Epilepsy and Disney

[~disneydiva~]

My husband and I are going to Disney the end of January with my parents. My Mom has epilepsy. Her seizures are usually stress educed, but I know flashing lights/strobe lights can cause them in some cases too. I'm hoping she'll be able to ride some of the rides, but I'm not sure which ones will be iffy. If anybody has any advice or anything else that would be helpful, I would appreciate it. Thank you!!

 

[SueM in MN]

I copied a post about attractions with lights from page 2 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread for you.
You can find the disABILITIES FAQs thread near the top of this board.

There are not actually any attractions at WDW that use lights that are technically strobe lights (i.e, fast, regular flashes of light) and they do not have any warnings for seizures and/or strobe lights on any attractions. Where they do have flashing lights, they are always irregularly flashing, which is a different situation.
Most true strobe lights flash many times per second, but slowing to 5 flashes per second or less means that the majority of even photosensitive epileptics are not going to have a problem. Only about 3-7% of people with epilepsy are photosensitive and have problems with lights; of those, only about 5% would have a problem with a light flashing 5 times per second or less.

If you do encounter flashing lights and are concerned, the Epilepsy Foundation recommends covering one eye and turning/looking away from the direct source of light. The reason for covering only one eye and looking away from the direct light is to prevent both eyes from sending exactly the same information to the brain.
This should work whether someone has a problem with epilepsy or has problems with lights for another reason.

This is a list of attractions I know of with light effects of some type. Many attractions have a single light or 2, so it is difficult to list all. But, I am sure that we have included most of them.
MK

• Enchanted Tiki Room - periods of darkness with simulated lightning. The lightning is random and short.
• Pirates - some lightning flashes in the first dark part of the ride. Some random flickering from simulated flames in the last half.
• Big Thunder Mountain Rail Road - there are no light effects in this attraction, but if you are riding on a sunny day, you will go in and out of dark tunnels repeatedly at high speed.
• Splash Mountain - on a sunny day, there are several places where you will go from dimly lit indoor areas to outdoor. The ride moves slowly, so the change is slow. There is a single bright flash when your picture is taken during the big drop.
• Haunted Mansion - almost at the end of the preshow, there is a flash of lightning at the top of the ceiling. Boarding area includes flickering wall sconces.
• Small World - the end scene includes numerous ropes of white lights that blink on and off in a regular pattern. I would describe it as a traveling pattern - as one light goes off, the next light in line goes on. So, the light travels down the strand of lights.
• Buzz Lightyear - just before the last room of the ride, there is a long narrow tunnel room with swirling red lights and flashing white lights. The swirling and flashing are not rhythmic. The last room of the ride includes several very bright random flashes of white light.
• Stitch's Great Escape - Most of this attraction takes place in the dark, but there are some random light flashes at times (while looking for Stitch)
• Space Mountain - multiple flashing lights

Epcot

• Spaceship Earth - the first part of the ride and the last part of the ride are dark, long and narrow.
  The entrance 'tunnel' has screens high on the wall, warning that your 'time capsule' will turn and descend at some point during the ride. The screens are bright compared to the walls.
  The exit tunnel has some lighting effects, but not flashes.
• Ellen's Energy adventure - includes a movie where parts are dark and then light suddenly appears (the 'Big Bang' theory of earth's creation). Also includes a section with ‘confetti’ lights in different colors ‘falling’ from a point in the ceiling to the floor across guests.
• Mission Space - Includes a flash of light for a picture and flashing instrument lights to alert ‘astronauts’ to push particular buttons. There are also small amber colored flashing alarm beacons at the end of the ‘runway’ when you are landing on Mars.
• Test Track - the walls and ceiling in most of this attraction are black, with colored strips of light. On pictures they look like neon lights, but are probably fiberoptic lights. The lights do not move or flicker. There is one section where your car looks like it will run into a truck, which has suddenly turned its lights on. Soon after that, the car travels outside, so if the day is bright, you ill go into bright sunlight.
• Living with the Land - simulated thunderstorm in the first few scenes. The first part of the attraction is dim; the second part is in a greenhouse, where the light can be a bit of a shock when you first enter. At one point, the boat enters a 'fish farm' part of the greenhouse, which has dim red lighting. After traveling thru that part, you will agin be in a greenhouse. The ride boat moves slowly though, so it is not difficult to adjust to the different lighting..
• Soarin' - One of the last scenes includes soaring over a city at night, over a highway. The headlights of cars are either white (headlights) or red (taillights) and are moving quickly. The end scene includes fireworks
• Journey into Your Imagination - Some flashes of light. One bright flash near the end where a picture used to be taken.
• El Rio del Tiempo (Mexico) - fiber optic fireworks in the ceiling and wall in the last scene
• Maelstrom (Norway) - near the beginning there is a spinning, pulsating light. It is irregularly pulsating
• American Adventure - the Chief Joseph sequence has a few stokes of lightning. The World War 2 sequence on a ship includes arcs of welding light.

Studio

• Star Tours - flashes of light during the attraction (you are in a space ship and end up in a spaceship fight)
• Voyage of the Little Mermaid - some flashing light, some twinkling lights and some pulsating blue/green laser lights above your head to simulate the top of the water. All are random
• Rock N Roller Coaster - one bright flash of light during picture taking
• Tower of Terror - one bright flash of light during picture taking. Elevator door opens suddenly to give a view of outdoors (so bright light on a sunny day). Some twinkling lights during the early part of the ride and I was too busy being scared and holding DD down to notice any more.
• American Idol - includes bright flashing lights and spotlights that move/beam rapidly across the stage and sometimes the audience.
• Fantasmic - includes some bright flashes of white lights that beam across the audience, fireworks, 'eye lights' from dragon and snake. Many people are using light up toys which may be set on rapid flashing. Glow with the show ears change color in synch with the show. Most of the color changes are slow transitions.The ear part is translucent white plastic.

AK

• Festival of the Lion King - one act includes twirling flaming sticks
• Dinosaur - dark ride with sudden appearance of dinosaurs in front of you. Random flashes of light. One big flash as a picture is taken.
• Expedition Everest - includes some bright light effects

My mother has migraines and finds that reflections off water (especially the World Showcase Lagoon) bother her on a very bright day. She also has problems sometimes with the 360 movies in China and Canada because they are all around.

 

[SueM in MN]

And, the information about epilepsy from page one of the disABILITIES FAQs thread.

Epilepsy
Most people think of strobe lights when they think of seizures, but most people with seizures don't have any problems with strobe lights.
WDW doesn't actually use any lights that are technically strobe lights (i.e, fast, regular flashes of light) and they do not have any warnings for seizures and/or strobe lights on any attractions. Where they do have flashing lights, they are always irregularly flashing, which is a different situation.
Most true strobe lights flash many times per second, but slowing to 5 flashes per second or less means that the majority of even photosensitive epileptics are not going to have a problem. Only about 3-7% of people with epilepsy are photosensitive and have problems with lights; of those, only about 5% would have a problem with a light flashing 5 times per second or less.
Good article from the Epilepsy Foundation about epilepsy and lights/photosensitivity.
This is something to talk to your doctor with, but in for most people with epilepsy, the lights at WDW won't cause any problems. Some of the linked threads about epilepsy have information about lights in different attractions and other hints for avoiding seizures at WDW.

If you do encounter flashing lights and are concerned, the Epilepsy Foundation recommends covering one eye and turning/looking away from the direct source of light. The reason for covering only one eye and looking away from the direct light is to prevent both eyes from sending exactly the same information to the brain.

Things that are very important to be aware of are sleep deprivation, dehydration and getting off schedule with medication. All of those things can lower the seizure threshold (how easy it is for a seizure to occur). It's very easy to get off schedule or forget medication while on vacation. One things we have found that helps with this is to actually use an individual dose medication container and an alarm (on our phone or iPod) as a reminder for medication times.
Stobe Lights and Epilepsy
Epilepsy at WDW

 

[~disneydiva~]

Thank you sooo much!

 

[Michigan]

My daughter now covers one of her eyes and is fine

 

[HookdonWDW]

DS has success covering/closing one eye or viewing things indirectly. There's very little he can't do at WDW.

 

[joanchris]

" but I know flashing lights/strobe lights can cause them in some cases too."
For her specifically or just that you know that this can cause seizures? The strobe effect is tested in most people with epilepsy when they have EEGs done, so people are aware if this is something that affects them specifically. Both my daughter and I have epilepsy, but strobes to not cause any issues for us.

 

[Michigan]

" but I know flashing lights/strobe lights can cause them in some cases too."
For her specifically or just that you know that this can cause seizures? The strobe effect is tested in most people with epilepsy when they have EEGs done, so people are aware if this is something that affects them specifically. Both my daughter and I have epilepsy, but strobes to not cause any issues for us.

My daughter has had seizures since she was 5 and never had a problem with strobe lights until she was 22 and an Elvis impersonator was doing a show at a campground we were at. Not only did she have one seizure from the lights but she came out of the seizure looked around saw the lights and went into another one. Bottom line you never know when it could happen.