Summary: Margalit Francus from Autistic Globetrotting is today's guest. We discuss two recent travel experiences she enjoyed with her young adult son who has HFA (high functioning autism) and OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). First, we talk about their recent visit to the <a href="http://www.waltdisney.org/">Walt Disney Family Museum</a> in San Francisco, California. The museum, co-founded by Walt’s daughter, Diane Disney Miller and his grandson, Walter E. D. Miller, is owned and operated by the Walt Disney Family Foundation. Margalit gives us a tour of the various exhibits, noting which ones her son enjoyed the most. She notes that the Walt Disney Family Museum is more appropriate for teens and adults who are big Disney fans, since there aren’t many interactive exhibits. <a href="http://specialmouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/new-horizons.jpg"></a> photo courtesy The Walt Disney Family Museum The Walt Disney Family Museum frequently offers special events for children with autism, so check the events schedule regularly! Something that I learned when I visited the museum website is that they have their own <a href="http://www.waltdisney.org/podcast">Podcast!</a> I will definitely be checking THAT out. Next, Margalit tells us about their recent visit to the 2015 <a href="https://d23.com/d23-expo/about-the-expo/">Disney D23 Expo</a> in Anaheim, California. This experience turned out to be much more challenging for her son due to the excitement of the event and her son's obsessions with Disney. Margalit describes how helpful the event staff was during her son's behavior meltdowns. Would she take her son to the fan event again? The answer is, "yes," but there are some things that she would do differently the next time. (This was a last-minute trip and planning was not optimal.) First, she would select a hotel that was closer to the convention center. This would be more convenient when a break from the excitement would be helpful. Second, she would bring along another adult to help manage the difficult moments. Lastly, she would visit the D23Expo during the less crowded days (Friday and Sunday). <a href="http://specialmouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Margalit.jpg"></a> Posing with some familiar friends at the D23 Expo l Please visit autisticglobetrotting.com to read Margalit's posts about these two Disney destinations! <a href="http://www.autisticglobetrotting.com/taking-the-kids-to-the-walt-disney-museum-san-francisco.html">Taking Kids to the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco </a> <a href="http://www.autisticglobetrotting.com/disneys-d23-conference-helpful-tips-for-attending.html">Disney's D23 Conference: Helpful Tips for Attending</a> Margalit shares her family's travel experiences around the world on her <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/autisticglobetrottin">YouTube channel</a> -- check it out! Thanks for listening! Kathy
