Drama performance at Disney

[Anonymous]

8 yo dd's drama class 'won an audition' to perform at Disney in Feb 2017. It's a marketing ploy to get families to travel to Disney. She really wants to go. I don't feel I can manage the trip because 5 yo ds has a very strict schedule of naps, sleep, ketogenic diet, tube feeds to keep his epilepsy from relapsing (it was horrible), also 12 yo dd is in a different school with a different break. The drama class is flying together for 4 days. My parents offered to travel to Orlando, pick up dd and stay in hotel with her. Now they are backing out because she has a peanut allergy and they don't feel comfortable taking care of her meals. Honestly I don't want to send dh because I have trouble managing my SN ds alone for 4 days - his behavior is very difficult. He has recovered his speech pretty well and he can walk and run, but falls down a lot. I work FT and have a good nanny, but she leaves at 6 pm and whenever I'm home while she's there, it's tense, so I can't ask her to stay overnight. WWYD?

[Anonymous]

Mom of older kids: it is absolutely a marketing ploy. Don't fall for it.

[Anonymous]

You go to Disney with DD and your DH stays home for 4 days to take care of your other children with the nanny's help.

[Anonymous]

just make sure to tell her to stay out of the lakes.....

[Anonymous]

op: TY for your comments. I'm too much of a control freak to leave ds with dh for 4 days even though dh is terrific. The medical situation with ds is very complex and tenuous, I'm an MD, dh is just a little too laid back - only a little, but still... For example, eating a tiny amount of carbs could set ds off back into uncontrolled seizures. Also, I make all the meds myself, and while I can show dh, I am afraid he could make a mistake - they are really complicated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:op: TY for your comments. I'm too much of a control freak to leave ds with dh for 4 days even though dh is terrific. The medical situation with ds is very complex and tenuous, I'm an MD, dh is just a little too laid back - only a little, but still... For example, eating a tiny amount of carbs could set ds off back into uncontrolled seizures. Also, I make all the meds myself, and while I can show dh, I am afraid he could make a mistake - they are really complicated.

Ask WWYD and then shoot it down with "I'm too much a control freak". You remind me of my first husband, ask for advice and then ignore it / tell someone why that advice will not work.

You know that the answer is you not going, don't you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:op: TY for your comments. I'm too much of a control freak to leave ds with dh for 4 days even though dh is terrific. The medical situation with ds is very complex and tenuous, I'm an MD, dh is just a little too laid back - only a little, but still... For example, eating a tiny amount of carbs could set ds off back into uncontrolled seizures. Also, I make all the meds myself, and while I can show dh, I am afraid he could make a mistake - they are really complicated.

Hire an aide for the four days you will be away. You will then have your DH, plus the nanny, plus the aide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:8 yo dd's drama class 'won an audition' to perform at Disney in Feb 2017. It's a marketing ploy to get families to travel to Disney. She really wants to go. I don't feel I can manage the trip because 5 yo ds has a very strict schedule of naps, sleep, ketogenic diet, tube feeds to keep his epilepsy from relapsing (it was horrible), also 12 yo dd is in a different school with a different break. The drama class is flying together for 4 days. My parents offered to travel to Orlando, pick up dd and stay in hotel with her. Now they are backing out because she has a peanut allergy and they don't feel comfortable taking care of her meals. Honestly I don't want to send dh because I have trouble managing my SN ds alone for 4 days - his behavior is very difficult. He has recovered his speech pretty well and he can walk and run, but falls down a lot. I work FT and have a good nanny, but she leaves at 6 pm and whenever I'm home while she's there, it's tense, so I can't ask her to stay overnight. WWYD?

She's 12? Send her with DH. Hire a peds nurse to help out while he is away. Nanny takes the days. You and the peds nurse take the nights.

[Anonymous]

How bad is your DD's peanut allergies and where will they be eating the meals? From what I understand, Disney is fabulous about accommodating kids with peanut allergies. If they are eating solely at Disney restaurants, just let the chef know DD has a peanut allergy and they will handle everything.

[Anonymous]

The question really has nothing to do with whether it's a marketing ploy or not. The question is: how can you accommodate the needs of your other children with a medically fragile child?

The answer needs to be: you find a way. If you are too worried about DH's ability to manage care, you need to work on it. You have 7 months. Train DH, hire an aid. Practice on a weekend. You need to be able to help your other kids when they need it too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How bad is your DD's peanut allergies and where will they be eating the meals? From what I understand, Disney is fabulous about accommodating kids with peanut allergies. If they are eating solely at Disney restaurants, just let the chef know DD has a peanut allergy and they will handle everything.

Plus, she's 12. She should know how to manage this already.

[Anonymous]

We have done the perform at Disney with a dance company and it was a fun program.(years ago)

I do not recall there being any theater opportunities or faux audition for the Disney channel experiences from the official Disney program.

The official Disney performance is well run and fun for the kids. I think they do dance, choir and band/orchestra only.

Is this an outside group? And are you talking ahout an eight year old or the twelve year old?

If it is th older kid, send your husband. If it is the younger kid and not an "official" Disney program, then I would not do it.

[Anonymous]

What did you say to your parents that made them so skittish about handling a peanut allergy for a few days?

[Anonymous]

If the drama class is all going together, does everyone's parent need to go? I'm not saying just drop your kid on another family, but goodness -- we used to take field trips as a class without 25 parents coming along. If they won as a class, why isn't there a teacher in charge organizing this?

[Anonymous]

Disney is one of the best places to go with food allergies. Every restaurant has a special menu...just ask for it.