Dinosaur & ITTBAB ride questions re: Asperger's child

[quiltymom]

I wanted to ask this on this board rather than the trip planning forum so I can get more focused answers to my questions. I'll try to keep it short!

DS8 is high-functioning Aspergers/ADHD. He LOVES anything Disney & all the Disney parks, especially roller coasters! We're planning another trip, and are considering Dinosaur & ITTBAB at AK. Here comes the tricky question part.

• He loves Space Mountain at MK but not at DL (it's much more intense and dark there).
• He has some sensory issues, but we never know when they'll come up.
• He disliked Stitch at MK (didn't care for the smells & stuff).
• He loves adventure sometimes, but loves to go and go and go and ride all the rides he can.
• He had no problem getting wet on Kali.
• He the loved Muppets & Philharmagic 3-D shows
• He and DD6 are into dinosaurs big time these days.

I've read all the comments on the trip planning forum about the Dino and ITTBAB, both pro and con, but am still in the dark about if this would be a good thing to even try, or not. I plan on letting both he & DD watch YouTube videos on the rides (if available) to let them see what they're like. Although I know that he would want to try the rides because he's always game to try something new, I'm afraid that the sensory may be too much for him in Bug, and that Dino may be too frightening and dark, even if he is informed beforehand.

Any comments? Thanks!

 

[mcraft17]

My dd 11 has asperger's and she is definitly not a roller coster rider. She has some sensory issues and frightens easily. We have let her ride the Dinosaur ride once and she won't do that again, it was too loud, scary, dark, and she especially didn't like the carnatour (unsure how to spell it). She also doesn't like it's tough to be a bug for a few reasons....
1. She doesn't like bugs anyway and this one was a little too real for her.
2. Spiders come down from the ceiling and the screaming was loud.
3. She struggles with reality and when the bug shoots acid (water) it scared her and she was afraid that the bugs were real.

I will have to say she does like Philharmagic but not the Muppets so you never know.

Hope this helps.

 

[SueM in MN]

My neurotypical child does not like Dinosaur because it is loud, VERY dark, jerky and things happen unexpectedly. You are going along fast and all of a sudden change directions rapidly or stop rapidly. You are actually 'hunting' for a specific dino; each time you come to one, you have to suddenly stop to look at it. Very often, what you stopped to see was one that would eat humans, so that means a sudden accelleration. My best description would be a ride in a jeep up and down bumpy, steep mountain roads in the pitch dark.
I'm afraid you probably won't find many youtube movies that show much because it is so dark.

I'd agree with mcraft17's child about ITTBAB. That is one attraction that I have never been in without several kids screaming and at least one family leaving. It's not particularly dark though, so you may find some good video.

If they really want to try, you could ask the CM about sending one of your party in to ride and give an opinion before the kids go on.

 

[SelfEmployedDebtFree]

I have to kinda disagree. My son is Aspergers. (official diagnosis) One trip he's scared of everything, next trip he's Mr daredevil. Take it in stride. See what he's up for when he's actually there and try not to worry so much about it. If he hates a ride, please do NOT dismiss it completely. I actually got my son on TOT recently, (he enjoyed it, but wouldn't do it again) and a year earlier he was scared of the MONORAIL for crying out loud!!! The trip just before the "bad monorail" trip he was on all the MK Mountains and Test Track. I just never know how he will be till I get there so I try not to worry with it.
I usually just try to convince him, and if he agrees we do it, but I never second-guess his decision to do any ride. If he decides NOT to do it, and he's done it before and liked it, THEN I second-guess it, but only a few times then I tell him its his vacation too and he don't have to do anything he don't want to.

They are all different. (those autism children) Fascinating really.

 

[quiltymom]

Thanks, all. I've been leaning against doing the two rides, but I also didn't want to knock them off our list just because I thought they wouldn't like them. I'm more incluned to skip them - especially Dinosaur because my back won't allow me to ride it - but they may handle BUG better. At least they can close their eyes ... DS will most likely be thrilled doing Primeval Whirl (Hurl?) with DH and DD the Boneyard with me instead. Aah - the exciting life for me!