Hi everyone,
If you are brave enough to jump in a car, train, bus or airplane this Spring for vacation, bravo!! I am excited for you and would love to hear all about your trip when you get back! Feel free to post about your experience.
I wanted to re-post this information to help anyone flying with diabetes or traveling to Disney. Feel free to contact my friend, Robyn, too. Even if you didn't book your trip through her but you are feeling a little nervous about how your Disney trip will go, send her an email. She is super nice and has a heart of gold. She will help you just because she wants any kid with "special" medical needs to enjoy all that Disney has to offer. She knows of secret spots for checking blood sugar or great spots to wait while your son or daughter's blood sugar level evens out.
Also, look toward the bottom for the TSA guidelines for diabetes. Enjoy your trip!
Like almost every mother out there, I have always wanted to treat the boys to a trip to Disneyworld.
I went when I was four and I still remember It's A Small World, the way the fur on Pluto's suit felt when he hugged me for the picture and the way my 1970's polyester dress scratched my first degree sunburned shoulders. I also remember the magical world that is Disney.
As much as I think of the magic, every time I have considered a trip to Disneyworld over the past six years, there are other thoughts that entered my mind:
• Screaming infants on a delayed flight
• Portable cribs in a hotel room
• Heavy double stroller.
• Hot sweaty babies.
• Toddlers having tantrums
• Grumpy four year olds.
• Blood sugars rising because of tantalizing treats beautifully displayed.
• Blood sugars falling because of walking for hours.
• Heavy $5 bottles of water.
• Pumps being taken off and put back on because of pools and water parks.
• Security for twin toddlers.
• Packing all of the diabetes supplies.
• Spending at least $4,000 in five days.
• Heavy backpacks filled with kid stuff.
• My own healing heart as I troop through 90 degree weather with two toddlers and a husband who doesn't like crowds.
So, needless to say, we never went. Anywhere. Any consideration of a family vacation also brought up the same thoughts.
Until last Thanksgiving, when we went to Texas to visit my brother-in-law and sister-in-law and their kids. You know what? It was awesome! The packing of the diabetes supplies wasn't bad at all. Blood sugars ran well. Family was awesome! And the boys LOVED their first flight!
This experience made me brave enough to research a Disney trip. We haven't booked it yet, but I was talking to my friend Amy about ripping the Band Aid off once and for all and she sent me this link:
It is Disney's on-line parenting site. Much to my surprise, they have a separate tab about Type 1 Diabetes! I have learned that Denise Jonas (diabetic Nick Jonas's mom) and Lilly Diabetes have teamed up with Disney to launch an area in the Disney world that is all about Type 1 diabetes!
Denise and Lilly also feature Coco the monkey, a new character that has Type 1 diabetes. Wow!! This is so exciting! Click here for the details:
Another "diabetes mom" friend told me that when you book on 1-800-Disney, all you have to say is that your child is diabetic. Then, they start asking you his or her insulin regiment, insulin type, special dietary requirements and all sorts of other questions on taking care of your child! Wow! Thanks Nick and Denise Jonas and the folks at Lilly! I am less scared to go now!
Once I actually book the trip, I will blog the entire experience and keep you all in the loop on the pitfalls and exciting things that happen to us during the trip. Stand by...
Anyway, let me know if you go or have gone to Disneyworld. I would love to hear about your experiences!
Here are three other wonderful websites I found that you may enjoy!
Robyn at Travel with the Magic travel agency says she knows everything there is to know about diabetes at the park! Her husband and her son both have Type 1 diabetes so she knows first hand the perks and pitfalls of traveling to Disney with diabetes. You can see her website at
http://travelwiththemagic.com and you can reach out to her at Robyn@travelwiththemagic.com.
Tell her you got her name from www.everydayhighsandlows.com and she will treat you extra specially!