Anxious about loading and unloading

[kittyklawz]

My son is 6 and has autism/adhd and I am concerned about him loading/unloading on rides safely because of how hyperactive he can be. He also has low muscle tone and some motor delays (has been in OT for years). Wondering if they have ways to slow down the ride or how that works?

 

[dcassetta]

For the majority of rides, the vehicles come to a complete stop and will not be released by the ride operator until everyone is safely seated. For rides that have continuous movement such as Haunted Mansion or Spaceship Earth, the whole ride can be stopped for safe loading and unloading of passengers.

 

[SteveMouse]

Many ride vehicles are at a complete stop when loafing/unloading. Some have moving walkways that move at the same speed as ride vehicles. Most can be stopped if needed. One major exception is Peter Pan. While the ride can be stopped in an emergency, stopping ifis problematic because of car design.

 

[RoseGold]

They stop down or slow if they see you having issues. Most are doable even with limited mobility. They stop the line all the time on rides like Little Mermaid to help people off.

The hardest IMO is Kalahari. Its shape makes it kind of tough and all the water and the vehicles feeling unstable makes it seem more hazardous.

Aside from Kalahari, you'll probably be able to handle this, assuming he is small enough and you are physically capable of giving him some assistance.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

My son is 6 and has autism/adhd and I am concerned about him loading/unloading on rides safely because of how hyperactive he can be. He also has low muscle tone and some motor delays (has been in OT for years). Wondering if they have ways to slow down the ride or how that works?

The one thing to remember is the ride can be stopped for your son it can stop while you are on ride. Prepare your son for this happening. And as others have said Peter Pan can not be slowed down or stopped

 

[gap2368]

The people mover is also one thst csn not be stopped

 

[kittyklawz]

Thanks everyone! Forgot to say we are going to Disneyland not didneyworld, but good to know they can slow most or stop them if needed. I don’t know if we will even try to do Peter Pan as my son doesn’t know what it is. He knows Mickey and the classic characters and he’s really into Cars.

 

[2tinkerbell]

I think at Disneyland, Peter Pan can be stopped.

The PP is right, you might need to prepare your son for rides to stop while you are on the ride. I have told children before that they stay on the ride until they see a cast member.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Thanks everyone! Forgot to say we are going to Disneyland not didneyworld, but good to know they can slow most or stop them if needed. I don’t know if we will even try to do Peter Pan as my son doesn’t know what it is. He knows Mickey and the classic characters and he’s really into Cars.

If he might like the idea of “flying” try to do Peter Pan. It’s prettier in Disneyland than WDW because the night scene is full of stars. I would mention your son needs extra boarding time to CMs either at the entrance of the ride or before boarding if no one is there. They have ways to slow tracks and give extra time for boarding like WDW but that goes much better if they know ahead of time. Your son won’t get injured, rides do not depart unless the CM allows it.

The one ride I would stay away from is Storybook canal boats. Other boat rides are better balanced but on that one everyone needs to be aware and stable on entry and exit, the CMs have to help load guests into and out of the boats to maintain stability. There are no seatbelts or restraints either so he would need to be calm the entire ride.

 

[ccahpp25]

I also have a 6 year old with ADHD/autism and similar energy/mobility issues. We tagged his stroller as a wheelchair and used it in queues (very handy if your child has elopement issues or if he needs a peaceful space to hide and decompress! Just in case you weren't aware that this is something you can request). When asked if he was able to transfer, I always said yes and just carried him and set him down in the ride seats, especially for the moving walkway rides. I already was dealing with anxiety about the judgement we received from some other guests about using his stroller in queues, so I don't think I would have been able to deal with making them stop continuous rides for me to load him (I personally would never judge anyone for needing that accessibility measure, be we encountered some shockingly judgemental guests on our trip last month!), but he's small for his age and I'm very tall, so it was easy for me to maneuver and load him myself!

 

[kittyklawz]

If he might like the idea of “flying” try to do Peter Pan. It’s prettier in Disneyland than WDW because the night scene is full of stars. I would mention your son needs extra boarding time to CMs either at the entrance of the ride or before boarding if no one is there. They have ways to slow tracks and give extra time for boarding like WDW but that goes much better if they know ahead of time. Your son won’t get injured, rides do not depart unless the CM allows it.

The one ride I would stay away from is Storybook canal boats. Other boat rides are better balanced but on that one everyone needs to be aware and stable on entry and exit, the CMs have to help load guests into and out of the boats to maintain stability. There are no seatbelts or restraints either so he would need to be calm the entire ride.

Oh thank you, we will probably avoid that one. I think we will avoid its a small world as well because of it being so long.

 

[kittyklawz]

I also have a 6 year old with ADHD/autism and similar energy/mobility issues. We tagged his stroller as a wheelchair and used it in queues (very handy if your child has elopement issues or if he needs a peaceful space to hide and decompress! Just in case you weren't aware that this is something you can request). When asked if he was able to transfer, I always said yes and just carried him and set him down in the ride seats, especially for the moving walkway rides. I already was dealing with anxiety about the judgement we received from some other guests about using his stroller in queues, so I don't think I would have been able to deal with making them stop continuous rides for me to load him (I personally would never judge anyone for needing that accessibility measure, be we encountered some shockingly judgemental guests on our trip last month!), but he's small for his age and I'm very tall, so it was easy for me to maneuver and load him myself!

I was thinking of asking to have it tagged as a wheelchair for elopement/safety issues too. Will people give us weird looks if they see him walking around and stuff in the lines with the stroller? My youngest is 2 and also likely autistic (waiting list for official evaluation) and was planning to bring a double BOB.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I was thinking of asking to have it tagged as a wheelchair for elopement/safety issues too. Will people give us weird looks if they see him walking around and stuff in the lines with the stroller?

Tag it. People’s looks Do Not Matter. You will get them. Move on. As your kids age they need to see you being strong for their accommodations by (nicely as possible) not caring about people’s looks or comments (you will eventually hear those too ).

 

[kittyklawz]

Tag it. People’s looks Do Not Matter. You will get them. Move on. As your kids age they need to see you being strong for their accommodations by (nicely as possible) not caring about people’s looks or comments (you will eventually hear those too ).

Will the BOB fit okay in the line queues? I assume it should since they are supposed to fit wheelchairs and EVCs and what not right?

 

[lanejudy]

Will the BOB fit okay in the line queues?

Strollers must fit in a box 31" (w) x 52" (l). I haven't heard of problems with Bob strollers, but since you mentioned it's a double you might want to check the dimensions of your model.

 

[ccahpp25]

I was thinking of asking to have it tagged as a wheelchair for elopement/safety issues too. Will people give us weird looks if they see him walking around and stuff in the lines with the stroller? My youngest is 2 and also likely autistic (waiting list for official evaluation) and was planning to bring a double BOB.

Some do. We also overheard some snide comments from people behind us. Cast members are lovely at shutting people down if they hear grumbles, but some people are just not going to be happy about anything. I understand that it's hard to hear, I take every bit of anything that's said about my son to heart, but I just weigh the pros and cons. I'd rather listen to the occasional snide comment than have him take off running across the park and end up injured or dead due to his inability to assess safe situations and people. It's an accommodation that my son needs and it's one that Disney very helpfully provides, so we'll be using again for our October 2024 trip.

 

[kittyklawz]

Strollers must fit in a box 31" (w) x 52" (l). I haven't heard of problems with Bob strollers, but since you mentioned it's a double you might want to check the dimensions of your model.

It fits within the size requirements

 

[maxiesmom]

I was thinking of asking to have it tagged as a wheelchair for elopement/safety issues too. Will people give us weird looks if they see him walking around and stuff in the lines with the stroller? My youngest is 2 and also likely autistic (waiting list for official evaluation) and was planning to bring a double BOB.

I'm sure people give me weird looks because I use a scooter, but can get out of it to walk, or stand in some lines. I. Don't. Give. A. Fig.

As someone else said, you need to be an advocate for your child at the parks (as I'm sure you are in day to day life). You don't know the people in line with you, and you don't owe them any sort of explanation. And they are certainly not worth worrying about.

 

[tinkerjo]

Most people dont care and are totally oblivious. We just went to WDW this winter with DS fiancé (23 years old) and in a scooter after becoming paralyzed in one leg as a competitive dancer at age 17. She looks totally able but walking with a walker in the parks was draining and painful. CMs were totally sweet (a couple grumpy bus drivers though lol) so dont pay attention to snide comments but I figure they will be few and far between as everyone else it too busy to care. Cali is also more laid back than Florida. Do what is easiest for you and your kids!!!

 

[RoseGold]

I was thinking of asking to have it tagged as a wheelchair for elopement/safety issues too. Will people give us weird looks if they see him walking around and stuff in the lines with the stroller? My youngest is 2 and also likely autistic (waiting list for official evaluation) and was planning to bring a double BOB.

We got some helpful comments on a child in an obviously permanent wheelchair. I would expect "helpful" guests that tell you things like strollers can't go in lines. Or helpful comments like gee, I wish I had a stroller in the line. Or helpful comments like wow people really work the system. You need to have a response ready for at least some this. My response would be rude, maybe yours wouldn't be. One option is to look them straight in the eye and say, excuse me, what did you just say?

At least at WDW, A double BOB would be a tight fit in many lines, and maybe not even fit, honestly.

If the six year old can do something like ride a roller board on a single stroller, I'd try to do that.