disney World with Sensory Processing difficulties. If you’d like to check out that blog, click here.

We just recently returned from a trip to Walt Disney World. As mentioned in that June 2018 blog, I knew that the Disability Access Service Card existed. For this trip, we decided we would play out how ‘J’ would do in the parks, knowing that this was an option.

Looking back, I’m wishing we did it from Day 1.

The first two days of our trip, we tried to wait on lines that were not too long, take our time moving around the park and getting in breaks during the afternoon. However, even on lines that we didn’t feel were too long (15-20 minutes), ‘J’ felt otherwise. He was extremely overwhelmed waiting on line, in a crowd and felt it would take much longer than we were telling him.

If you’re a parent with a child that does not have sensory processing difficulties, you may be thinking: ‘ok but no kid wants to wait on a line in Orlando summer heat.’ And you’re right! And I don’t like it either. But for ‘J’ it’s different and his reactions to it are different. Just like any other day to day activities that may appear easy for us, they’re not always easy for him. This goes under that same umbrella.

So what is the Disability Access Service (DAS) Card? According to the Disney Parks Blog:

The DAS Card is designed to accommodate guests who aren’t able to wait in a conventional queue environment due to a disability (including non-apparent disabilities). DAS will be issued at Guest Relations main entrance locations and will offer guests a return time for attractions based on the current wait time. As soon as the Guest finishes one attraction, they can receive a return time for another. This service can be used in addition to Disney’s FASTPASS Service and Disney FastPass+ service.

On the third day of our trip, we headed to Hollywood Studios and went straight to Guest Relations. I explained that ‘J’ had sensory processing disorder and found the lines to be…and then the Cast Member finished my sentence with: overwhelming? She took us over to the side and set us up with a DAS from her handheld device. We were told that we would need to go to a specific attraction to get a return time and that the pass would be good for the entire trip. We wouldn’t need to go to guest relations each day to have it set up again.

This pass was a game changer! I could see a weight lifted off of ‘J’ as we went to different rides. He was calmer, less stressed and more excited. Isn’t that how it should be at Disney?

I’m so thankful to Disney for accommodating all of their guests and for their amazing service helping us to obtain our DAS.

If you’d like to learn more, visit the Disney Parks Blog or reach out to Disney Guest Relations!

Let’s Go to CAMP!

On By justmymomsenseIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Before we start, there’s no need to pack your tent, sleeping bags or s’mores ingredients, because I’m referring to a different kind of Camp.

On second thought, you should never not pack s’mores ingredients.

Camp, a family experience company, currently has five locations in three states: New York, Connecticut and Texas. Each location is based on a different camp experience:

  • Base Camp: Explore and discover the wonders of nature, arts & crafts, sports, theatre and fun.
  • Toy Lab Camp: Test and shop for the best toys of the season.
  • Travel Camp: Explore the wonders of the world.
  • Cooking Camp: Explore the evolution of food; from farm to our kitchen table.

You can learn more about Camp by visiting camp.com and by listening to the Magical Mommy Monday Podcast, with special guests Counselor Dan and Counselor Matt!

My work history includes experiential marketing and retail, but hearing about Camp, blew anything I knew out of the water. Being a mom, I love immersive experiences for the whole family and that’s exactly what Camp provides. The best part is, if you’re not near a location, you can take part in their virtual experiences. Unfortunately, I haven’t visited a Camp location yet, but it is on my To-Do list so stay tuned for a follow up!

You can also shop their educational based products in person or online. Here are a few products that stood out to me (descriptions pulled from camp.com):

Fat Brain Dimpl Duo

For 12+ months, one side has silicone buttons embossed with different shapes, with their matching words labeled in English and Braille. Flip the whole thing over and the buttons are smooth, and the words match the colors.

Mad Mattr

For ages 3+, not only is Mad Mattr perfect for creating calm, relaxing and imaginative fun, it’s also great for strengthening fingers, hands, wrists, and more.

Fat Brain SpinAgain

For ages 12 months+, this toy is designed to combine the early developmental benefits of stacking with the thrill of watching colorful discs that corkscrew down, down, down the pole. They can make a rainbow, arrange pieces by size and shape, or just go rogue like some kind of twisted toddler. 

Camp.com is full of Sensory, STEM and Educational toys and books, you definitely need to check out all they have to offer.

You can follow @CampStores on Instagram and Facebook. You can also subscribe to Camp on YouTube for past virtual experiences, as well as Music Mondays!

*I am not affiliate of Camp, nor am I sponsored by Camp. I just think it’s awesome!

JetBlue Junior Play Area at JFK

On By justmymomsenseIn TravelLeave a comment

JetBlue is an airline close to my heart. It has been since it began operatingIMG_0487 18 years ago. That’s a story for another time. For now, let me tell you about my recent trip to JFK.

Traveling with kids can be stressful. Each of ours flew for the first time within the first 6 months of their lives. We try to fly with them more than once a year. One of the most important factors of air travel is ensuring they get some energy out before being forced to sit in a seat for hours at a time.

Last week we went to Disney (yes again, because it’s in our DNA). We flew on JetBlue out of JFK’s Terminal 5. Our timing was a little tight since we went straight from picking ‘J’ up from school. Luckily the lines at security were short and we were able to get to our gate with plenty of time to spare. In order to get some of that energy out, we decided to keep walking and stumbled upon the JetBlue Junior Play Area.

Here, kids get an interactive experience of what it’s like to work for an airline. They can take a plane into the air, help it land on the runway or go behind the scenes of air travel. How cool is that?

If you’re flying in or out of T5 at JFK, be sure to check it out! Here are a few shots with our JetBlue Juniors!

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Co-Pilots ready for takeoff! Next stop: House of the Mouse!

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Ensuring a safe take-off!

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Sometimes you need to delegate.

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Or try your hand at Operations.

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Soar With Reading corner!

Have you heard about Soar With Reading? The following excerpt was taken from JetBlue.com.

“Launched in 2011, JetBlue’s Soar With Reading program was designed to inspire and encourage kids’ imaginations to take flight through reading. The most recent campaign included partners – Random House Children’s Books, Magic Tree House author, Mary Pope Osborne and celebrity ambassador, Victoria Justice – to inspire a love of reading and help the mission.”

Click here to learn more about JetBlue’s Youth and Education Programs. 

Our pre-flight experience just got better and I can’t wait to visit again!

 

Doing Disney with Sensory Processing Difficulties

On By justmymomsenseIn Travel1 Comment

If you are someone with Sensory Processing Difficulties, the idea of Disney World can seem very overwhelming. I mean, it’s overwhelming for people that don’t have these difficulties.

‘J’ was born with Disney DNA. I worked there for two years and prior to that had already visited Disney World about 50 times. In my final three months of working there, my husband started working there as well, which is how we met. Years have passed and we’ve taken many trips on our own. However, at this point, ‘J’ has already been 7 times and ‘Baby J’ has been 3 times.

We tend to do Disney a little differently. We don’t try to see everything we possibly can for everyday we’re there. Growing up, it was my family vacation spot and it was treated like a vacation. We would go to the parks in the morning and at night, with a stop at the pool and usually a nap in the afternoon. This made the trip way more relaxing.

Since we’ve been so often, we’re happy with the idea of just being there. Anything we do there, any ride we go on or restaurant we eat in is great. But if things don’t go as planned, that’s ok too. This makes being the parents of a child with SPD a lot easier. Before becoming parents we already knew future trips would probably be on their terms and schedule. That’s even more true now.

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The last two trips have been very eye opening. Things we thought would trigger him, didn’t and things we didn’t see coming, did. On our last trip, he was all about the Magic Kingdom and on the trip we took last week, it was completely overwhelming and he preferred the other parks. We try to get Fast Passes to help with lines and stick to a go with the flow mentality. If he’s not feeling it, we don’t do it and it doesn’t affect our trip because we know we’ll be back.

However, I am well aware that this is not the case for most. People take a trip once or twice while their kids are young and want to make the most out of the experience. I’ve been doing some research since we got back and Disney, being the amazing Guest orientated company they are, are fully prepared to make anyone with SPD (or any type of cognitive or physical disability) as comfortable as possible.

Once you arrive in Disney,  visit Guest Relations. They will be able to assist you with any questions you have and ensure your stay is magical! When traveling with someone with SPD (even if it’s just to a restaurant), there are certain item that may help them, should they feel overwhelmed in a situation. Remember to include that on your Disney trip. You can also visit the Guest Services portion of the Walt Disney World website for helpful tips and information. Click here to view the Services for Guests with Cognitive Disabilities page. If you’re visiting a different Disney Park, you’ll be able to find a similar page on their respective sites.

Meltdowns will happen and those with (and without) SPD will feel overwhelmed by some of Walt Disney World. My advice would be: don’t be too afraid to try. That pixie dust has been known to work wonders. Perhaps you and your child will feel a connection to Disney you didn’t think was possible. Disney Cast Members are there to help, be sure to take it!

P.S. If you read my previous blog titled “Feelings,” than you know this picture with Joy was a big deal!

How We Travel

On By justmymomsenseIn TravelLeave a comment

We have done road trips and taken quite a few flights in the four years we have been parents.

In another life I worked for an airline so we were used to the basics behind air travel. But of course traveling with an infant or toddler and adding more luggage to the mix is a whole other board game. If they freak out on the plane, then it happens. I can’t stress out worrying about that and you just have to deal with it in the moment like you would any other meltdown. Instead I try to prepare as much as I can so that doesn’t happen.

The key to keeping things calm for us has been snacks and activities.

If you’re traveling with an infant, the snack part can be rough. However, having breast milk or formula available (even if that means they may have a little more than normal), a pacifier if they’ll take it and they’re favorite toys can do wonders. If you can plan a flight so it falls in the midst of their nap or bedtime that can help!

As they get older, it’s good to have sippy cups available for water or milk, small snacks (what kid doesn’t love Cheerios?) and having activities can be a huge help.

Having things from home is great, but I know my kids get pretty excited by new “surprises.” I mean, I like to get some new clothes before a vacation so it makes sense they like something new and exciting too, right?

Trust me, I don’t go crazy with these surprises. The dollar section at Target and the kids aisle at The Dollar Tree are my jam. In my garage I have a bucket of surprises. Items I’ve collected during errands that I save for traveling or in some cases…bribing.

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We kicked off June with a long weekend trip to Disney. We’re kind of Disney freaks. This was ‘J’s’ 7th trip and ‘Baby J’s’ 3rd. I did “splurge” a bit for this one and got them new backpacks that will hold the surprises. ‘Baby J’ has never had one and ‘J’ normally travelsIMG_7405 with a Dr. Seuss one that I’ve upgraded to his current love of Spider-Man.

Both were a hit! They liked wearing the backpacks and checking out what was inside. They came in handy on both plane rides, time in the airport and in between.

Are all trips painless, care free and tear free? Yes, of course!

Just kidding – not at all! But making a few preparations along the way has helped with any of our road and air trips so I’ll keep that going for as long as I can.

If all else fails, there are always electronics as a backup. But honestly I’ve sometimes made it through a 7 hour car trip without breaking them out until the final hour when they just couldn’t deal anymore. But no judgement to those who use them for the entire trip. You gotta do what you gotta do. I’ve spent many meals with my phone coming out in the first 5 minutes.

Traveling with kids isn’t always easy and normally it’s down right tiring. But I gotta say, the journey to the destination and making memories along the way is completely worth it!

Click here to check out A Few Of My Favorite Things with books, toys and more that may make your next trip a little easier!