Thank you, such amazingly helpful advice!
We are past our 60 day ADR day so we were only able to get a table for 8.25am. I’m hoping the restaurant will still be relatively quiet. GD is just really fixated on going here now, whenever anyone asks her what she is most excited for it’s this.
Kind of wish we hadn’t spoken about it but hopefully with the helpful tips from here, her iPad, and ear defenders she will still have fun.
The fact that she is super-fixated on going and the experience itself may actually help her to manage in the loud environment - she may surprise you and have no difficulty at all. I've found that sometimes (not all the time) I have a little better tolerance for noisy/chaotic places when it is something I have been hyper-focused on - the hyper-focus can help to block some of the intake of what is going on around, at least temporarily (adult with ASD here).
Some other things that could help that weren't in your posts (please completely ignore if you want - I can't always tell if these types of tips are wanted or not - I'm sure you already have plenty of other strategies to help with your GD!):
- try requesting a table on the edges of the restaurant
- have her sit somewhere more isolated where she is a bit buffered (could be furthest away from other tables, back to wall, back to restaurant, etc. - figure out what works best for her)
- take her up to the buffet once so she can see what is there, but have her stay at the table while you bring her food/get things for her (to minimize her needing to navigate through everyone)
- be prepared to have one person bring her outside the restaurant for a break from the stimulus if needed. Read her queues on if/when she wants to go back in.
- beforehand - help acclimate her to the experience. Give her a heads up about the environment/noise, and knowledge about the process of how getting food and meeting the characters work. Don't dwell on the noise/chaos aspect or she may hyperfocus on that.
- in the worst case scenario that you get there and she is not able to tolerate, have a back-up plan: is there any way to salvage the current cost/situation by talking with the cms, when/how will she get to see Pooh later on, etc.
- think about the "after" of the breakfast. Even if she tolerates the whole experience ok, it will probably sap a lot of out of her- I'd plan something quiet, calm, and low-key for immediately after so she has a chance to reset.
If she is a Pooh fan, I don't know if you were planning on the Pooh ride at MK - the queue for that is a sensory nightmare. The standby queue is full of interactive elements where kids can bang things constantly - depending on her age and sensory needs - she may actually enjoy that aspect a lot! OR it could be major problematic.
I hope the trip goes well, and that you all enjoy the breakfast! You're already doing a lot to help her manage and to set it up for success!
