Tips for Traveling with Children on the Autism Spectrum – By Train

February 28, 2013 by 1 Comment

Last week, I compiled my tips for traveling with children on the Autism Spectrum by air, and this week, I’m sharing our train experience.

A couple of years ago, I took the kids to Disneyland by myself.  When I started planning this trip, I was a little concerned about driving over the mountains in the winter.  {Yes, I was a little concerned about the city driving by myself, too.}  So, I started researching Amtrak.  DS10 has always LOVED trains.  We had taken “tourist” train rides, like the train to the Grand Canyon, but we had never been on a train for the purpose of travel.

With Amtrak, we could have gotten just 3 seats out to California for a really cheap price, but that would not have worked for us because our trip was an overnight ride.  We got on the train around 9:00 pm and got off the train early in the morning.  I don’t think the kids would have done well sitting in the seats.  The nice thing about Amtrak is the ability to get rooms.  We decided on a Superliner Bedroom that was designed for 2-3 people.

Don’t forget you can click on any picture to see all the details.

The Superliner Bedroom is not the Hilton, but it is a great place to sit without the noise of the general car seating.  We weren’t disturbed at all.

When we got on the train at night, the room was already in the night configuration with the bunks made up for us to sleep.  The attendant assigned to our car was an extremely nice man who made sure we had everything that we needed.  Water and coffee (I saw juice, too.) are included with the Superliner Bedroom, as are the meals.  With all the rocking of the train, the kids were asleep in no time.

We made sure that we were up early to make it to breakfast before our stop.  Since California is the end of the line, they were out of a few things on the menu, but we had a nice breakfast.  After breakfast, we returned to our room to find that the attendant had returned it to the day seating configuration.  A magical beginning to our Disneyland vacation.

Our return trip was every bit as nice and relaxing.  We got on the train in Fullerton, CA around 7:00 pm and ate supper very soon thereafter.  The table had tablecloths, and the food was served on china dishes.  Also, we were happy to see that we had the same attendant as when we traveled out to California.  It really is a nice way to travel.

Here again, after supper, the kids were asleep quickly.  Probably due to the gentle rocking of the train car.  The one downside was the 4:30 am wake-up call to get off the train at our stop.

The train really is a nice way to travel with kids on the Spectrum.  It is easy to stick with a somewhat normal schedule, and it is laid back.  While it is such a nice way to travel, I do still have a few tips for you::

  • Reserve a room.  The only way I would travel by train is if I had a bedroom reserved.  Rooms are based on supply and demand, so the further out you book, the cheaper the price should be.
  • Pack an activity bag.  The train’s schedule can get derailed and take longer than expected.  The tracks are owned by the freight train companies, so the freight trains have priority.  If they need to get by, Amtrak sits and waits.
  • Pack snacks and favorite drinks.  To piggy back on the above reasoning, trains only carry a certain amount of food.  If the train becomes stuck for some reason, they can run out of food.  I don’t think this happens often, but I have heard of it happening.
  • Check out the dining options before you go.  Amtrak has a page with menus and options for those needing special dietary assistance.  You can find that information here.
  • Study up on the train route.  Amtrak has downloadable route guides, so you can find out beforehand some of the things and places you will see on your journey.  Sometimes, the train even stops long enough for you to get off for a few minutes.  I don’t know that I would go far, though.

NOTE:  These rooms are upstairs.  We had to leave our large suitcases downstairs and only took up our overnight bags/activity bags.

Filed Under: Special Needs Tagged With: , ,

Disneyland Trip – Day 7

March 7, 2011 by Leave a Comment

 

Early Morning View from Our Room

 

Day 7 was our last day.  Because of the changes to our Amtrak itinerary, we were able to take a later train, giving us several more hours in the parks today.  I figured that we didn’t need to get back to the hotel to get our luggage until about 4:30 pm.  I called downstairs to have someone come up and get our luggage to store until we left.  I was a little concerned about the weight of one of the suitcases because it had been close on the way to Anaheim, so I flippantly asked the bell man if he had a scale.  I was quite surprised when he said to follow him down to see him weigh the bag.  That bag might have made it, but it was going to be close, so I made a mental note to get back early to move a couple of things around in the bags.

Our first stop was Storyteller’s Cafe for breakfast.  There are usually a few characters here that aren’t in the parks, so it is one of our favorites.  We were happy to see Brer Bear and Brer Fox.

 

Brer Bear

After we were seated, Dale came by and backed his way into the seat right next to DS8.  DS8 was really surprised that Dale could sit with him.  They “talked” for a little while, and then it was time for a little parade of all the kids and characters around the entire restaurant.  DS8 got up after Dale, grabbed his hand, and walked right with Dale then entire time.

 

DS8 walking with Dale

We also got to see Rafiki, Chip, and Kenai.  After breakfast, we decided to spend the rest of our time in Disney California Adventure.  We had not gone on Mickey’s Fun Wheel, yet, so we headed that direction.

We had to stop at Blue Sky Cellar to see some of the plans for the changes to the park.  Before going in, the kids found the sign pointing out the different attractions coming to Cars Land.  It was really nice that it was facing the construction because you can start to tell where each attraction is located at.

 

Kids Checking Out Cars Land

Then, we went into Blue Sky Cellar and saw the models and drawings for the Little Mermaid attraction that is opening soon.

 

Little Mermaid Attraction Model

 

 

Our next stop was for DS8 to say good-bye to Duffy.  Nothing like a big bear hug!

 

DS8 Giving Duffy a Goodbye Hug

We finally made it to Mickey’s Fun Wheel, but DD11 ended up spending so long trading pins with the cast member at the entrance to the line that the line grew by about 15 minutes before we headed to the line.  The cast member saw that DS8 was getting frustrated at waiting, so she gave us a slip of paper with a time to come back and go to the front of the line.  She said that she appreciated that we took the time to talk to her.  We went directly over to Toy Story Midway Mania to try to fit a last ride on there before going back to Mickey’s Fun Wheel.  Once we were on Mickey’s Fun Wheel, we were able to see lots of the Cars Land construction, as well as, the divers in the lagoon working on the fountains for World of Color.

 

 

Divers in the Lagoon

We hadn’t seen Aladdin during this trip, yet.  We knew that we only had this one chance, so we hurried through “a bug’s land” to make it just as they were letting people in.  We love this show so much, and this time the genie’s monologue was even funnier than we had heard before.  I really wish that I had been able to video it, but the “real” video camera was at home.

 

Never Had a Friend Like Me!

 

Do You Trust Me?

 

Talk to the Tassel!

After the show, we had to take one more ride on Monsters Inc.

 

Are You Done Yet, Boo?

We also had to take a few pictures of the things that we knew would be gone before we return.

 

Golden Gate Bridge

We stopped to pick up some snacks to take home to Charlie (Mickey pretzels, Sour Gummy Characters, Toffee Sunflower seeds, etc.) and headed over to White Water Snacks for a quick bite before getting our luggage.  We like White Water Snacks because it is one of the few quick service places to get a grilled cheese sandwich.  I was able to get an egg salad sandwich, so everyone was happy.

After eating, we went back to the Paradise Pier Hotel to arrange our luggage and grab a taxi back to the Fullerton train station.  We checked our luggage and waited for the train.  When we got on the train, we were happy to see our friend, Mr. Fred.  He assigned us a time in the dining car, and we were on our way home.  Our seating was called, and the kids and I ventured down for supper.  DD11 was doing ok until the train started rocking.  Then, in five minutes, she went from famished to unable to chew her food.  We left our food before I had to carry her back two cars to our room.  Mr. Fred came and changed our room to the night configuration, and DD11 was fast asleep.  DS8 wasn’t far behind her.

 

Completely Out!

I had a hard time sleeping because I was afraid of sleeping through our stop.  The night was so clear that I could see some of the landscape by moonlight.  It was so relaxing!  What a wonderful way to end a trip to Disneyland!  Soon, we were getting off and saying good-bye to our friend, Mr. Fred.

 

Thank You Mr. Fred!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Disneyland Trip Day 1 – “He Said” Version

February 20, 2011 by Leave a Comment

 

ESPN Zone

It was a tough thing to send the family off to Disneyland.  Dropping them off at the train station was a very hard thing to do.  I had to get back home; since, I had to work early.  First thing in the morning, as I enjoyed my morning coffee, Becky sent me a text saying they were stopped somewhere.  She figured that they were letting a freight train pass by.  I jumped on the computer and used the “Find My iPhone” App to find them at the train yards in Barstow, CA.  Today’s technology is a wonderful thing.

Becky also texted me a couple of pictures from their cozy sleeper room on the train.  She said  that the kids slept well, but considering that they had to get up early, the sleep wasn’t long enough.  I heard from them again when she gave me a call a little after I got to work.  She gave me a quick update on the advice given to them by Fred, the train attendant, to get off at Fullerton instead of going through LA and Anaheim.

I was amazed when I started to get the Gowalla updates showing them checking in for Magic Mornings at Disneyland!!  It was also so cool that within a short period I also got a couple of pictures texted.  There were 2 pictures of Donald Duck (my favorite) and then a surprise – a great picture of the kids with Alice’s White Rabbit!!  That’s a character we had only seen in parades before.

Thanks to the Gowalla check-ins, I had an idea of what they were up to that morning.  Before I left from work, a short call from Becky let me know a few more details about their morning.  They had even attempted more attractions than what they had checked-in for, but DS was having some issues.  They had left the parks to get some lunch – which was an interesting story.  We had eaten at the Rain Forest Cafe on previous trips, and that was DS’s first choice.  But upon arriving, the thunder and lightning started to freak him out, so that one was out.  His next choice kind of surprised everyone.  He wanted to go next door to the ESPN Zone.  The picture above of  the inside of the restaurant was texted to me – he was telling everyone that they were eating there for me – even though I was not with them!  That put a huge smile on my face!!

After I got home from work I was following them on the computer, but their day at the park was about over.  They got over to the Paradise Pier and went up to their room.  They got an incredible free upgrade to a 2 room Family suite with an amazing view!  They e-mailed me a great picture.  We did a Skype video call later, and I was able to see the view of California Adventure at night.  It was beyond words!!  It was wonderful to be able to say good night and “I love you” over the video call

 

Filed Under: Disney, Travel Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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