Has anyone been on a Disney Cruise w/children w/ special needs?

[JDSNY10]

Hi Everyone,

I am coming to the boards because I need honesty and cruise experience.. Please help with my questions, if you can...

I am thinking about taking my family on their first cruise, since none of us have been on one, I don't know what to expect and would like any information I can get. I have 3 children (under the age of 8) and one of them is severely autistic. Loud Sounds scare him, crowds over whelm him and he is very picky with food. Our last Disney World trip had it's ups and downs.. when usually he is great there, he didn't really enjoy himself as much as he normally does. There was a lot of time spent back at the hotel for him to just enjoy pool and snacks.

So my question to all is how loud can a Disney Cruise become? Is there places that I can take breaks at besides a room if it does become overwhelming and how accommodating are the choices for food?

Any advice is greatly appreciated.. I am looking for help before I start this journey..

Thanks so much, J

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

There is a Disney Cruise thread here and one at cruisecritic.com. Check those out.

 

[lanejudy]

There are some quiet places throughout the ship -- whether it is quiet at the time you need may mean having a few places in mind to try. But generally deck 4 outside is rather quiet, though there are people running the track but quietly. Depending on which ship, one or more of the lounges are likely quiet unless a specific activity is scheduled there. The nightclubs may be quiet during the day, again unless a program is scheduled there, and open to all ages during the day. I've found the deck above the pool can be much less stimulating if just looking to get away from hustle-and-bustle of the pool deck chaos; sounds will float up if noise is a true concern. Of course there is your stateroom. If your child uses earmuffs, I suggest bringing those. Avoid the lobby during dance parties and character meet&greets; avoid the pool deck during the afternoon. The Oceaneer Club/Lab may or may not be busy/noisy, depends how many kids are there at any given time as well as any scheduled programming.

Food -- DCL has typical kids menus. It may help to know what kind of picky -- must be a certain brand? Probably can't be accommodated. Only eats yogurt and toast -- probably can be accommodated. Wants pizza all day everyday -- probably can be accommodated, though might be hard to find at breakfast (I never looked). Likes "plain" food (without sauces or seasonings) -- probably can be accommodated. Wants soft-serve ice cream every night -- it's there! DCL has 3 main dining rooms as well as a large buffet available for each meal. The quick service locations are usually open from about late morning through at least early evening. Room service is available 24 hours, except it stops at midnight the last night. You are welcome to bring prepackaged unopened foods, but nothing can be heated for you.

As for the kids clubs -- other than "under 8" I'm not sure of your kids' ages. The Nursery is for ages 3 and under. 0-2 is only allowed to be dropped off at the Nursery. 3 year olds can do the Nursery or the Oceaneers Club/Lab, which is for ages 3-12. The Club/Lab have an "Open House" scheduled for at least one hour every day when an adult may accompany the kids; if one space is in Open House the opposite will be in secured programming so there is always one space available for drop off. If your special needs child can function in a group setting without direct 1:1 assistance, he will be welcome at the Club/Lab. If he needs more direct assistance, you can bring him during Open House times.

I will mention that the pools are an absolute zoo! I would not count on the pool being his "down time" if he doesn't like noise and confusion. Early mornings before maybe 11 or noon may not be too bad to give him a chance to play in the water a bit, as long as he is potty-trained.

As PP mentions, there is a DCL Forum here on DIS. Feel free to ask questions either here or there.

Good luck with your cruise planning!

 

[Autism Mom]

I have a 5 year old very autistic child, and we are about to go on our 3rd Disney Cruise. We have done other vacations, but cruising has seemed to be the best for him. Everything is right there, so not a lot of running around. He is about as picky as you can get, and he survived! He always found something he liked. If you have any questions just message me.

 

[WDWJonasGirl]

I'm a 20 year old with autism so I can help. For the drill, DEFINITLEY bring headphones because the alarm is loud. Definitley talk to your serving staff about food and if there's any special things (like sauce) he would like. Like everyone else said, I would reccomend waiting to get to the port until at least 12:30 to avoid crowds

 

[redberyl]

How many days on ship are you thinking of doing? I would be nervous that if things don't go well, you are trapped at sea. I've heard rooms on cruise ships are tiny (never been, don't like the idea being stuck on a ship in the middle of the ocean) so you might not have a great personal place to escape to. maybe plan on a shorter cruise this trip, until you know how he does. Depending on how picky he is, maybe bring some snacks you know he will eat, since if he refuses the food on ship you won't have other options available.

 

[DisMommyTX]

My husband and and I love cruising and have cruised many times on many different lines. However, cruising with the kids is very different from cruising without the kids. We took our daughter on her first cruise when she was 3 years old, and she absolutely loved it! When our son was 3 and daughter was 6, we took another cruise and it was a particularly excruciating form of torture. He also has special needs similar in many ways to high functioning autism. We felt like we were trapped in a luxurious, yet tiny prison cell. He did not like the children's programming (social anxiety, refused to leave our side), the loudness of the live music, or the chaos at the pools. We have had many wonderful trips to Disney World but the confined spaces on the cruise were unbearable. Of course, loving cruising as much as we do, we tried again a few years later when he was 6 years old. At that point he was more comfortable joining in crowds of other kids, and was able to enjoy the children's programming a little. We also booked two adjoining ocean view cabins and took my mother along so that we could divide up the kids and take turns giving him release time (running around empty lounges, playing at the basketball courts, and other favorite activities). He was also appeased by his iPad by then so he was better able to tolerate waiting in lines, although he still never made it through a 2 hour dinner in the dining room.

You have to decide for yourself whether or not a cruise is the right choice for your family, but you can compare it to your experiences on previous family vacations. How does your child do with the crowds and lines at Disney World? There will be both on the boat. Does your family do well sharing a single hotel room for 3, 5, or 7 nights or do you prefer to stay off site for extra space? How about sitting for long table service meals? If you have done this successfully as a family at Disney World, then it will probably work on the Disney cruise as well!

Also make sure to try your kids out on Dramamine in advance so that you know how they will react. Apparently Dramamine had the opposite effect of one of my child's medications--not fun! At 10 years old my daughter switched to using motion sickness wristbands and found them much more successful than pills. The last thing you want is a sick kid!

 

[stitchlovestink]

There are some quiet places throughout the ship -- whether it is quiet at the time you need may mean having a few places in mind to try. But generally deck 4 outside is rather quiet, though there are people running the track but quietly. Depending on which ship, one or more of the lounges are likely quiet unless a specific activity is scheduled there. The nightclubs may be quiet during the day, again unless a program is scheduled there, and open to all ages during the day. I've found the deck above the pool can be much less stimulating if just looking to get away from hustle-and-bustle of the pool deck chaos; sounds will float up if noise is a true concern. Of course there is your stateroom. If your child uses earmuffs, I suggest bringing those. Avoid the lobby during dance parties and character meet&greets; avoid the pool deck during the afternoon. The Oceaneer Club/Lab may or may not be busy/noisy, depends how many kids are there at any given time as well as any scheduled programming.

Food -- DCL has typical kids menus. It may help to know what kind of picky -- must be a certain brand? Probably can't be accommodated. Only eats yogurt and toast -- probably can be accommodated. Wants pizza all day everyday -- probably can be accommodated, though might be hard to find at breakfast (I never looked). Likes "plain" food (without sauces or seasonings) -- probably can be accommodated. Wants soft-serve ice cream every night -- it's there! DCL has 3 main dining rooms as well as a large buffet available for each meal. The quick service locations are usually open from about late morning through at least early evening. Room service is available 24 hours, except it stops at midnight the last night. You are welcome to bring prepackaged unopened foods, but nothing can be heated for you.

As for the kids clubs -- other than "under 8" I'm not sure of your kids' ages. The Nursery is for ages 3 and under. 0-2 is only allowed to be dropped off at the Nursery. 3 year olds can do the Nursery or the Oceaneers Club/Lab, which is for ages 3-12. The Club/Lab have an "Open House" scheduled for at least one hour every day when an adult may accompany the kids; if one space is in Open House the opposite will be in secured programming so there is always one space available for drop off. If your special needs child can function in a group setting without direct 1:1 assistance, he will be welcome at the Club/Lab. If he needs more direct assistance, you can bring him during Open House times.

I will mention that the pools are an absolute zoo! I would not count on the pool being his "down time" if he doesn't like noise and confusion. Early mornings before maybe 11 or noon may not be too bad to give him a chance to play in the water a bit, as long as he is potty-trained.

As PP mentions, there is a DCL Forum here on DIS. Feel free to ask questions either here or there.

Good luck with your cruise planning!

Something important that you failed to mention is that any prepackaged unopened items you bring on the ship MUST BE non-perishable items. There are VERY specific guidelines about what types of foods and snacks may be carried on and off of the ship. So the OP may want to look at those guidelines closely and not assume they can take on whatever food their child will eat.

 

[1funmum]

Hi we are going on a cruise with our special needs children. We have lots of questions about the Disney Dream cruise line. I found this thread very helpful. I totally get the worry over the first cruise for a autism family. Our needs are often unpredictable. I never know how my kids are going to do in a experience. I don't like to limit them in experiences before hand. But never want to set them up for disaster. Has any one had a lot of experience with the kids area, I have seen their policies and what they wrote, not very autism friendly in the wording. Also it truly doesn't make them sound like they have experience with dealing with any needs at all. We saved for years to make a land and cruise experience for our children. And so far what I have read is a let down. It seems like where my husband and I were hoping to get some respite and freedom from the kids it might not happen.

Things that concern me. My children are all potty trained. But one has severe ASD and needs to know where the bathroom is and often has a issue of going without asking. He needs to feel like he can go either way. So if he feels he needs to ask like at school he will hold until someone asks him. But if he feels he's free to go, like at home he just goes. The kids area seems more like a school environment to us. I worry he won't have any attention at all and no one will prompt him. It seems like a free for all area where a non verbal semi verbal kid wouldn't get any attention or help to do any tasks. I might be wrong though. I'm just going by what I get by reading their policies.

We have a soon to be 4 year old daughter also ASD but mild. She talks well enough and is also trained. But she's very shy. I mean she is very very intimidated by social activities. She's bright, sunny, cheerful. But cries a lot when her anxiety is high. She needs loads of encouragement to join in. And bathroom break reminders when she gets too busy. All things often common to kids 3-4 really. Yet I worry they won't even talk to her or remind her to stop playing and go pee.

Based on their policies and it's wording I feel like my kids will be by my side the whole time. That they won't be welcomed into the care facilities. And that if they are it will be disastrous.

 

[lanejudy]

@1funmum to the DISboards!

Assuming your older child is within the 3-12 age range for the Oceaneers Club/Lab, there are restrooms within the space. No need to ask permission and be allowed to go. However, I'm not sure they'll give reminders to specific kids, possibly a general reminder to those in the area to go when they need to, especially the younger ones. I suggest you make sure they have used the bathroom right before you drop off, and maybe try initially for shorter periods of time at first to make sure they are doing well (an hour at first, then 2 hours if that works well, etc.).

DCL Youth CMs do have training to work with children, including some experienced with children with special needs. However, these are not special ed teachers. If your children function in a standard group environment without direct 1:1 assistance, they are welcome to participate in secured programming at the Club/Lab. You mention your older child is non-verbal -- how does he communicate? He does not need to be verbal as long as he can communicate his needs/wants without a meltdown. I suggest you bring the kids to the Open House on the first afternoon; this allows the kids some time to get used to the space while you are there, time for you to chat with the CMs about any concerns, and time for the CMs to observe the kids. There are also "Open House" times scheduled throughout the cruise if you feel either child needs more time adjusting.

Have you checked out OP's thread on the Cruise Line Forum? There have been several families posting positive experiences with autism/special needs kids on cruises. You may find that thread helpful as well.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[DLgal]

Hi we are going on a cruise with our special needs children. We have lots of questions about the Disney Dream cruise line. I found this thread very helpful. I totally get the worry over the first cruise for a autism family. Our needs are often unpredictable. I never know how my kids are going to do in a experience. I don't like to limit them in experiences before hand. But never want to set them up for disaster. Has any one had a lot of experience with the kids area, I have seen their policies and what they wrote, not very autism friendly in the wording. Also it truly doesn't make them sound like they have experience with dealing with any needs at all. We saved for years to make a land and cruise experience for our children. And so far what I have read is a let down. It seems like where my husband and I were hoping to get some respite and freedom from the kids it might not happen.

Things that concern me. My children are all potty trained. But one has severe ASD and needs to know where the bathroom is and often has a issue of going without asking. He needs to feel like he can go either way. So if he feels he needs to ask like at school he will hold until someone asks him. But if he feels he's free to go, like at home he just goes. The kids area seems more like a school environment to us. I worry he won't have any attention at all and no one will prompt him. It seems like a free for all area where a non verbal semi verbal kid wouldn't get any attention or help to do any tasks. I might be wrong though. I'm just going by what I get by reading their policies.

We have a soon to be 4 year old daughter also ASD but mild. She talks well enough and is also trained. But she's very shy. I mean she is very very intimidated by social activities. She's bright, sunny, cheerful. But cries a lot when her anxiety is high. She needs loads of encouragement to join in. And bathroom break reminders when she gets too busy. All things often common to kids 3-4 really. Yet I worry they won't even talk to her or remind her to stop playing and go pee.

Based on their policies and it's wording I feel like my kids will be by my side the whole time. That they won't be welcomed into the care facilities. And that if they are it will be disastrous.

I'm not going to sugar coat this. The kids clubs are NOT good for most autistic kids. It is a free for all cluster in there. Kids running around everywhere, screaming, loud music playing. There is absolutely NO individual attention given to kids and it's crowded (which is most of the time).

I have two boys that are autistic. We have been on two Dream cruises. My younger one sounds like your daughter and he would NOT let me leave him in the club. We only went during open house hours. There was NO adult time for my husband and I until MIL went on the second cruise and watched them for an hour for us. He was 6 on the first cruise and 7 on the second. He is 10 now and when we talk about cruises he still says he does not like the kids club.

My older son is very high functioning but prefers to be by himself. We left him a couple times but he always asked to be picked up at about the one hour mark. He would play the computer games in there but get bored quickly because they are, quite literally, the worst computer games ever.

My kids had some crowd issues and overwhelm at Cabanas. Breakfasts were stressful sometimes. I figured out that sitting them down and just bringing food I knew they liked worked much better than taking them through the buffet line.

One kid liked being out on deck. The one with hypersensitivity to sounds hated it because the wind was too loud. We had a balcony the first time but he would only go out there when in port. Second tiime had an ocean view and both kids loved the window seat and would always be in there.

Dinners were okay. My kids basically ate the same foods every day. Servers were good about getting items that were not on the menu if they were available elsewhere on the ship (like pizza at dinnertime, which was on the menu some days but not others).

The pool deck was our kids favorite place. They loved Aquaduck and the noise and chaos did not bother either kid in the slightest.

Overall we had a good time but it was not a dream, magical vacation at all. We would do it again. Practices makes better.

 

[1funmum]

Wow, thank you for a reply. I thought my message might get buried so I wrote my own tread after I wrote this. This is our first big vacation and I'm a planner, so I like to plan for everything. I didn't know about the open house and hot very little information when I called the Disney cruise. I got a world of information from the Disney world resorts though. They could not help me with any information about special needs and the cruise though. They did understand my worry. I was on YouTube and a vlog mentioned this site so I joined. So much Information here. I will check out the link you posted.

My kids are 13, 11 soon to be 12 and 4. My eldest is very easy and actually can look after his brother and sister for a limited amount of time. He's very responsible. But my middle son is my severe ASD/selective mute child. He's very cooperative and no he doesn't meltdown. He just needs positive experiences and he's fine. If someone was hurting him he will become up set but that's typical I would think. And their rules that kids need to be good in the space hopefully will keep him safe enough. I'm hoping. It's good to hear that they do actually know about special needs kids and have done training. Their wording in their own site sounds like they know nothing and are completely un prepared in every way to help a special needs child be ok or enjoy the children's area. Kinda like you can leave your kids here but we don't look after them. That's how I took it. If I have anything to recommend is that the cruise line reword their messages and put some more paragraphs in that nicely explain what kind of service they do offer. I would rather hear what they can do for my family then how they are not willing to service my family. Felt like I was given the riot act before they even met my kids. Like they are being pre judged and not welcomed because of their needs. Not very autism friendly at all really.

I will check out the link in hopes to find other autism families that gave found it a easy experience, hopefully they will have good feed back about the Disney staff. I need that reassurance I guess. I have seen smaller hotel chains provide better accommodation for children with autism. After reading what you said I'm hoping it's all just bad wording on their part and maybe not enough thought into how to present things to parents.

 

[1funmum]

I'm not going to sugar coat this. The kids clubs are NOT good for most autistic kids. It is a free for all cluster in there. Kids running around everywhere, screaming, loud music playing. There is absolutely NO individual attention given to kids and it's crowded (which is most of the time).

I have two boys that are autistic. We have been on two Dream cruises. My younger one sounds like your daughter and he would NOT let me leave him in the club. We only went during open house hours. There was NO adult time for my husband and I until MIL went on the second cruise and watched them for an hour for us. He was 6 on the first cruise and 7 on the second. He is 10 now and when we talk about cruises he still says he does not like the kids club.

My older son is very high functioning but prefers to be by himself. We left him a couple times but he always asked to be picked up at about the one hour mark. He would play the computer games in there but get bored quickly because they are, quite literally, the worst computer games ever.

My kids had some crowd issues and overwhelm at Cabanas. Breakfasts were stressful sometimes. I figured out that sitting them down and just bringing food I knew they liked worked much better than taking them through the buffet line.

One kid liked being out on deck. The one with hypersensitivity to sounds hated it because the wind was too loud. We had a balcony the first time but he would only go out there when in port. Second tiime had an ocean view and both kids loved the window seat and would always be in there.

Dinners were okay. My kids basically ate the same foods every day. Servers were good about getting items that were not on the menu if they were available elsewhere on the ship (like pizza at dinnertime, which was on the menu some days but not others).

The pool deck was our kids favorite place. They loved Aquaduck and the noise and chaos did not bother either kid in the slightest.

Overall we had a good time but it was not a dream, magical vacation at all. We would do it again. Practices makes better.

Thank you for your honesty. I thought it might be like that from how Disney themselves wrote their special needs policies piece. I read it and thought wow, big disappointment. I felt they could word it better. But then my own anxiety kicked in. I wondered if they were just being very honest about their own short comings. We do take them on vacation, just to in province resorts. We have a great wolf lodge here and they love it. They use the kids room there and the staff never have a issue with them in the club room. But they don't list in their policies that they are ill equipped to deal with special needs kids. They are the opposite. They say we want your kids to have the best time these are the things we can do. As a result I don't feel like my kids will die there lol. I think I wonder if I'm going to find miserable kids when I come on a pick up or no kids at all cause they will loose them. Sad eh.

Anyway thank you for mentioning breakfast, I will think about how we do that. Is all breakfasts done buffet style? I thought there was restaurant seating for all meals?

 

[1funmum]

@1funmum to the DISboards!

Assuming your older child is within the 3-12 age range for the Oceaneers Club/Lab, there are restrooms within the space. No need to ask permission and be allowed to go. However, I'm not sure they'll give reminders to specific kids, possibly a general reminder to those in the area to go when they need to, especially the younger ones. I suggest you make sure they have used the bathroom right before you drop off, and maybe try initially for shorter periods of time at first to make sure they are doing well (an hour at first, then 2 hours if that works well, etc.).

DCL Youth CMs do have training to work with children, including some experienced with children with special needs. However, these are not special ed teachers. If your children function in a standard group environment without direct 1:1 assistance, they are welcome to participate in secured programming at the Club/Lab. You mention your older child is non-verbal -- how does he communicate? He does not need to be verbal as long as he can communicate his needs/wants without a meltdown. I suggest you bring the kids to the Open House on the first afternoon; this allows the kids some time to get used to the space while you are there, time for you to chat with the CMs about any concerns, and time for the CMs to observe the kids. There are also "Open House" times scheduled throughout the cruise if you feel either child needs more time adjusting.

Have you checked out OP's thread on the Cruise Line Forum? There have been several families posting positive experiences with autism/special needs kids on cruises. You may find that thread helpful as well.

Enjoy your cruise!

Oops I replayed down below not understanding how this site worked. But thanks again I will check out that site.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Thank you for your honesty. I thought it might be like that from how Disney themselves wrote their special needs policies piece. I read it and thought wow, big disappointment. I felt they could word it better. But then my own anxiety kicked in. I wondered if they were just being very honest about their own short comings. We do take them on vacation, just to in province resorts. We have a great wolf lodge here and they love it. They use the kids room there and the staff never have a issue with them in the club room. But they don't list in their policies that they are ill equipped to deal with special needs kids. They are the opposite. They say we want your kids to have the best time these are the things we can do. As a result I don't feel like my kids will die there lol. I think I wonder if I'm going to find miserable kids when I come on a pick up or no kids at all cause they will loose them. Sad eh.

Anyway thank you for mentioning breakfast, I will think about how we do that. Is all breakfasts done buffet style? I thought there was restaurant seating for all meals?

They will have restaurant seating for both breakfast and lunch at one of the restaurants onboard (look at the navigator to see which restaurant and hours each day). My DS also can't handle the buffet and preferred the sit-down breakfasts and lunches. You can also order room service. Sometimes I would simply go to the buffet and bring a few things back to the room.

The kids club will not lose your children. In fact, when you go to pick them up, they will be able to tell you exactly where they are in the club because all the children wear RFID wrist bands (MagicBands) so they know exactly where they are in the club at all times.

I agree, in part, with what DLgal said. It CAN be a free for all in there at times - loud, children running around, etc. There are also some quiet, smaller spaces, too. Unfortunately, you won't know how your children will react to the space until you get there. We have been on three Disney cruises and my DS8 finally went in and enjoyed the kids club just this past summer. The other two times he either spent the entire time with me or with our babysitter who we, thank goodness!, took on our first cruise. I have friends with typical kids who couldn't stand the kids clubs and ended up spending the entire time with their parents as well. The kids club space truly is not for every kid. Yes, your children may be miserable or they may love it! I think Disney's special needs kids club policies are reasonable though. I don't think we can expect them to offer 1:1 assistance or medical care for our children. If you need that, you really should think about bringing another adult with you.

 

[lanejudy]

when I called the Disney cruise. ... They could not help me with any information about special needs and the cruise though.

For questions specific to special needs, I recommend calling DCL's Special Services department rather than the main number: 407-566-3602
There is also a Special Services Information Form you can download depending on the needs of your family. Most of the form related to medical equipment and needs for physical/hearing/vision disabilities, but there it also includes food allergies and you can make notations about children. Though it is still highly recommended to speak with the CMs on your specific cruise after boarding rather than relying on the form.

A couple more items I forgot to mention earlier... the "must be potty-trained" bit is old; within the past year that rule has been relaxed. As long as the child meets the age requirement, and can function in a group setting, pull-ups are allowed. If a child is wearing pull-ups, the parents will be requested to return periodically and check on the child to help with any toileting needs. I suspect the CMs may give more reminders particularly to younger children in the Club.

The restriction on adults in the kids' spaces during secured programming is due to liability and yes, they are very strict about the upper age limits at all the kids' spaces. This is also why there are so many Open House times scheduled so children who need assistance can participate as well. Except for the first afternoon, there are structured activities scheduled during Open House, it's not just free play, though that is allowed as well if it's the child's interest. Depending on the number of kids on any specific cruise, it can be quite busy in the clubs.

As with most anything, some people will have good experiences to share and others not so good experience. Neither is right or wrong, just how the situation "fit" that particular individual or family. We each have to decide for ourselves how a WDW or DCL vacation works for our own families. I agree DCL kids programming will not work for everyone.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[1funmum]

For questions specific to special needs, I recommend calling DCL's Special Services department rather than the main number: 407-566-3602
There is also a Special Services Information Form you can download depending on the needs of your family. Most of the form related to medical equipment and needs for physical/hearing/vision disabilities, but there it also includes food allergies and you can make notations about children. Though it is still highly recommended to speak with the CMs on your specific cruise after boarding rather than relying on the form.

A couple more items I forgot to mention earlier... the "must be potty-trained" bit is old; within the past year that rule has been relaxed. As long as the child meets the age requirement, and can function in a group setting, pull-ups are allowed. If a child is wearing pull-ups, the parents will be requested to return periodically and check on the child to help with any toileting needs. I suspect the CMs may give more reminders particularly to younger children in the Club.

The restriction on adults in the kids' spaces during secured programming is due to liability and yes, they are very strict about the upper age limits at all the kids' spaces. This is also why there are so many Open House times scheduled so children who need assistance can participate as well. Except for the first afternoon, there are structured activities scheduled during Open House, it's not just free play, though that is allowed as well if it's the child's interest. Depending on the number of kids on any specific cruise, it can be quite busy in the clubs.

As with most anything, some people will have good experiences to share and others not so good experience. Neither is right or wrong, just how the situation "fit" that particular individual or family. We each have to decide for ourselves how a WDW or DCL vacation works for our own families. I agree DCL kids programming will not work for everyone.

Enjoy your cruise!

Thank you for the number to call. I will call it. Yes the potty part was the biggest part that I truly wondered about. My kids are pretty well behaved. But at 4...she still needs reminders. Hearing that it can be worked out is something I really needed to hear. If it's old they should reword that. I saw the medical forms and I did fill out their profiles. But was limited in words. It was like sending a tweet. I got really worried after that. I called the main line but they didn't have much answers. I was told to wait till I got on the ship and they would decide then. Made me feel not so good about that. But when I hear that they have wrist bands in other colours and parents can do check ins that seems better. They should list these things.

 

[1funmum]

They will have restaurant seating for both breakfast and lunch at one of the restaurants onboard (look at the navigator to see which restaurant and hours each day). My DS also can't handle the buffet and preferred the sit-down breakfasts and lunches. You can also order room service. Sometimes I would simply go to the buffet and bring a few things back to the room.

The kids club will not lose your children. In fact, when you go to pick them up, they will be able to tell you exactly where they are in the club because all the children wear RFID wrist bands (MagicBands) so they know exactly where they are in the club at all times.

I agree, in part, with what DLgal said. It CAN be a free for all in there at times - loud, children running around, etc. There are also some quiet, smaller spaces, too. Unfortunately, you won't know how your children will react to the space until you get there. We have been on three Disney cruises and my DS8 finally went in and enjoyed the kids club just this past summer. The other two times he either spent the entire time with me or with our babysitter who we, thank goodness!, took on our first cruise. I have friends with typical kids who couldn't stand the kids clubs and ended up spending the entire time with their parents as well. The kids club space truly is not for every kid. Yes, your children may be miserable or they may love it! I think Disney's special needs kids club policies are reasonable though. I don't think we can expect them to offer 1:1 assistance or medical care for our children. If you need that, you really should think about bringing another adult with you.

The magic band thing has brought me peace of mind thank you.

 

[ShannonAbby]

I do not have personal experience with autism, but I do have first cruise experience with an 8 year old who doesn't like crowds, is shy, and will have a meltdown if there is too much social activity going on. The pirate party was awful for her. We stood on the side by the stage, what I thought was far away enough, and she decided that was still too close and buried her face in my back and refused to watch it. It bothered me to see her not enjoying herself in such a joyous atmosphere. She & 10 year old love the oceaneer lab, went twice a day sometimes. But last day of the cruise (at sea day) , they said they didn't want to go because as the 10 year old put it- the counsellors were in a bad mood. Best days to enjoy the ship are when in port. If plan on Castaway Cay, go later as everyone who went bright and early has already left.

 

[happymommy]

Just wanted to add that my friend went on a Disney cruise with her sister (large group), and one of her sister's 3 kids is autistic. They brought along his sitter, so that she could spend quiet time with him in their cabin (she bought the sitter her own interior cabin) after dinners and during some time every day. He couldn't handle a lot of noise either, and the clubs wouldn't work. Also the shows weren't great for him, so although this cost them, it saved their vacation as well.