Disneyland with ADD Child

[Blackunicorn]

Okay, I know from my search that this is a potentially volatile subject, but I need to know and I didn't find the answer. Please no flames.

My mother wants to take my niece (6) and nephew (7) to DL for three days in July. They desperately want to go. My mother is a *terrible* planner and I want to make this trip as stress-free and pleasant for the children as humanly possible. For all practical purposes, the children's parents will be uninvolved, so it will basically be like my mother and two kids at the park. My nephew has ADD, but is not receiving medication over the summer.

I know this is peak season, it will be hot, and that standing in lines will be a nightmare. Does anyone have any tips? No, not going will not be an option--I've already warned her. The mother of the children will not allow a trip in off-season. I sincerely appreciate any and all constructive comments.

 

[cyberdeb]

I did this when my AD/HD son was young and yes it can be a nightmare. Back then at WDW, you could get a pass for people with disabilities that allowed you to either wait in another area or bypass th e line. I am not sure if you can still do that as i havent had the need to know. That son is now 21 so it isnt an issue with me taking him anywhere. Another thing i did was to get a hand holder. Now people will be rude and give you their opinions on this and say you are treating your child like a dog, but this was the only way i could keep my son safe and those with no experience with this type of kid had no clue what it was like. He was a runner and would dart off if you took your hand off of him even for a second. I would recommend using fast passes and taking frequent breaks and letting the child do the leading and not demanding to do everything. I would also make sure the kids know what to do if they get seperated. Maybe making a designated meeting place.

 

[disneyscootergal]

You said your nephew is ADD--do you mean ADHD (with hyperactivity)? I'm assuming so, since ADD alone usually means trouble concentrating and remembering, but not too much outlandish, impulsive behavior. I know, because I myself am ADD, and my DD11 is ADHD.

You know how everyone talks about bringing things for your kids to do in lines to distract them? This just goes double for kids like your nephew. Maybe a hand-held game? I Spy is a great game, because these kids can't help noticing every little detail around them! Also, just your being aware of the situation is a big plus. My DD's behavior is a little wacky (but in a humorous, fun way) when she hasn't had her meds, and just being at least somewhat accepting of this (at the same time urging moderation as a courtesy to others in the vicinity ) can make things go more smoothly.

Since kiddos like your nephew and my DD are VERY distractible, and may balk at skipping something until later, perhaps you could work out an arrangement with him ahead of time: have some items on your person that he desires (Disney dollars, small toys/figurines he collects, whatever you two decide on), and when he makes unhappy noises about waiting until later for something, tell him he gets one of his "prizes" now if he can be patient.

Just a suggestion; I've been an elementary teacher for several years, and I'm very big on bribery!

It's probably also crucial that you schedule some down time into your day back at the motel (if that fits in with how long you will be there). His attitude (and yours!) will benefit greatly from a respite from the sensory overload of DL and DCA.

Most of all, just try to enjoy your nephew. I've found that many of these kiddos become my favorite students as I get to know their unique personalities, and they are often very kind, good-hearted kids (which, unfortunately, some narrow-minded people never find out because they won't get close enough). When he's doing something that makes you cringe , count to 10, think to yourself, "What the heck? We're in Disneyland, not a classroom!", and laugh with him.

 

[Blackunicorn]

You said your nephew is ADD--do you mean ADHD (with hyperactivity)? I'm assuming so, since ADD alone usually means trouble concentrating and remembering, but not too much outlandish, impulsive behavior. I know, because I myself am ADD, and my DD11 is ADHD...

...Most of all, just try to enjoy your nephew. I've found that many of these kiddos become my favorite students as I get to know their unique personalities, and they are often very kind, good-hearted kids (which, unfortunately, some narrow-minded people never find out because they won't get close enough). When he's doing something that makes you cringe , count to 10, think to yourself, "What the heck? We're in Disneyland, not a classroom!", and laugh with him.

Yes, I guess I do mean ADHD. He has extreme trouble sitting still for any length of time, and he's constantly in motion.

I won't be there, it will just be my mom and the two kids. I'd like to go, but my family can't afford the trip, plus because of issues in my own family I won't go during peak periods. But I'm doing my best to make sure that my mom and the kids will have a good time.

Thank you for the suggestions so far--every little bit is going to be an important part of making the trip go smoothly!

 

[alaniz94]

I agree let the child decide what he wants to ride and in what order. Remember this trip is for the children. I just returned from a trip to DL and many children were using portable video games or ipods while in line.

 

[tinkerbelt]

Disneyscootergal has some great suggestions. Also, if possible, try to avoid sugary snacks and food items that contain red dye -- these are huge triggers for ADHD. I know it's really hard to do at a place like Disneyland, but it really helps.

 

[disneyisspecialtome]

My older brother had ADHD much worse than I did (I'm inbetween hehehe) anyway we always brought little games to do in line and we knew the limitations (as we got older) for how far ahead of the group we could go...so it really doesn't have to be all that tough...just don't expect them to want to browse in any stores...you WILL be in motion for much of the day...to give you and your mother a rest you could always switch off (you ride one ride with the kids and she could wait or shop while you do that and switch off) that way you both could grab a little "me" time while still being with the kids!
Just a suggestion!
Have a great time!!

 

[Disneyenthusiast]

Where will she be staying? I would suggest staying within walking distance so that they can easily walk back to the room if the kids (or Mom) need a break. Taking a swim while Mom watches might be a good thing in the heat of the day.

Plan to eat counter service meals and quick snacks to avoid restaurant waits. It will help if the hotel offers a free breakfast on the premises.

Be sure to explain fast pass to your Mom. This really cuts down on waiting in lines, always a key with impatient kids. Alternate the action packed rides with calmer ones.

Grab food to eat while waiting for parades and fireworks or Fantasmic. It will keep everyone occupied, save time, and make the wait seem shorter.

I wonder if a pager might be a good idea in case they become separated.

 

[mystic_path]

I agree let the child decide what he wants to ride and in what order. Remember this trip is for the children. I just returned from a trip to DL and many children were using portable video games or ipods while in line.

Actually this is funny, I was at DL 2 weeks ago and when we were in line for Splash Mountain there was a kid behind us who had ADHD and he couldnt sit still. People were staring but the kid was given a game boy. The kid held the game and played it the whole way through the ride queue and even on some parts of the ride. (I would not have recommended this) but he hid it near the drops in the ride to keep it from getting wet. It kept him occupied and it was great cause we got stuck in a boat with him, but it was cool and there were no problems.

My cousin who is 10 and who is close to me has ADHD and he LOVES video games. ALthough he bounces while he plays it, he is occupied for hours. So I thought it was smart to bring the game boy into the park just incase.

 

[disneyscootergal]

I would also make sure the kids know what to do if they get seperated. Maybe making a designated meeting place.

This is a great idea, and I'd like to add something I saw mentioned in another thread: you might think about telling your mom to write the name of the motel where they're staying, as well as the name of the spot that you will all meet if you get separated, and have him keep it in his pocket (your niece too).

And another tip: tell your mom to be sure she has eye contact with her nephew where giving these instructions, and have him repeat it back to her...more than once. Maybe about every hour.

 

[cyberdeb]

This is a great idea, and I'd like to add something I saw mentioned in another thread: you might think about telling your mom to write the name of the motel where they're staying, as well as the name of the spot that you will all meet if you get separated, and have him keep it in his pocket (your niece too).

And another tip: tell your mom to be sure she has eye contact with her nephew where giving these instructions, and have him repeat it back to her...more than once. Maybe about every hour.

Great tip, wow how quickly I forgot the eye contact thing. That is vitallly important. It just amazes me the things i have probably purposely forgotten now that my AD/HD poster child is 21 and has not lived with me for a few years.

 

[disneyscootergal]

LOL, if I didn't have a constant stream of kiddos (as well as one of my own) passing through my room--and my life--I probably would forget, too, CyberDeb! How does your son do now that he's on his own? My DD is a delight to us, but also a challenge, and she struggles with relationships with teachers and peers. I would like to hear that your son is managing beautifully on his own, because that would give me hope.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

disney neck coolers I have just learned about neck coolers i found a site and it is just disney ones there 8 for the first one and 7 for extra ones..might be good to get him and the other kid even your mom..so they dont over heat..im still leanring more my self about them but defnitly something to look in to

 

[bambigirl88]

My husband and I are both educators. We are taking our son who also has ADHD and is nearly 7. So, here is some food for thought.

Our strategies include:

*Bringing a Tamagotchi
- cheaper than a gameboy and smaller, but captures his interest enough

* Lots of preparation and warning about what to expect
- give him transition time to change gears and actvities

* lots of sleep
- kids who are overtired AND have ADHD are a recipe for disaster

* medication
- you mentioned he is not receiving meds over the summer. Does he normally? If so, inquire as to why discontinue them. We do not medicate the traditional way, but giving our son caffeine in the morning helps him to focus on the task at hand. We stumbled upon this working for our son by letting him have Coke with his meal, and lo and behold, he was much more focused that evening. Half a caffeine wake-up pill does the trick for him. This is not for everyone, but I know ADD adults who have a coffee before bed to help them sleep!

* find out what he likes, and bring a book (if he enjoys reading) about the
subject. Sticker books are awesome (dollar store) and will pass the time nicely as coloring and printing often are too tedious to be fun with ADHD.

* stick to a routine as much as possible (yes, even in DL!)::cop:
- if bedtime is very late, take a rest/nap
- stick to meal and snack times. Hunger and especially thirst will cause discomfort and then child will focus on that sensation more and less on your advice and instructions.

* pray and take a deep breath when needed
-what do you have to lose??

Above all, do not major in the minors

Enjoy your precious time!

 

[Phantom82]

Pump em full of sugar, lots and lots of coke and sugar, ABSOLUTELY NO RED DYE, give em MONSTER ENERGY DRINKS. That stuff works great for me. But test it out at home first. Tell them it may taste funny, but to try it, and it'll get there blood pumpen fast, there minds a worken, and the calmness will set it. Thats how I get through life being add/adhd. Seriously!! When I went to WDW by myself, it was like. WOW!! So, wake up, let the kids play at the pool, or playground if the wake up majorly early, give em monster energy green, then go to parks, they may be a lil extra hyper at first because of the addrenniallin that they will release but it'll help settle them down to not so hyper. TRY IT AT HOME FIRST, if it works, there is your fix. The major intake of the caffine and energy suppliments will blast the adrenlin out, they will concentrate more on particular things, with the adrenlin out, it may also help them control there adrenlin more, as that seems to me what makes ya hyper, well from my what 15yrs of being add/adhd. Then they are less likely to be annoying but try it let me know.

 

[Blackunicorn]

...* medication
- you mentioned he is not receiving meds over the summer. Does he normally? If so, inquire as to why discontinue them. We do not medicate the traditional way, but giving our son caffeine in the morning helps him to focus on the task at hand. We stumbled upon this working for our son by letting him have Coke with his meal, and lo and behold, he was much more focused that evening. Half a caffeine wake-up pill does the trick for him. This is not for everyone, but I know ADD adults who have a coffee before bed to help them sleep! ....

During the school year, he's given a prescription medication. The children's mother and my brother are divorced, and she has primary custody. It is the mother's choice not to medicate over the summer, and I'm not sure what the reasons are. I did mention caffeine to my mother, I don't know if they'll try it.

disney neck coolers I have just learned about neck coolers i found a site and it is just disney ones there 8 for the first one and 7 for extra ones..

Oh my gosh, I'm so grateful for this I could cry. I want to order a bunch!

This is a great idea, and I'd like to add something I saw mentioned in another thread: you might think about telling your mom to write the name of the motel where they're staying, as well as the name of the spot that you will all meet if you get separated, and have him keep it in his pocket (your niece too).

And another tip: tell your mom to be sure she has eye contact with her nephew where giving these instructions, and have him repeat it back to her...more than once. Maybe about every hour.

You know, I knew about the eye contact thing, and I forgot, so thank you very much!

I'm so grateful for all of the suggestions you all have given me. I was amazed to get so many good ideas! I'm pushy and I love Disney, so I'll probably have a bit of control over things like making an itinerary and booking the hotel, so I'll be able to help make the trip a little bit better indirectly. I've told my mother everything I've learned so far. Thank you everyone! Every little bit I learn increases the chances that their trip will be more enjoyable and memorable.

 

[HungryBear]

I've heard parents swear by a nap/break in the afternoon. Resting in the hotel or swimming give the kids a break from the theme park sensory overload.


I have some lost children tips.

Write their name, your hotel info and hopefully the accompanying adult's cellphone number on a paper for each child to carry. I saw several kids who had it pinned inside their pocket so they couldn't loose it. If they have a lanyard the info could be placed in there (if you think they won't loose the it). You could place a pin through the lanyard and shirt to keep it from being easily misplaced.

I'm not sure how effective a designated meeting place is for kids that young in a place as large and crowded as Disneyland. If that is what you decide make you she takes them to the EXACT spot on the way in and talk about it while standing there. "In front of the castle" is a big place.

I recommend finding a cast member instead. When I worked at a theme park I sometimes had parents stop me so that I could show the children my name tag. The children were calmly told that if they were separated to ONLY go to a person with a nametag like that and they would take them to the special meeting place.

Some families dressed alike. Sometimes exactly matching and sometimes just in the same color (often very bright) or coordinating T-shirts. That way if they were separated anyone in the group could find a cast member and describe the missing person as being "dressed just like this," sometimes speeding up the process quite a bit.

Dress rehearsals aren't a bad idea. Before you go, talk about what to do if you get lost and play it out at home. Someone can pretend to be a cast member walking by, have the child go up to them and explain that they are lost and describe what their grown-up is wearing, give them their info paper. The "cast member" can either help them find the grown-up or take them to the Lost Parents area where you reunite. This way they know what to expect and how easy it is to fix.


I could usually tell which lost children had been coached and which hadn't. You would not believe how calm some of them were! No trauma at all. They calmly told me they were lost, showed me their paper or showed me the matching clothes and we either found them or calmly walked to guest services. The parents of prepared children were also a bit calmer since they knew the kids knew what to do.

 

[tinkerbelt]

I
I recommend finding a cast member instead. When I worked at a theme park I sometimes had parents stop me so that I could show the children my name tag. The children were calmly told that if they were separated to ONLY go to a person with a nametag like that and they would take them to the special meeting place.

I wouldn't tell my DD to look for someone with a nametag - Disney sells tons of nametags, and just because someone is wearing one, it doesn't mean that they are a CM. Older kids can probably distinguish the two, but it can be confusing for younger kids. I've told my DD to find a mom with kids if she gets lost, and if she can't find one, then go to someone who is standing behind the cash register in a shop.

 

[Phantom82]

I've heard parents swear by a nap/break in the afternoon. Resting in the hotel or swimming give the kids a break from the theme park sensory overload.


I have some lost children tips.

Write their name, your hotel info and hopefully the accompanying adult's cellphone number on a paper for each child to carry. I saw several kids who had it pinned inside their pocket to they couldn't loose it. If they have a lanyard the info could be placed in there (if you think they won't loose the it). You could place a pin through the lanyard and shirt to keep it from being easily misplaced.

I'm not sure how effective a designated meeting place is for kids that young in a place as large and crowded as Disneyland. If that is what you decide make you she takes them to the EXACT spot on the way in and talk about it while standing there. "In front of the castle" is a big place.

I recommend finding a cast member instead. When I worked at a theme park I sometimes had parents stop me so that I could show the children my name tag. The children were calmly told that if they were separated to ONLY go to a person with a nametag like that and they would take them to the special meeting place.

Some families dressed alike. Sometimes exactly matching and sometimes just in the same color (often very bright) or coordinating T-shirts. That way if they were separated anyone in the group could find a cast member and describe the missing person as being "dressed just like this," sometimes speeding up the process quite a bit.

Dress rehearsals aren't a bad idea. Before you go, talk about what to do if you get lost and play it out at home. Someone can pretend to be a cast member walking by, have the child go up to them and explain that they are lost and describe what their grown-up is wearing, give them their info paper. The "cast member" can either help them find the grown-up or take them to the Lost Parents area where you reunite. This way they know what to expect and how easy it is to fix.


I could usually tell which lost children had been coached and which hadn't. You would not believe how calm some of them were! No trauma at all. They calmly told me they were lost, showed me their paper or showed me the matching clothes and we either found them or calmly walked to guest services. The parents of prepared children were also a bit calmer since they knew the kids knew what to do.

Thats the best IDEA I HAVE EVER HEARD, this needs to be posted somewhere special dude. DIS FAIRIESSSSSSSSS COME READ THIS POST. ITS AWSOME!! NUMBER ONE POST FOR FAMILIES WITH KIDS. Seriously this is truely the most awsome thing yet, well besides my Monster Energy Green Idea for the ADD/ADHD kids. But seriously, I will soon have a 10,8, and 3yr old to go to Disney with me regularly and I will definatly use these tips everywhere I go not just Disney, because saftey is very important today. I really like and respect this post.

 

[LoveMyLAP-BAND]

I have the same question as Bambi- why is discontinuing the medication over the summer? My son has ADHD and the doctor said that he needs to be consistent with the medication. Maybe the parents could give him the meds just for that week.