First trip with Epilepsy

[KristyO]

Hi everyone,
My 4 year old was diagnosed with Doose Syndrome last July. After a year of up to 100 seizures a day, he's finally fairly controlled with medications and now ranges from 0-5 seizures a day, which are mainly absences and myoclonics (not the ones people think about when they hear the word seizure). He's come a long way, thank God! I asked his neurologist if we would be able to take him to Disney World and he said yes! He is thrilled and we are too, but we're also nervous. The plane ride is about 4 hours, and we will be at Disney for 6 days (5 nights) at the Caribbean Beach Resort. We leave next week. We have three boys, ages 6, 4 (our Doose boy), and an (almost) 5 months old. So this is both our first trip dealing with seizures as well as bringing a baby with us. Our two oldest are excited because we last visited 2 years ago and this was their first trip. We can't wait to spend time together, hopefully worry free in the most magical place on earth. Now, I was wondering if any of you have experience doing Disney with epilepsy. We have been told about the pass so that we don't physically have to wait in lines. How does this work? Is there a room where we can go if he needs to take a brake? Where are first aid locations located through the parks? We want to be as prepared as possible. We will have him in his stroller, we will not be in the park too long, we will be taking breaks through the day and going back to our room.
Any advice you guys have I would really appreciate!

 

[SueM in MN]

Now, I was wondering if any of you have experience doing Disney with epilepsy.

My youngest daughter has seizures and we have been visiting WDW for more than 20 years. Her seizures are not well controlled and she generally has one or more per trip (she has generalized tonic-clinic or what used to be called grand mal seizures).
WDW has not been a problem for us; her neurologist advised us that the most important things are keeping on schedule for medications and amount of sleep and avoiding dehydration. All of those things can make the 'threshold' for a seizure to occur lower, do it takes less to start a seizure.

We have been told about the pass so that we don't physically have to wait in lines. How does this work?

What you have heard about is Disability Access Service (DAS); it isn't actually a pass, it's an accommodation that allows guests who have difficulty waiting IN lines due to their disability to wait outside of the line.

Basically, you go to Guest Relations with your child and the rest of your group and answer some questions about your child's concerns about waiting in the regular line. DAS is electronic and is attached to guest's Magicbands or park passes.
Someone in your group can go to an attraction to get a DAS Return Time that allows your group to wait outside of the line until the Return Time begins. The wait will generally be 10 minutes less than the current wait in the 'regular' (standby) line.
When your Return Time comes, you will enter thru the Fastpass line. that is kind of the very basic information about DAS.
There is more information on this thread (only the first post is important and up to date). Most of the rest of the thread was actually people's concerns before and soon after DAS began.
http://www.disboards.com/threads/wd...15-digital-das-on-tickets-magicbands.3178976/

Is there a room where we can go if he needs to take a brake? Where are first aid locations located through the parks?

You can go to First Aid in any of the parks. They have rooms with cots, are air conditioned and generally quiet. Each park has one First Aid station and the easiest is just to look for them on the park maps - they are well marked on the maps - without having been there, the landmarks I give you may not mean a lot.
At MK, First Aid is near Crystal Palace.
At Epcot, First Aid is near Odyssey and Mexico.
At the Studio, it is to your left after coming into the park, close to Guest Relations.
At AK, it is on the left, on the path between Pizzafari and Africa.

We want to be as prepared as possible. We will have him in his stroller, we will not be in the park too long, we will be taking breaks through the day and going back to our room.
Any advice you guys have I would really appreciate!

 

[gap2368]

how exciting to be going to disney with your children. I hope that you really enjoy your trip. there are a number of quiet areas around the park if you need one ask a cast member. as fair as the DAS you will need to be prepared to answer what kinds of caomidation dose your son need in line, if they tell you that you do not need a DAS card ( and no one here can say either way) do not be afread to go back to GR and tell them what is not working for you. The first time I asked for a DAS card I was denied one because I have a hard time explaining my needs some thing . One thing to remember is that for the most part the lines are in the shade and there for cooler then being in the park. you can get free ice water at any counter service and first aid is your friend ( great place to go lay down for a bit if that would help)