Disney with Diabetes Archives • D-Mom Blog

June 22, 2015 by Leighann

Kids First, Diabetes Second Book: Amusement Parks

In the “Less Stress, More Happiness” chapter of Kids First, Diabetes Second, there are several sections about “Summer Fun.” I share how we navigate amusement parks, water parks, camping, and travel. We have some of these activities planned for our family this summer. My son put “going to an amusement park” on his summer bucket list this year.

Amusement Parks

I love going to amusement parks in the summer. As a kid, I would ride the coasters over and over again. We have introduced our kids to the thrill of the amusement park, and they can’t wait to go again. If you do a little planning ahead, you will have an enjoyable day. Visit the park’s website and e-mail or call their guest services office to ask about specifics regarding accommodations that can be made for people with diabetes. I think you will find they want to be helpful, so you have a great experience. You may or may not need a letter from the doctor stating that the child has a medical condition and needs special accommodations.

Ask about passes for people with disabilities that allow you to jump to the front of lines or provide you with a time to return so that you aren’t standing in lines. Sometimes these passes only work for the larger rides and coasters.

(Edited to add: we don’t ask for a guest assistance pass to get any special favoritism. I know that Q tends to go low if she standing in line for long periods of time in the heat. When we were at Disney, our pass provided us a shady place to wait, which worked out well.)

I suggest stopping by guest services after entering the park. They can give you a map with medical stations circled. You can obtain the medical accommodation pass for your family, and they can place a sticker on your supply bag that identifies it as containing medical supplies. Also, while many parks allow no outside food or drinks, a person with diabetes should be able to bring in snacks and drinks.

I like to pack a couple of water bottles that we can refill throughout the day to stay hydrated. Remember, there is a lot of blacktop at amusement parks, which turns up the heat! Pack enough food to cover regular snack times, plus a few extras in case you need them to recover from lows. I also pack a few extras for other family members. Applesauce pouches and organic fruit strips hold up well in a backpack or cooler. Food and drinks can be expensive at amusement parks, and you don’t want to pay $3 or $4 for a snack to treat a blood sugar low. When you dine at parks, they probably won’t have carb counts available. If you pull up The CalorieKing app on your phone (or toss the paperback in your backpack), you can make a good guess.

You may be wondering what to do with your diabetes supply bag when you are on the rides. On some rides, you can keep your bag with you, but for others it’s not safe because it will obstruct seatbelts or could fly out of the car. There is usually a set of cubbies or a basket where you can put your supply bag while you’re on a ride. We also had guest services put a sticker on our supply bag saying that it contained medical supplies. In case it was lost, it would be more likely to be returned to the office and reunited with us.

Blood sugar might also be on a rollercoaster while you are at amusement parks. Adrenaline can cause high blood sugar, but all that walking can cause lows! I suggest checking blood sugar regularly and being proactive. Staying hydrated and sticking somewhat closely to regular meal and snack times will also help. During our last amusement park trip, Q had a perfect 100 come up on the meter!

Kids First Diabetes Second Book

Learn More

If you’d like to learn more about the book, you can read more on the Kids First, Diabetes Second book page. It’s available widely in print and as an eBook from book sellers such as Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, and IndieBound. And if you do read it and find it to be a valuable resource, I would greatly appreciate if you could write a review on any of the online retail sites. Thanks!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links to booksellers.

Please remember that I never give medical advice. Ask your endocrinologist or pediatrician for advice about your own child. Make your own informed decisions for your own child.

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Asking For Reasonable Accommodations

I am sure that you have heard about families hiring people with disabilities to accompany them to Disney so that they could get a Guest Assistance Card* so that they wouldn’t have to wait in lines. It was the greed of these people who needed absolutely no accommodations that made it difficult for those of us who do. And it was those people who caused Disney to reevaluate their policy and stop issuing the passes.

When Q and I spent a day at Disney a few summers ago, we were able to get a guest assistance card. I wasn’t asking to be handed the world, but I did ask for simple accommodations that I knew would help us on that near 100 degree day. I know Q and I know her diabetes. I knew that a day of walking in the heat would cause blood sugars to drop and I knew that standing in long lines in the sun wouldn’t help. I asked if we could be provided a shady area to wait in line. Nothing more.

Many times this meant that we used the Fast Pass entrance, sometimes it meant that we entered through the exit and were placed in line just inside the shade. There were many times that we didn’t even use the pass or that the line was already shady (like Dumbo).

I personally feel that we didn’t take advantage of the pass, but used it when needed to help our day go a little more smoothly.

(Note: some people with diabetes don’t ask for a guest assistance pass, but just use the fast pass system.)

There are many times beyond amusement parks such as Disney where you might ask for accommodations for your child with diabetes. This may be as simple as bringing in food or drinks to places where no outside food and drinks are allowed such as stadiums and museums. (By the way, forcing you to purchase their food and not bring in food/drinks for a medical condition is discrimination.) Or it may be like above where you need shortened wait times in lines.

I want to give an example of what I consider a “reasonable accommodation” that we were given. It didn’t really give us anything special, but it made our day easier.

We had planned a day trip to the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, one of our favorite destinations. Knowing that it would be lunch time when we pulled off the highway and knowing that you can bring your own food, I packed our lunches. When we arrived inside the line was incredibly long. Crazy long.

Q’s blood sugar was dropping and she needed to eat right away.

But you can’t just eat anywhere in a museum.

I approached a staff member and asked if there was a place that my mother could take the kids so that they could sit down and eat. I said that I knew that the cafeteria was within the museum and that we hadn’t yet purchased our tickets. I asked if there was a place before the ticketing where they could sit.

There wasn’t.

The staff suggested that I stand in line for the tickets while they ushered my mom and kids to the cafeteria where they could begin eating. They were finishing up their lunches by the time I had our tickets in hand. We finished up and enjoyed our day at the museum.

Why do I feel that this accommodation was “reasonable?” Because we weren’t really given anything extra or special. We weren’t sent to the front of the ticket line, rather I stood in queue like everyone else. They provided my mom and kids a place to eat…and nothing else…while I stood in line.

If you find yourself in a situation where there is something that staff can do to help make things run more smoothly, don’t be afraid to ask. I think you’ll find most of the time that people want to be helpful when you make a reasonable request.

*The Guest Assistance Card (GAC) at Disney has been replaced by the Disability Access Service Card (DASC), which as I understand it gives you a return time much like the fast pass system.

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Disney With Diabetes

{Disney with Diabetes} Pressed Pennies

Join me this week as I share some experiences traveling this summer with diabetes.

When I found out that we were going to go to the annual Children With Diabetes Friends For Life conference, I began planning a day at Disney.

Of course I took note of ideas on Pinterest. I saw someone use an empty Mini M&M’s tube to hold change for pressed pennies.

Q loves getting pressed pennies when we travel so I started looking for this candy just for the tube. I would eat the M&M’s in the interest of our trip. Well I couldn’t find them anywhere!

In a lightbulb moment I realized that an empty glucose tablet travel roll just might be big enough for quarters.

Q and I dumped the spare change cup onto the counter and began stacking “quarter, quarter, penny” until we had enough to fill the tube, which was 12 or thirteen sets.

Of course our day at Disney was going to be a surprise so I told Q that we would likely see a penny smashing machine somewhere as we did sightseeing.

Out of sight, I decorated the tube with Tinker Bell stickers true to the Disney theme.

It came in handy once again when the entire family visited the zoo later in the summer. I’m definitely keeping this glucose tablet container full of pennies and quarters for our family outings.

Have you ever repurposed a diabetes supply for something totally not diabetes related?

Disney Smashed Pennies

Disney with Diabetes

Join me this week as I share some experiences traveling this summer with diabetes.

When I began planning our trip to the Children With Diabetes annual Friends For Life conference I decided that it would be a shame to be in Orlando and not take Q to Disneyworld. No, it isn’t the week long Disney vacation that we would love to take our entire family on one day (and NOT in July!). But why not let Q have a little taste.

I got busy buying tickets online to be picked up at the will call window, making a lunch reservation at the castle with the princesses, and securing a spot at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for a little makeover. I figured Q was at the perfect age for those activities and by the time we return as a family she might be too old to appreciate that special attention.

I knew we would be heading to Disney early in the morning after we arrived so I packed a gallon sized ziplock with many of the items we needed and put it in my carry on bag. This way I wouldn’t be scrambling to find all the things we needed when we got to the hotel.

What I brought to the park:

Sunscreen
Camera (Photopass photographers will take your picture with your own camera IF it has a strap.)
Empty water bottles (Get it filled at most of the restaurants and snack bars.)
Ponchos (Purchased for a couple of dollars at Target. We needed them!)
Receipts (Will call park tickets, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, lunch with the princesses)
Snacks
Band-aids
Extra socks
Small towel (borrowed from the hotel)
Sunglasses
Hats
Autograph book and pen
Diabetes supply bag
Frio cooling wallet
Low blood sugar treatment

I carried everything in the Alpha Sherpa backpack (read my review of the Alpha Sherpa backpack).

Keeping Insulin Cool

When we went to a more local amusement park a few weeks before this trip, we chose to leave our insulin in the first aid station in their refrigerator. For this trip I had a back pack with an integrated cooler and a Frio cooling wallet so I had planned on just carrying the insulin, but was going to play it by ear.

As we went through security to enter the park, the security woman was patting down the contents of my backpack. At the bottom of our diabetes supply bag, she felt the plastic glucagon container. I remarked “diabetes supplies” expecting to pull it out to show her. She didn’t question it, rather, without skipping a beat she asked if I also had insulin to keep cool. She told me where the first aid station was, that there is always a licensed nurse on duty, and that they would be happy to store my insulin to keep it cool.

As we were talking she told my daughter to take two steps to the right so that she could get a good view of Mickey and Minnie and the other characters because the train was about to pull up to open the park for the day. I loved this security person…so helpful on so many levels!

Fast Pass and Guest Assistance Pass

I am sure you have heard of the Fast Pass and the Guest Assistance Pass. The Fast Pass is a free service available to all Disney guests. Basically you insert your ticket into a machine and are given a return time. When you return, you enter a shorter line and have a 10 minute wait, give or take. Many of the rides in the Magic Kingdom use the Fast Pass system.

The Guest Assistance Pass (GAC) is given to guests with a medical condition that requires accommodations. If you want to obtain a GAC, you go to City Hall (on the left after entering the Magic Kingdom), tell them what specific accommodation you or your child needs, and ask nicely.

Diabetes does not automatically get you a GAC. Be prepared to tell them the issue and how they can help resolve it.

For my daughter, I know that she sometimes doesn’t do well in extreme heat. It was in the upper 90’s the day we were there. I told the cast member in City Hall that if possible I would like to avoid standing in long lines because the heat can affect her blood sugar. I didn’t want to have to leave a long line to treat a low blood sugar.

We received a pass that stated that we should be provided a shady area to wait. I thought this was a great compromise.

The GAC does not mean that they will part the line and take you right to the front. We were told to go to the accessible entrance or the Fast Pass entrance. I presented the pass each time and most often we were sent in with the Fast Pass ticket holders. This allowed us a shorter wait.

Yes, it is absolutely true that you could use the free Fast Pass system and get return wait times. For us using the GAC made the day run more smoothly. We did use the Fast Pass system a couple of times, like to see Mickey & Minnie, which is inside. We couldn’t use the GAC for Dumbo because the wait was inside in the air conditioning. And if the projected wait time was short, we didn’t use the pass at all.

Carb Counting

I brought snacks along with us, as I do on every outing. Late morning we stopped for ice cream and I’m happy to report that the Mickey-shaped ice creams bars have nutrition information on them. We had a late lunch at the castle. I didn’t ask for nutrition information because I have heard and read that most of the restaurants don’t have it. I just estimated as I do when we go to most restaurants when we travel.

I know some parents are very uptight about counting every single last carb. I do this at home to my best ability using a scale, reading labels, and consulting the CalorieKing iPhone app. But when we are out and about I just do my best educated guess and if I’m off a little, I correct and move on. I’m not going to let diabetes, and specifically carb counting, consume my time or my energy if it doesn’t have to. It was more important to experience lunch with the princesses with my daughter than to be nose down looking up carbs.

The kids’ dessert at the castle is the choice a build-your-own sundae or cupcake.

She probably should have chosen the sundae because she didn’t eat the entire cupcake. But she did enjoy decorating it!

And totally unrelated to Diabetes, if you are celebrating, stop by City Hall on your way in. Q got a button that announced it was her first visit. They also had buttons for family reunions, birthdays, anniversaries, etc.

And after about an hour Q turned to me and asked, “Why does everyone keep calling me princess?” I replied, “Because at Disney, every girl is a princess.”

Overall I think our day at the Magic Kingdom went very well. We had no major issues regarding diabetes. She had a slightly low blood sugar late morning, which we dealt with. And she was a little high after lunch, which we also dealt with. It was a very hot day and we tried to stay hydrated by filling our water bottles. We were definitely worn out after trekking all over the park.

Our fireworks watching plans were derailed by a thunderstorm, but that was probably the only bad thing. And we all know that while we can try to control diabetes, we can’t control mother nature!

{D-Mom Tested} Baby Sherpa Alpha Backpack

Join me every day this week as I highlight diabetes-related products we’ve tried out this summer. Read more D-Mom Tested product reviews.

Knowing that this was going to be a summer of travel including several days spent at amusement parks, museums, and a zoo, I began a search for a backpack to replace the Lands’ End diaper bag backpack that got us through seven years of babies/toddlers/kids before finally coming apart at the seam…probably from being constantly used and often overstuffed!

I began doing internet searches for backpacks with an insulated compartment, thinking that might be helpful to keep diabetes supplies and snacks from boiling in the summer heat. I looked at lots of different hiking packs thinking maybe I wanted something smaller, more of a daypack.

I came across the Baby Sherpa brand and struck up a conversation with a representative of the company who told me that if I was spending a day at Disney, I really needed to try out their new Alpha Sherpa backpack.

We’ve used it on three trips this summer and it has done it’s job. I used it as a carry on when Q and I went to Florida for Friends For Life. And I may or may not have packed an entire brick of juice boxes in the cooler section and sent it through airport security…twice.

When we went to Disney for the day, I had a day’s worth of snacks including applesauce pouches and juice boxes, in the cooler compartment. I also put our insulin in a Frio Cooling Wallet and kept it in the cooler. The smaller pouch on the side was the perfect size for my point-and-shoot camera and provided easy access for photo opps. My contact at Baby Sherpa suggested using a frozen water bottle to keep contents cool, but we didn’t have access to a freezer at our hotel. I’m keeping that tip for future excursions, though.

While I love the idea of the cooler compartment, especially because us families dealing with diabetes need to keep our insulin at a good temperature, I think I would like it more if it was structured. When the backpack was very full and heavy, the weight of top half compressed the cooler compartment. I’ve learned from that and now I put our snacks in plastic containers so they don’t get squashed.

Pros

Lots of compartments.
Chest and waist clip for added support on long days with a heavy pack.
Difficult to find large cooler section.
The diaper pad section can hold a laptop or iPad instead.

Cons

I would personally prefer that there was a mesh water bottle holder on each side instead of the insulated bottle holder which I’m sure is meant for milk or formula.
The cooler section is not structured and if the top of the backpack is full it can squash the cooler compartment contents a little.

It retails for $109 from the Baby Sherpa website, but look around online as there are other retailers who sell it and you might find a better price. It is also available for shipping to Canada. $109 isn’t outrageous for a backpack. Our Lands’ End backpack lasted seven years and was worth the money that I plunked down for it. I’m hoping the Sherpa Alpha is as sturdy and functional.

{Bookshelf} Coco and Goofy’s Goofy Day

In the last couple of weeks I shared the news of the Lilly Diabetes and Disney partnership which includes the first (of many) children’s books about diabetes and a writing contest with an unbelievable prize. It has a positive message of what children with diabetes and their families can do, not what they shouldn’t do.

Coco and Goofy’s Goofy Day

Because our 4yo loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and even had that as his theme for his recent birthday party, Q assumed the new book Coco and Goofy’s Goofy Day was for him, not her! When he saw it he immediately wanted to read it three times in a row. And then he used my iPhone to take pictures of the pages (and then about 20 more pictures of his trains!).

I didn’t think too much of it until the next morning when announced that he needed to get his pack for his diabetes and needed to check his finger.

He is at the age were he is into role playing and when he gets into character, he gets completely into character. So his new character is much like Coco: he has diabetes and all the accoutrements to go along with it. Though when he brought me Q’s PDM, he didn’t really want me to poke his finger!

Since he was only 10 months old when his older sister was diagnosed, he hasn’t really known a life without it. It’s not that he really understands what it means at this point, but he knows the care routine that we go through each day with Q. He even asks for a juice or Smarties when Q is low!

I think this book, while not intended for him specifically, is helping to open up a dialog with him about diabetes.

Coco and Goofy Book

Q and I read the book together at bedtime that night (and several times since). She still enjoys Mickey Mouse Clubhouse even though she’s almost 7. We have many of the Mickey books on our bookshelf. I think that she was happiest because there is a Disney character who has diabetes.

What I found to be a particularly good resource for opening up a dialog with her was the Q&A at the end of the book in the section “From Coco’s World to Yours.”

“This section provides some simple questions and answers about the story. We hope it will help you begin a conversation about diabetes, whether you’re speaking with your child, your child’s siblings, or your child’s friends.”

The questions at the end of the book are:

What is diabetes?

Why does Coco wear a bracelet with the word DIABETES on it?

What kinds of foods can Coco eat with type 1 diabetes?

What does Coco carry in her backpack?

Why does Coco get her blood sugar (glucose) checked?

I think those question are spot on! They are exactly the kinds of questions I have heard Q’s schoolmates ask. And as such, this would be a perfect book to read to preschool and early elementary school children, especially if teachers take the time to do the Q&A, which they should.

When Q was diagnosed at three, she was still in preschool. I went on our local library’s website looking for titles to request that we might read to her and to her classmates. There were none. I called the children’s librarian and he couldn’t come up with any either. I did end up finding a few books, but they all left something to be desired.

In fact for years when I read the Rufus book I even skipped over sentences here and there.

I guess my issue with some books for newly diagnosed children is that they end with wanting to find a cure. At the time I needed Q to accept her new medical condition and realize that it was okay. I felt that books that talked about the cure made it seem like she was somehow deficient and that she wouldn’t be okay until a cure was found. And we all know that it won’t be in the next five years!

My only criticism of the book is that Coco doesn’t speak and only says “Eek!” which somehow her friends are able to interpret into long, complex sentences. It’s the whole “Why can Goofy talk, but not Pluto?” question. That she only says eek might be because this is a character who has already appeared on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in earlier episodes. But it would be nice in future books if Coco could tell us how she feels, not through an interpreter.

And in true D-Mom style, Coco’s mom stays for the party to help her check her blood sugar, make good food choices, and get insulin. Darn, I wish Disney and Lily had come up with a solution for this birthday party and playdate D-Mom conundrum!

Q asked, as many of you have, if there will be a plush Coco doll. The answer is no. But just think of how valuable that would be to comfort children at diagnosis and beyond. And I know most families would be willing to pay for one. I hope Lilly Diabetes and Disney get the hint that we want a Coco plush. Hint, hint!

The book will be available from healthcare providers including pediatric endocrinologists at no charge. They will not be available for retail sale.