Child with Disability and Kid's Clubs

[PurpleKomodo]

Hey there - I admittedly do not know much about cruising. We are considering a cruise next summer. My youngest will be almost 5. He has a significant medical disability, but is socially and cognitively on par with same-age peers. He would love to participate in the kid's club, but needs a parent with him in case of need for medical care. He has a trach and g-tube, so he could need suctioning or feeding/water. He also may or may not be toilet trained. We are working on it, but it is complicated. Would a parent be allowed to stay with him so he could participate in the activities safely?

Also, is there anything else I need to be aware of as far as disability services on cruises. He will likely be in his manual wheelchair most of the time on the ship.

 

[cedricandsophie]

I have a daughter with Down syndrome. She’s an adult now but years ago she participated in the kids clubs. I can say my experience then was great. The counselors were terrific with her, making sure she participated fully. My impression would be that the team would go out of their way to include him but unfortunately I’m not sure if there is a way to find out until you actually get on the ship. The medical equipment, the bathroom issues, etc might be the biggest problems. But there is orobably someone on the Boards who has actual experience.

The DCL cruise line reps thst you call are not that helpful and tend to read back the script written for them. You might consult a travel agent who could look into this for you.

Good luck. I know from personal experience with my daughter how important it is for our kids to feel like they are included to the extent possible. When he’s older I encourage you to look into special Olympics. Depending on your location, there can be many activities that he could participate in from his wheelchair.

 

[dcassetta]

@KT2038 may be able to help answer your questions

 

[Geomom]

I don't think they allow parents in the kids clubs except during open house times, so you may be limited to those times, which happen daily. Check with DCL special services for info and for anything you may need during your cruise.
https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/faq/guests-with-disabilities/information/

 

[sjuncfan]

I do not have a child with a disability but we have been on a bunch of cruises and are familiar with the kids clubs.

I do not think you will be able to go to the kids club with him during the "secure" times. As far as I know, adults are not allowed and there are no exceptions. However, there are frequent open house times in both the Oceaneers Club and the Oceaneers Lab so you can be with him while he participates in activities during those times.

Someone with more direct experience can correct me as to whether they'd make an exception to allow you to join him in the clubs during secure time.

 

[disneylandlocal]

A few comments: there is an email on the DCL website for special needs so you may want to reach out directly. As others mentioned, there are kids club open houses when you can be with him. For drop off, he will need to be completely potty trained and I’m not sure if they would allow you to shadow him. It’s worth asking if they would grant an exception in your circumstances. My overall experience with Disney is that they are great about accommodating disabilities. Lots of reviews of their HA rooms are posted online with wheelchair users. Hope you are able to have a great cruise!

 

[lanejudy]

DCL will not make any exception during secured programming; they will recommend attending Open House with your son. This is part of the reason the open house times exist.

 

[Eloiseontheseas]

Hello there! I am a CM in the youth spaces. A parent cannot come into the spaces during secured programming and there are no exceptions to this rule. You will be able to come and play in the spaces during Open House times with him. This may mean however that he will miss out on some of the programs he wanted to do.