Down Syndrome ?

[Elissajoy]

Anyone have WDW advice for my DS5 who has Down Syndrome ? Other children, DD15 (celebrating her Sweet 16 at WDW !) and DD11. We are going to WDW August 10-15th. Staying at Poly, Concierge.

 

[pooh5594]

Hey!!
You'll probably get tons of responses on this board, but I have to give my input.
First of all, I have a daughter with Down Syndrome and we go to Disney one and sometimes two times a year. Disney World is a great place for all children both special and otherwise.
We always get a Guest Assistance Pass for her and that gives us a sense of security as far as lines go. Becaus our daughter is now too old for a stroller we get a wheelchair for her because her stamina isn't very good. She'll walk for as long as she can, but then when she wears out but isn't ready to go back to the Resort, we have the chair.
Also, we don't go comando. It's more important for her to be comfortable than to see and do everything. It's just far more fun to take it easy.
Do know that August is a VERY hot month and we just had to take breaks. Take the breaks and enjoy!
Happy Birthday to your daughter as well. Have a great time

 

[Scutapipig]

My advice for August:

Take the parks at a leisurely pace. My son (11 years, Down syndrome) does not walk fast unless he wants to and we did not use a stroller or wheelchair for him. We didn't try to rush anything and if we noticed him getting flushed from the heat, we took a break inside air conditioning and supplied him with plenty of fluids.

My little guy did have issues with the rides as far as noise and darkness. We brought a very small light-up fan that he wore around his neck to give him a sense of security if the ride was too dark. If your son is sensitive to loud noises, ear plugs may be an option.

We did get a guest assistance card but it was not due to stamina issues. Our GAC was issued in the event our son was overwhelmed by an attraction or ride and we needed to make a hasty exit. He has a tendency to bolt if he's uncomfortable, but we never knew what would actually make him bolt. The GAC gave us the opportunity to speak with a CM before entering an attraction to find the best place to sit in the event we needed to make a hasty exit. When we used it, which was rare, we simply requested a back row, end seat so that we wouldn't disturb others if we needed to leave an attraction.

Have a wonderful trip! It sounds fun with a birthday celebration thrown in there!

 

[HopperFan]

DS has Down Syndrome and been going often for 22 years. At age 5 we basically toured like we did with the other kids. We never got a GAC until he was an adult with other issues apart from the ds. Agree with above, stroller is key. He got to ride between attractions which helped with endurance, we made sure he stayed hydrated and kept little snacks with us. One thing we did do is schedule regular potty stops. He was so excited he would totally forget about telling us he needed to go and had a couple accidents....so we then made scheduled stops and all was fine after that. But basically it really was no different than traveling with the other kids. (oh at that age we always kept id tag on his shoe, just in case)

Have a wonderful time !

 

[Elissajoy]

Thank you so much !!!

 

[KPeveler]

also at any first aid station there are air conditioned places to sit or lay down, if she is getting upset or has heart problems related to DS.

if you choose to use a stroller for her, get a GAC that says "stroller as wheelchair" so you can take it into attractions that otherwise would make you leave your stroller outside. she may do fine for short distances, but waiting in lines where you have to leave your stroller outside (small world, for example, or even the waitroom in philharmagic) may be difficult.

if she gets hot too easily, even look at those little self air conditioning units... it sits on your shoulders and can really help. they are not too expensive at brookstone and sharper image. i know kids with DS can have heart issues, so if she is on meds and cant be in the sun, for example, she can get a GAC for this as well...

check out the FAQ thread!

 

[SueM in MN]

check out the FAQ thread!

Some of the specific things in the disABILITIES FAQs thread that might be useful to you would be the information about GACs and the information about renting wheelchairs and special needs strollers.
There is also a link to the official WDW website, where you can download a copy of the Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities for each park. They are very basic, not very detailed, but at least give some basic information about attractions.
There are also some links to past threads in the FAQs thread. One that might be helpful is about boarding rides with moving walkways.

Also, besides First Aid, going to a resort close to the park you are at is also good for a break. You can take the monorail to the Polynesian, Grand Floridian or Contemporary from MK. They all have wonderful lobbies with comfortable chairs.
From Epcot, you can take the boat from WS to Boardwalk, the Yacht or Beach Club and sit in their lobbies for a while.
Also, the Baby Care Centers are not just for babies. They are cool and have places where kids can just chill out for a while, including watching Disney videos.

 

[Elissajoy]

Thank you all ! SueM in MN, we are staying at the POLY, so will have reasonably quick escape mods in place if we have to leave a park !!!

 

[SandrainNC]

My oldest son is 6 and has Down syndrome. He has been twice. Almost 4 the first trip and just turned 5 the second. At this age, I think it is just like someone else said. It is just like going with any other small child. He doesn't like to wait in line, but what child does? We do use a stroller, and will have to do something in November as well. We are looking into getting a double jogger (we have a 7 months old now too who will be 16 months when we go) so that both can be comfortable. My son is now 40 inches so will be a little taller (hopefully anyway) by November.

The only real problem I have is the bathroom. He has gotten a little too tall for the changing table and he is not yet potty trained unfortunately. He wears pull ups so we don't have a problem until he poops. And MK (I believe it is MK) is the only park with larger changing tables. So that creates a problem. And I got a look the one time I tried taking him into the family bathroom (I can't rememer if this is the correct name of the bathroom). And I can't remember if there was a table in there or not. My brain!

Anyway, I think when they are small, it is like taking any other child unless there are specific medical concerns. I did worry a little more about him wandering off because he doesn't listen and doesn't say a lot of words but I put one of those ID things on his shoe and honestly didn't let go of him a whole lot. Have a wonderful trip!

Sandra

 

[SueM in MN]

And I got a look the one time I tried taking him into the family bathroom (I can't rememer if this is the correct name of the bathroom). And I can't remember if there was a table in there or not. My brain!

They are called Companion Restrooms.
Some of them have a changing table in and some do not. The changing tables in the ones that do are about 3 feet long.
Another option that would work for you is First Aid (although you might not be near it). They have individual cubicles with cots that you could usee for changing him.

 

[SandrainNC]

They are called Companion Restrooms

Thank you Sue! I knew I was calling it the wrong thing. I completely forgot about First Aid having accommodations, but it is definitely a hassle if you are nowhere near First Aid. But if he doesn't get potty trained soon, the bigger he is, that may be our only option. Thank you!!!

Sandra

 

[JCTigger]

we go down to disney with a 23 yr old who is in diapers and the first aide stations are our first and last stops of the day plus a few times in between... all you have to do is ask for a room they dont question the need for it or anything... when we leave we just let them know that there is a diaper in the room specially if hes had a BM so they may want to get it take out of there we generally double bag the diaper before we put it in the trash can... carry around a few plastic shopping bags to put soiled clothes in or those dirty diapers etc....

Have a fun trip!
Jill

 

[DTrippie]

MY brothe in-law has a mild case and had no problems. The cast members were really great and made him feel pretty special too!