Could My SPD Toddler Hate the Parks?

[OhanaBreadPudding]

My Husband and I are having so much fun planning our trip. We have come a long way in our thinking when it comes to our son who will be 22 months when we go.

We were staying at POR and just switched to the Pop. We are thinking that there might be more for him to do there. We go on adventure walks every day and I feel like the Pop is a lot safer than POR. (less bodies of water!)

In our planning we are being open to the fact that he might not like the parks. His noise sensitivites seem to be getting worse and some things just flat out scare him. Things that we could never predict, like a fan that is not even on.

We are going to a few local amusement parks this summer to gauge how he does. We really hope he has a fun time, but we just want to have some backups in case he doesn't like them. Has anyone ever had a child that just flat out hates the parks? Is that really a possibility?

 

[EvangelineG]

We first took our sons to DL when they were 8yo. They would not have been able to enjoy them at younger ages. Well, to be specific, we would have had a terrible time trying to manage them and their needs at the parks when they were less than about 4yo and between 4 and about 7-ish they would have been way too overwhelmed with SPD and other issues for it to be worth a trip. As their sensory systems and emotional responses matured they were able to take on more and more, and by 8yo were ready for the challenge of a big trip and a big theme park, but even at that age we could only do a few hours in a park each day, with lots of rest, swimming and other quiet activities in between.

So yes, there are kids whose needs and sensitivities make theme parks impossible/miserable at younger ages. I think trying out a variety of local amusement parks and attractions is a great idea to see how your DS does. There is no reason to go to WDW now if your son would hate it. You can always wait a few years.

 

[OhanaBreadPudding]

We first took our sons to DL when they were 8yo. They would not have been able to enjoy them at younger ages. Well, to be specific, we would have had a terrible time trying to manage them and their needs at the parks when they were less than about 4yo and between 4 and about 7-ish they would have been way too overwhelmed with SPD and other issues for it to be worth a trip. As their sensory systems and emotional responses matured they were able to take on more and more, and by 8yo were ready for the challenge of a big trip and a big theme park, but even at that age we could only do a few hours in a park each day, with lots of rest, swimming and other quiet activities in between.

So yes, there are kids whose needs and sensitivities make theme parks impossible/miserable at younger ages. I think trying out a variety of local amusement parks and attractions is a great idea to see how your DS does. There is no reason to go to WDW now if your son would hate it. You can always wait a few years.

Yes! This is something we are discussing as well. He does so well in some situations, and not so great in others. I am hoping we get a good idea at the local theme parks (we are going to a splash park soon, too). But I know it still might not be 100% telling about WDW.

 

[buffettgirl]

It may not be the appropriate place to take your toddler, right now. That age in general is so unpredictable and if you already know there might be big issues, why not work up to a Disney sized vacation over the next few years? You're having fun planning your trip. I get that. But you and dh have done Disney, many times. It just might not be the right trip for your child.

 

[nvsnot]

Edit: Never mind my post, I had overlooked the fact that your son has SPD so my daughter's experience at 2.5 yrs. old can not be compared to how well your 22 month old will do at Disney.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

I took my DD at when she was 3.5yo. We didn't have a diagnosis at that time, nor did I realize really what all was wrong. I just knew she was a very difficult child to handle and prone to massive meltdowns, far beyond normal tantrums. I now know that she is bipolar and has a lot of sensory sensitivities, especially to sound.

It wasn't the easiest trip, and I had to be super flexible. She did really well at the MK. We spent most of our time in Fantasyland the first day. The second day, we started out at AK and went to the Festival of the Lion King show. Huge mistake. The drums and singing freaked her out. We had to quickly exit the show. For the rest of the trip, I couldn't get her to do anything that involved a show of any kind, including Playhouse Disney.

But I did find plenty of things she did like. She loved the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground in DHS. We spent a lot of time there and that was pretty much the only thing she would do in DHS. This was before Toy Story Mania was around. At Epcot, she liked walking/riding her stroller around the World Showcase. We went into a few shops, ate some food, and that was about it, but she liked it. She loved all the rides in Fantasyland, except I refused to even try to take her on Snow White. She was just barely tall enough for Goofy's Barnstormer, but we rode it multiple times in a row on our last night because she loved it so much.

She started out hating the characters. She refused to go up to any of them. Even the princesses at CRT, she was hiding her face when they came to our table. She wouldn't even watch me as I went up to greet characters, trying to show her that nothing bad would happen. But on our last night there, in the MK, we'd just gotten off the Winnie the Pooh ride and she spotted Tigger and Pooh greeting people. All of a sudden, she had to meet Tigger. One of my favorite pictures of her of all time came when she greeted Tigger. She was so excited she was bouncing around and did a sommersault on the ground. After the sommersault, I hugged her to hold her still for a photo with Tigger, and she has a look of utter glee on her face. She hasn't been scared of characters since.

You don't know how your DS will react. He may hate the parks. He may love them. He may find a small handful of things that he loves, but freak out at everything else. You don't know until you try. If you are willing to be flexible, and possibly end up spending most of your time at the resort if he doesn't like the parks, then go for it. WDW is magical for my DD. She can handle things better there than she can any place else.

BTW, we stayed at POFQ that first trip and loved it. For a child with sensory issues, I would pick one of the moderates over the values. The theming isn't as "loud" or "in your face".

Also, for my DD's noise sensitivities, we use noise reducing earmuffs. They really help calm her when things start to overwhelm her.

 

[mom2girls1974]

Both my girls and myself all have SPD's (my oldest is ASD as am I) my girls are older (they will be turning 13 and 9) we went to Disneyland for their birthdays when they turned 9and 5 so again much older. What I know this trip (they are both diagnosed now) is that we will do short stints in the parks -so that we can go back to our room, or the pool ect ,and miss that really busy part of the day. We also are bringing ear plugs for them both -to wear as needed, and sun glasses (they both wear glasses but will come with perscription sunnies this time) these will all help. I will also be brining a weighted vest for them to share as needed in the hotel room -it calms them right down when over stimuated -just a amazing thing -you can order them online.
I have never been to the parks with a young child, and have never been to WDW so not sure how much help I am, but this is my plan for what it is worth -enjoy.....

 

[lovethattink]

My Husband and I are having so much fun planning our trip. We have come a long way in our thinking when it comes to our son who will be 22 months when we go.

We were staying at POR and just switched to the Pop. We are thinking that there might be more for him to do there. We go on adventure walks every day and I feel like the Pop is a lot safer than POR. (less bodies of water!)

In our planning we are being open to the fact that he might not like the parks. His noise sensitivites seem to be getting worse and some things just flat out scare him. Things that we could never predict, like a fan that is not even on.

We are going to a few local amusement parks this summer to gauge how he does. We really hope he has a fun time, but we just want to have some backups in case he doesn't like them. Has anyone ever had a child that just flat out hates the parks? Is that really a possibility?

My son is 8 so that's quite an age difference from your child. He has a ton of sensory issues there are some things he loves and some things he hates about WDW.

I carry a back pack filled with some essentials that parents of NT children wouldn't typically pack. There is always something for light in case we get stuck on a dark ride. It could be my cell phone, a glow stick, or small flashlight. His ear phones to block sound. His brush for Wilbarger Brushing. A wide rim hat so that he can't see everyone around him, though lately he will wear a baseball cap. Toys to play with when he needs a distraction.

You may want to consider getting a GAC for stroller as a wheelchair so that you can take the stroller in all the buildings and queues if he needs a "retreat" from all the people or surroundings.

My son loves POP, but he goes into sensory overload everytime we go to Everything POP to eat. He does fine by the televisions, but in the area where you get the food and pay he turns from Dr. Jekyl to Mr. Hyde like he does while shopping at Walmart or the grocery store. For some reason, in his medical stroller and with earphones on it's not nearly as bad though.

One of his favorite spots is at Epcot. There are fiberoptic lights in the ground near both innoventions. He will spend forever by those lights and it's very calming to him.

 

[MSSANDRA]

I think that your first choice of a resort might also be better for your toddler. POP is big and loud and mega stimulation EVERYWHERE. If the parks are too much....you want a place to escape to at the resort. My recommendation for a resort would be Coronado Springs. It's also a moderate and while it is large, it is quite spread out, lots of grass and places to walk and chill out. It does have a huge lake but reality is there are pool and bodies of water at all resorts and you simply can never take your eyes off him ever! The Pepper Market is a CS with a sit down feel. Buffet for two meals and MUCH quieter than the crazy food court at POP. Bus service is excellent.

 

[OhanaBreadPudding]

Thank you all for your replies. This is my first child and he is still very young, so we are learning new things as we go.

You all might be right about the Pop. We had free dining so we switched to the Pop and really enjoyed the idea of doing the QSDP since it would eliminate the need for him to sit in a restaurant for an hour a day. He is really tought right now when it comes to that. (normal toddler behavior though... I guess... )

The idea of not going is VERY much on the table. We are still moving forward as of now because we have learned that sometimes we don't give him enough credit as to what he can handle and what he can't. So we will do little tests and agree to what he can do and what we are willing to try ahead of time.

It is good to know that he could hate the parks and that we aren't just being over the top with our planning. I love the tips and insight. Thank you!

 

[CaliKT]

Another thing to consider: does your child have issues with proprioceptive or vestibular input? My 7 year-old is really underreceptive to both of those, so theme parks are absolute heaven to him. I remember when he was a toddler and I knew nothing about sensory processing issues, but man, did he love the teacups and all those types of rides.

Even to this day, the Disney parks are kind of the best place and the worst place in the world for him. He gets so much of the input he craves through the rides, but the noise, etc. can be really overwhelming for him. We had a lot of luck last year by putting noise muffling earmuffs on him -- they helped a lot.

Also: I think you may be onto something with the QSDP. My older son had a lot of issues with the buffets and table services restaurants at when we did the dining plan last year, and we have vowed not to do it again. The two worst places for us were Chef Mickey's and the Biergarten -- he thought both places were waaaay too loud and smelled bad.

 

[JennyDrake]

I would comment that ANY toddler can have issues and not enjoy WDW. For many it is just *too much*.