Disneyland w autistic 8 year old

[HaleyB]

My sister wants to take her son to Disneyland. All my experience with disabilities is at Disney World.

Is it pretty much the same?
Any things that are unique issues at DL?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[lanejudy]

My experience is also WDW but I would think much of the same would apply to DLR: something to occupy time or distract while waiting; earphones to muffle or block sound if the child has sensory issues; keeping to a regular schedule as much as possible - waking, meal times, sleep times; planning for downtime and/or ability to change plans if needed because the child is too overwhelmed; bringing favorite snacks; using stroller-as-wheelchair to provide a safe haven; keeping cool and comfortable and well-hydrated.

I do think that DLR - especially MK - since it is older it has fewer mainstreamed lines. This likely means that there will be more people at an "alternate" entrance and so that option may backfire if looking for a "quieter" or less crowded place to wait. DCA is newer so it likely has most lines mainstreamed.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[Midnightred]

I think DL is better in alot of ways, because everything is close together. Walking is very easy, and it's no problem to take frequent breaks at the pool/hotel. You can obtain a GAC. I have 2 boys with autism, and we only had to use the GAC once. She really needs to get to the parks early to maximize time on rides with low crowds in the 2 parks.

Midnightred

 

[anonymousegirl]

My experience is also WDW but I would think much of the same would apply to DLR: something to occupy time or distract while waiting; earphones to muffle or block sound if the child has sensory issues; keeping to a regular schedule as much as possible - waking, meal times, sleep times; planning for downtime and/or ability to change plans if needed because the child is too overwhelmed; bringing favorite snacks; using stroller-as-wheelchair to provide a safe haven; keeping cool and comfortable and well-hydrated.

I do think that DLR - especially MK - since it is older it has fewer mainstreamed lines. This likely means that there will be more people at an "alternate" entrance and so that option may backfire if looking for a "quieter" or less crowded place to wait. DCA is newer so it likely has most lines mainstreamed.

Enjoy your vacation!

Agree! Many of the alternative entrances are through the narrow exits with people constantly brushing by you and your group. Because this area was not designed for two way traffic, it is narrower and more claustrophobic than the regular lines. This is especially true in Fantasyland.

 

[KPeveler]

Agree! Many of the alternative entrances are through the narrow exits with people constantly brushing by you and your group. Because this area was not designed for two way traffic, it is narrower and more claustrophobic than the regular lines. This is especially true in Fantasyland.

YES! This.

Also, during crowded time,the only entrance other than the standard queue for Pirates, Mansion, and a few others can be very long and crowded.

I think DL is more crowded, but this is mostly because things are closer together. If she plans on pacing, then she should be ok.

I strongly suggest she get a screen name and come on here herself - she may have some specific questions that people here can handle. Or she can just read through any past threads. All kids with autism are different and have different triggers and such, so she is of course welcome to come on over and ask away

 

[clanmcculloch]

I'm going to jump in and ask a DL specific question which will probably also be relevant for OP. In DL are there any attractions that have mob waiting areas like VOTLM, Philharmagic and Monster's Inc at WDW?

 

[Aladora]

We just got back two days ago from our 3rd trip to DL with our almost 8 year old HFA DS.

We've never taken him to WDW, so I am not sure how it compares to DL.

If there are any specific q's you have, I can try and answer them!

As for the pp who asked about crowded waiting areas, I can tell you that for rides, Dumbo is crazy and Peter Pan is pretty bad as well. Peter Pan usually has a much longer wait with a GAC than through the regular line and it is outside. POTC is, in our experience, better to go through the regular line as well, the alternative entrance is ALWAYS a longer wait.

Let me know any other questions and I will try to answer them!

 

[clanmcculloch]

I probably didn't explain my question properly. If the waiting area is a queue then we can hopefully manage with the use of a good touring plan because there's defined space around our DD between us standing in front and in back of her with the ropes/walls/whatever is on the sides defining the queue keeping her separate from others. She can't wait very long but I don't use her GAC with the expectation of avoiding waits; that's where planning including using FPs and learning about crowd patterns comes in. At least this workds at WDW for us so I'll be trying to figure out similar touring plan strategies for DL. We'll be buying 5 day tickets and will have 6 nights at a DL resort and we're early risers so RD each of those days is easy so we should be able to manage that.

What she can't handle is where there's no defined queue and you just wait in a big room with CMs telling everybody to keep moving forward. There's no way to create a defined space around her so we can't do attractions with this kind of waiting area without an accomodation for us to wait elsewhere or at a minimum be allowed to wait at the back of the room until everybody starts entering. I'm just trying to find out which if any attractions at DL have this kind of set-up.

 

[Aladora]

Aha, I think I understand! The only ones like what you describe that I can think of are: Muppets 3D, HM and of course the shows like F!, WoC and fireworks.

I think those are all but I'll post more if I think of any.

Edited to add: While Muppets 3D does have an open waiting area, we have gone to see the show 4 times and never has there been more than 20 other people in the entire theatre! I'm not sure if we have lucked out, but it isn't a very popular show.

 

[clanmcculloch]

Muppets and HM sound similar to WDW. We do manage to do those by going when crowds at these attractions are typically low so I figure that strategy should work at DL as well. I'm not sure how but being crowded in the stretching room doesn't seem to bother her. I try to get her to the edge of the room so there's less area that people can crowd near her and then we kind of crowd around her ourselves so no stranger will be touching her but for some reason she doesn't freak out over just how close we all are to her. I wish I understood it so I could figure out a way to get whatever switch is flipped in her head at HM to flip at other places. Autism is such a weird thing. At Muppets at WDW the CMs seem to allow people to not crowd forward like at some other attractions so if there aren't many people there at DL then hopefully it'll be the same way.

I figured we wouldn't be doing nighttime shows just because it means straying from our usual at home schedule and it never seems to work at WDW either. Good to know that F! and WOC have that kind of setup. Fireworks I figured would be like at WDW where you just find a spot to stake out so I figured we likely wouldn't be doing that either. At WDW we watch Wishes from the Poly beach. Oh well, it is what it is.

It sounds like there are very few places like that so phew, we should be good.

Thank you!

 

[jimmysmom74]

My DS has a sensory disorder, and anxiety sets in when he is waiting in a confined place where their is a lot of people. DL did an excellent job of accommodating his needs.
My SIL wanted to go for Thanksgiving, which was not my plan at all, but we did it to be with family. This was the first time we used the GAC more than a handful of times. At WDW, we only used it a few times, but the crowds at DL during this busy time required us to use it more frequently.
Fastasyland is the only place where the waiting area was difficult. If you go there early, knock fastasyland out first you will be fine.
Have a magical trip!

 

[anonymousegirl]

I only rode it once but I think Luigi's Flying Tires at DCA starts as a regular queue, but just before loading you are put in a large open area without any lines. Once the gates open, you proceed to your tire. Sorry but I did not notice where or if there was an alternative entrance.

 

[clanmcculloch]

It's good to hear that at DL they do have an accomodation available for waiting in a less confined space at a bunch of attractions. Do you mind me asking if those alternate waiting areas were just open spaces or how they were set up? DD15 would be better off in a queue than an open waiting area. Since we'll be there in the summer I'm assuming there's be crowds (not as bad as Thanksgiving but still crowds) so I assume alternate waiting areas will have a lot of people as well. It's the layout that we need to watch out for.

At Luigi, is the open area much different than the teacups at WDW?

 

[Aladora]

It's good to hear that at DL they do have an accomodation available for waiting in a less confined space at a bunch of attractions. Do you mind me asking if those alternate waiting areas were just open spaces or how they were set up? DD15 would be better off in a queue than an open waiting area. Since we'll be there in the summer I'm assuming there's be crowds (not as bad as Thanksgiving but still crowds) so I assume alternate waiting areas will have a lot of people as well. It's the layout that we need to watch out for.

At Luigi, is the open area much different than the teacups at WDW?

It depends on the ride. All of the Fantasyland rides have the alternative entry through the exit, so you just walk up through the exit and wait by the ride operator. Peter Pan always has a line back through the exit and a line forms back from the gate with a rope designating the line.

Toontown is the same way, you enter through the exit, Jungle Cruise as well.

Most other rides had us enter through the FP line. Just be aware that for RSR you have to get a return time FP from a CM standing near Stanley Steamer. When your return time comes around, you use it exactly like a regular FP.

Luigi's waiting area is an open area with 6 (I think) gates and 5 (I think) circles in a row with the gate number on them. You could always get your DD to stand on one of the circles and the rest of you can stand around her to create a bubble. I am pretty sure Mater's Jamboree is the same.

I'm trying to think of any ride that has a different waiting area but I can't think of any that do not use either the exit or the FP line.

If you were interested in doing WOC, I would recommend doing dinner at either WCT or CC so you can get into the preferred area. We arrived an hour before the show and go spots right at the railing in the semi circle area. I brought our son's Nintendo DS and headphones and he was perfectly happy to sit and play until show time.

Oh, I almost forgot...a great place to go to decompress is the Main Street Cinema. It's got AC and low lighting and 6 screens playing old cartoons. DS loved going there and chilling out when things got a bit much for him.

 

[clanmcculloch]

Rides where we'd enter through the exit probably aren't a good idea for us so it's really good to know that this is how it's done at so many places and how to make an educated guess as to which ones do that. I'll focus on our touring plan getting us to attractions when we'll be able to avoid a line. Having a return time on the other hand is a geat option.

The setup at Luigi sounds like TT at WDW used to operate. DD15 was fine with the queue (as long as the line wasn't too long; it got LOUD in there) but then having to wait outside the little room where they showed a movie was brutal. I'll have to think about that one along with Mater. I'm sure I'll be able to find pictures of it online so we can discuss if she can handle it or not. We might be able to form a bit of a barrier around her, especially if we go to those on days where we'll have my DSD and her DH with us so there'll be more of us to create that circle around her.

I don't know what people did in the days before the internet. Knowing what to expect ahead of time is so important and makes these trips possible.

My kids LOVE the really old Disney shorts. The theatre sounds like a great place to decompress. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Christen99]

We've only had experience at Disneyland and it was really great. My son turned 7 on our visit, and his OT suggested a GAC to help out. I didn't think we needed it, but she was right, it was really helpful (he FLIPPED out with some of the scenery in line, too much talking noise that he couldn't filter, crashing into people because he was overstimulated, etc.). The CM's were great with him, and while we were waiting to board they engaged him in cnversation(he's verbal). We were also gluten free, and the restaurants and CS were fantastic about explaining what was safe for him to eat. The chef at Goofy's Kitchen walked him through the buffet and helped him find safe foods, and brought him some gluten free Mickey waffles. We had a ton if unforeseen issues with characters at breakfast (had no idea they would cause him to lose it), and they were able to entertain him from a safe distance. Princesses were a hit, because they had real faces. Balloo was awesome, and engaged my son from a safe distance, monkeyed with my husband for a while, and after 5 minutes or so of goofing around my son wanted to engage with Balloo.

Disneyland was actually where we realized he was on the spectrum (services in place before diagnosis), so it wasn't the happiest place on earth...more like most heart breaking. It's our two year anniversary of diagnosis, and we're leaving for WDW on Saturday. Totally different kid, who is highly functioning now after intense therapies since our last trip.

 

[WDWJonasGirl]

I'm an almost 18 year old with autism. I have used the GAC everytime and most of the time, the either send us to the fastpass entrance, the wheelchair entrance or the exit.