Fear of Fireworks???

[tripplanner2]

My daughter has an extreme fear of the loud noise that fireworks make. Of course I have other kids that want to see the shows. Does anyone know if there is a location to view the fireworks where my daughter can be sheltered from the noise level? We are bringing her an MP3 player to drown out some of the noise.

I wish I had found this forum sooner. I made the mistake of asking on the budget board for a stroller for a bigger child. Someone said I should not bring her to Disney if she can't walk at 5 years old. I don't know why people need to get nasty. She needs her stroller for safety in crowded areas. Otherwise she will just have a tantrum and stay at the hotel.

Thanks in advance. This seems like a safe and understanding place to ask questions.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

The WDW Fireworks can be very loud. I know that sometimes when watching from a balcony in the Contemporary I can heaar some car alarms going off in the parking lot as the sound/overpressure will set off the alarms.

What I would suggest is go to a sporting goods store (or major big-box retailer) and buy her a pair of shooting earmuffs. These are designed to allow a person to hold a conversation but block the sharp noise of gunshots and should work similarly for fireworks.

 

[bidnow5]

I have a friend that bought noise suppression headphones and said it worked great. I don't have a clue how much noise it blocks out so I'm not sure if it would work for your daughter

 

[irishbacker92]

I'll second the earmuffs! Both of my boys hate the loud noises but love the fireworks and rides. They are a must for my kids. They wear them on many rides too. Philharmagic, stitch, Soarin', Bugs Life, and many of the other rides and shows that are loud. They have been the best thing for my kids. They are much more willing to try new things once they have experienced wearing them.

Have Fun!!!

Oh yeah and my son is six and spends some time in the stroller too. I also carry him on my shoulders for the long walks while my yougnest is in the stroller. It makes it much easier on all of us.

 

[ireland_nicole]

I agree w/ the noise cancelling ear protectors. They have decibel ratings (our kids ones are 29) and they help a lot. At WDW, it's not just the fireworks, there are loud, unexpected noises all the time. Having the ear protectors help my kids to feel more in control.

As far as alternate viewing, the beach at the Poly is nice, and quieter than in the park,

 

[Leajess99]

My daughter has an extreme fear of the loud noise that fireworks make. Of course I have other kids that want to see the shows. Does anyone know if there is a location to view the fireworks where my daughter can be sheltered from the noise level? We are bringing her an MP3 player to drown out some of the noise.

I wish I had found this forum sooner. I made the mistake of asking on the budget board for a stroller for a bigger child. Someone said I should not bring her to Disney if she can't walk at 5 years old. I don't know why people need to get nasty. She needs her stroller for safety in crowded areas. Otherwise she will just have a tantrum and stay at the hotel.

Thanks in advance. This seems like a safe and understanding place to ask questions.

That is horrible for someone to say. Disney is magic and I was planning on having a stroller for my 6 year old should she need it. She does not want it so I will have to cancel that idea.

As for the fireworks, could you see about a pair of the earphones that construction workers use?? My oldest hated fireworks as they were loud and hurt his ears. My youngest also hates the loudness so with her I may try some regular ear plugs.

I hope your daughter has a very wonderful time as well as the rest of your family and yourself.

ETA: I am not sure on the blow dryers Disney uses (if they use them at all) in the bathroom but my youngest also cannot tolerate the noise of many blowdryers. I hate that there are so many loud noises anymore that can actually cause damage to hearing but are being used in confined spaces.

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

be aware that there is a difference between the noise cancelling ones for aircraft and such (DW and I each have a pair) and the kind for shooting ranges (sudden loud bangs!)

I use Dillion brand on the gun range and they work great. they also have small microphone on the outside so that you don't have to yell at the person wearing them, just speak in a normal voice.

They work great on almost all caliber of weapon reports, and small explosions equivlent to fireworks going off.

http://www.dillonprecision.com/#/co...1__NRR_21__Electronic_Hearing_Protector__Blue

 

[SueM in MN]

To the OP, glad you found us.
As was mentioned by other posters, the type of ear protectors made for shooters are designed to handle the types of noises that fireworks make(sudden bang) so people have reported they are very helpful for fireworks.
Some people have reported they use different types of ear protectors for different reasons - shooting type for fireworks, and noise cancelling for attractions where they want to damp down the sound in general.

As Cheshire Figment pointed out, Contemporary is probably to close to MK for many people to watch there. I think some of the car alarm problem he mentioned may also have to do with Contemporary area also being such a large block of concrete with a lot of hard surfaces for sound to echo and bounce off of and not a lot of softscape around it to absorb sound.
The Polynesian is farther away, but is also shorter and has a lot more around it to absorb sounds.

Another place I have suggested and got good feedback on is in front of the Odyssey building at Epcot. This is kind of to the side if and behind Mexico and is also on a hill, so you get a fairly good view of the show. The building also houses First Aid, the Baby Care Center and restrooms, so if it gets too overwhelming, you have somewhere inside that you can go to very quickly. Several people gave feedback that they were able to watch Illuminations for the first time from that location. One wrote to me that her child went into the bathroom at the first loud noise and then stood in the bathroom doorway for most of the rest of the show. Knowing she had an 'easily accessible escape' made the child feel secure enough to watch the show. Even there, the earphones may be pretty important, but knowing there is solace to escape to is very important for many people, even if they ate already wearing earphones that damp down the noise.

 

[bookwormde]

You have already gotten some good advice and ideas so I just want to say welcome

bookwormde

 

[teachallday]

If you are watching the Magic Kingdom fireworks, I would definately stay OUTSIDE the Magic Kingdom. There are the Magic Kingdom Resorts that might be good places to watch from. There are also boat rides to watch the show from. The Contemporary is the closest resort to the Magic Kingdom, and I believe The Wilderness Lodge is the farthest away (but I do not know if you can see the fireworks from there), you can get there by boat. Other Magic Kingdom Resorts are the Polynesian Resort and the Grand Floridian Resort. These two along with the Contemporary are easily accessed through the Monorail. I would look into watching from one of the resorts, you don't have to be staying at them to do this.

I don't know if this would work, others will have to answer, but what about watching the fireworks from inside the restaurant at the top of the Contemporary Resort (California Grill). I believe you can watch the fireworks from inside if you have dining reservations during the show. If someone on this board doesn't know, try on the restaurant board.

As for a stroller, depending on the length of your stay, you might want to look into Orlando Stroller Rentals. Call Shannon (the owner) and ask her what would be a good stroller for your daughter's size. At 5 years old your daughter can probably fit into one of their little kid strollers, but ask Shannon since every kid is a different size.
http://www.orlandostrollerrentals.com/

Enjoy your trip. I will be there just before you at the beginning of August.

 

[tripplanner2]

I just want to thank everyone here for all the great advice. It is so nice here compared to the general boards. I am definately not looking to get over on anyone but when you have extra concerns, obviously, not everyone understands.

I am going to go shopping this week and see what I can find at the sporting goods store. I was thinking of earplugs too, but never thought of the headphones. We have one dinner reservation at Ohana for 8:00pm so hopefully we will get to enjoy that but no guarantee for a window seat.

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

You know, you could also tell your daughter that the louder the bang, the prettier the colors! And that you could watch to make sure that was true!

just a thought..

 

[Tissa]

My ds can't handle the noise with fireworks. He says "fireworks, ears!"
His ears are also sensitive to touch so when I bought him a pair of the shooting range kind he took them off, threw them down and ran off. So we do not watch fireworks. He has learned to cover his ears with his hands when things get too loud but still it's a no go with fireworks. I know every child is different so hopefully you have better luck.

On the stroller thing, we rented one at WDW until he was 10 and too big. Do what is best for your child. They have several special needs strollers buit to handle larger children.

 

[WendyisDarling]

DS overcame his fear of fireworks at WDW!

He is autistic and July 4th was a hated holiday. The noise scared him so much. We would stay in house, with ears covered, etc. A lot you know how it goes.

WDW --he eased into them. The beach at the Polynesian with earplugs. A couple days later he took out the earplugs. A couple more days and we were at the MK with earplugs!

It's been a couple of years now and this past weekend, we went to the local fireworks show and he didn't need or want earplugs! I did cover his ears with my hands during the grand finale.

 

[inkkognito]

You have to be careful to know exactly why your child is "afraid" of fireworks and to handle it accordingly. If it is just fear/dislike of loud noises, earplugs can be fine. But if it's hyperacusis, it needs to be shooter headphones because it's the pitch that literally hurts the child's ears (I know because I've had hyperacusis all my life...I got spanked throughout my childhood for being "afraid" of noises of a certain pitch, when it was really hyperacusis...the shooter headphones have made a world of difference for me). I will second those who said that noise cancelling headphones do NOT work in those circumstances. It has to be headphones that work on the problem pitch.

 

[tripplanner2]

I have to thank everyone here AGAIN. I am praying that she will be okay this year but spent the 4th in the house. We watched the fireworks on TV, but she would not sit outside. We will just have patience and watch from the Poly beach if that is where she is comfortable. I love all the ideas.

 

[gummie22]

My DS is 9 and has many sensory challenges. The first time we went to the MK, he started panicking around 7pm that we needed to leave because of the fireworks. Last year, we went on Splash Mountain in the evening, just before the fireworks. He knew they were coming and he decided to be brave. We found a quiet place near the water, close to the ferry landing for Tom Sawyer's Island, and we were alone. He put on his earplugs, and stood on a bench, and I held onto him tightly. At first he was scared, but then he started to like it. He liked seeing the reflection of the fireworks in the water too. I think that he felt more comfortable NOT watching in a big crowd of people. It was a matter of taking away as much sensory input as possible, so that all that was left were the fireworks. No people around, and a safe place to be afraid without embarrassment if he had a meltdown. He did great! We even saw them a second night!

Now, our next challenge is going to be Fantasmic - in one month. Any tips??

 

[tripplanner2]

My DS is 9 and has many sensory challenges. The first time we went to the MK, he started panicking around 7pm that we needed to leave because of the fireworks. Last year, we went on Splash Mountain in the evening, just before the fireworks. He knew they were coming and he decided to be brave. We found a quiet place near the water, close to the ferry landing for Tom Sawyer's Island, and we were alone. He put on his earplugs, and stood on a bench, and I held onto him tightly. At first he was scared, but then he started to like it. He liked seeing the reflection of the fireworks in the water too. I think that he felt more comfortable NOT watching in a big crowd of people. It was a matter of taking away as much sensory input as possible, so that all that was left were the fireworks. No people around, and a safe place to be afraid without embarrassment if he had a meltdown. He did great! We even saw them a second night!

Now, our next challenge is going to be Fantasmic - in one month. Any tips??

I think we are in the same boat. She panics in crowds too. We went to a parade on 4th of July. She just took off running. We lost her for about 15 minutes. It was awful. She will be in a stroller that we bought just for the trip and she has an MP3 player with her favorate Pooh songs on it. To an outsider she looks spoiled but to anyone who knows, it is just so much more than that. It is nice to know we are not alone.

 

[tripplanner2]

Believe it or not we did Fantasmic and she was okay. Not sure why. We were sitting and she had distractions. Maybe because she was on my lap and I was holding her. Usually for fireworks she was in a stroller or standing. Funny now that you brought that up.

 

[amdrees]

My son is very fearful of loud noises. I am an occupational therapist and have worked with a lot of children with this issue. We were there last year for the MNSSHP right behind Cinderella's Castle when the fireworks started. He initially covered his ears and stated he wanted to leave. We told him we would but he would not be able to ride Dumbo anymore (this was the truth). To my amazement he stated he wanted to stay and rode Dumbo about 12 more times. This is what I know from my work - the more anxious you are the more sensitive you are too sound. Sometimes (albeit not always) giving the child something else to focus on can ease the anxiety and reaction. I would never have believed this until I watched it work for my own son. He choose to remain inside this year for the 4th - but then there was nothing else to really focus on.

Also, my very tall 4 year old fit into the City Mini Double from Orlando Stroller Rentals with no difficulty. No one made a comment about him being in a stroller and trust me there were much older children in strollers. He usually walks everywhere and quit using a stroller at 18 months but due to the heat and size of Disney he needed a break. I cannot say enough about the customer service from Orlando Stroller Rentals. Remember no matter what you do as a parent someone is going to tell you that you are wrong. You know your daughter better than anyone else - go with your gut.