Best Ideas? Disabled Combat Vet

[Woodmnky]

There is a lot of good info in this thread, but I wanted to add one more piece of advice. My husband also has combat related PTSD and when it was the worst for him was when we were trying to leave MK before the MSEP & Wishes. The sidewalks were packed and it was pretty horrible (and it was a "slow" time). Thankfully I remembered that you can walk through the shops and they are one constant building for most of Main St. There were still a lot of people in the shops, but at least DH (& I) could walk without pushing our way through other people.

 

[married2mm]

There is a lot of good info in this thread, but I wanted to add one more piece of advice. My husband also has combat related PTSD and when it was the worst for him was when we were trying to leave MK before the MSEP & Wishes. The sidewalks were packed and it was pretty horrible (and it was a "slow" time). Thankfully I remembered that you can walk through the shops and they are one constant building for most of Main St. There were still a lot of people in the shops, but at least DH (& I) could walk without pushing our way through other people.

Op-I'm from the UK,but I know you guys are really proud of your force servicemen and women-and rightly so-you should be very proud.

Your Dh indeed is a wonderful father,and you are a fantastic wife and mom too.

I have a few issues similar to your Dh,and we go to the parks either at am emh or rd.

We don't stay for parades-we leave after an early lunch.

Sometimes we return to a different park later on in the evening-and try to either be entering or leaving before fireworks.

Or if in Mk-we will be far away from main street-or if necessary utilise the shops as pp stated. Definitely preferable to be far away though.

 

[bopper]

I think another thing is to talk to your DH about what he wants to do if he starts feeling stressed.
Find a quiet place? (figure out quiet places in each park ahead of time).
Go back to hotel on his own?
Go back with you?

Combo of all? But before you go, talk about it. I think the main thing is that you don't want him getting stressed and staying because he thinks you want that or you going back to the hotel because you think he wants that when either of you would have been fine the other way.

 

[kylmac]

Have a great trip-please thank your husband for his service!
Elizabeth

 

[dsneprincess]

Thank you both for your service. I hope you have a wonderful trip! We are a fireworks avoiding family, since neither of my boys like "the booms". We are always on an indoor attraction at fireworks time. Carousel of Progress, Space Mountain, or Laugh Floor at MK. Soarin', seas with Nemo or Test Track at Epcot, and we have never been at HS that late.

I would recommend driving, all things are clearly marked, esp. with a sign reader in the car. Not only does this avoid crowds on buses and in lines, but it gives your husband a quiet retreat if needed. I would also look around the boards for the fast pass plus priority list someone (maybe MesaBoy?) put together to help you pick the best attractions to avoid long lines and use the new DAS.

Remember there is more to Disney than long lines and loud attractions. There is a lot to be seen off the beaten path & in the quiet corners. Look for the more obscure but fun options, likeRafikis Planet Watch. Some of ny kids (4&13) favorites are Spaceship Earth, Peoplemover, Rafikis train ride: people think they are crazy when they are asked for their favorites.

I hope your trip is magical for all of you!!!

 

[gilesmt]

I would definately rethink your hotel choice, in my opinion. Your son may want it all, but he is a kid and he will be getting it all and over stimulated anyway because he is in Disney. Your husband will have a miserable time if he can not relax and get away from it all. Don't mean that to sound so harsh.

We have 20+DLR trips and 3WDW trips, with a Vietnam 100% disabled PTSD vet. We use to stay at DL hotel, and POR and such, we use to try to do it all, we use to stay together and go on every ride for the kids sake. He left needing an out patient daily program, I left needing a vacation and the girls left in tears vacation ruined.

Now we never stay in a Disney hotel, especially at WDW when they have SoG. The place is the best of everything, largest rooms of any Disney hotel, and on site. Queen comfortable beds, not double hard beds. Large rooms with room to move, balconies and patios to sit and drink coffee. Quiet halls and hotels rooms, very little noise. Quiet walks to poly to catch bus or monorail, or grab the taxi golf cart down and less of a walk, or even better take the buses there, they are less crowded, less noisy and always on schedule, never a wait if you remember the times. The resturaunts are less crowded, the lobby is quiet with no crowds, the pools are quiet with no crowds. Plenty of room for him to get a break and refresh to do more hours In The parks. Less of a Disney feel, sure but much more peaceful for a PTSD vet. The ability for him to regroup and get back out there is going to save a lot of heart break.

Also, a tip we found after years of trying to do it all together, give him the right to leave when he needs to. Before he gets to overloaded. Send him back to the room for an extra break, or for dining, and take your son. It will save your sanity in the end.

 

[lovetoscrap]

Keep in mind that things like the MK show in front of the castle that has fireworks at the end, the Light Motors Action show at DHS and others like that go on throughout the day and the explosions and fireworks can be heard from quite a distance away. I know that I get startled by the unexpected "boom" of the fireworks, or rumble of the explosions. Even the gunshots from the Indiana Jones show can probably be heard outside the theater if you are in that area.

All Star Sports is a good resort because you are far enough away from MK, Epcot and DHS that you shouldn't hear the fireworks in the evening like you can from some of the closer resorts.

 

[Sunnywho]

Frankly there is so much entertainment at Disney that I don't think you'd miss out if you left prior to the fireworks. There is a difference too between fireworks on the fourth of July and fireworks at Disney after a full day of overstimulation.

Still, the FastPass+ for Wishes gave a nice spot to sit down and not be too close to other people when the fireworks went off. Everyone is spread out on a lawn.

 

[cmmc]

I find for myself that having a touring plan and an exit strategy helped alot.

I use the "Unofficial Guide" website ( touringplans.com ) and their books. They have tips like:

"If you arrive at the TTC to find long lines at the Express Monorail, check out the Resort line, which may have a much shorter wait despite the 2 extra stops it makes. If taking the monorail the Contemporary is a highlight of your monorail experience, you'll need to stick with the Express line, as the Resort line goes in the other direction."​

They also have a smartphone app but you have to subscribe to get the actual wait time for the various rides. It costs $13 but I had a 20% discount code (GRANTWISH - maybe it will still work). Well worth it.

Each of us having a cell phone also helped alot, because if one of us had to separate (go for a walk or find somewhere quiet) they could find the other pretty easily.

If you need a quiet place at Epcot, there is a meditation area in the Moroccan Museum - as you enter the 'country' there will be a big wooden door (unmarked) on your left. If you're eating at Coumbia House at MK, the upstairs is much quieter. At Crystal Palace (again at MK), I found sitting at a corner table along the outside window much quieter (it's a character meal).

We skipped Fantasmic because of what we read about the crowds and the bottleneck.

I've never seen Shades of Green but I've stayed at All Star Music and at Beach Club Villa and then off site at a house and nobody I know would ever willingly stay at any All Stars again. Too noisy and the rooms are too small.