help with DLRP visit and autistic child.

[Hedgehog]

Hi there, hope you wise ones can offer some insight.

We're actually DLP regulars and have been at least once a year for the last seven!

However the last couple of visits have been "testing"!

Though my lovely son (5) LOVES DLP in a MAJOR way, he was diagnosed last year as being Autistic.

Jack is a child who often shows no reaction to anything, even at Christmas he will open all his gifts with a dead-pan face. its only hours later we find out he likes them! Disney however, esp characters, light him up. Its wonderful.

Trips to the park are hard however. He is very set in his ways and reacts very badly to crowds and to queues, mainly because he doesn't understand why he needs to wait, and can't stand the restricted space.

We get over the "crowd" thing by using a pram even though he's too big.

We've had to avoid show altogether really, because of the queuing and the fact he struggles to cope if he is made to sit in a middle seat, or far back etc.

Queues/ boarding rides is a major problem though.
Autistic children have "meltdowns" when they are upset as they can't express themselves. imagine them as like a big kid having a huge tantrum, but more harrowing.
Last year we waited for "small world" (one of his faves) and he was really quite good, then at the front of the line they insisted we made him sit in the back row of the boat. (Often i find if you ask they'll let you wait for the next to go in front)
Jack FREAKED. He ran away, we finally caught up with him near the pizza house. He was hysterical for an hour, and spent most of the day sobbing and refused to go on any more rides because he couldn't handle the thought of it happening again!

I'm aware i'm waffling here so i'll try to get to the point.

I thought there was nothing we could do about this. But a friend told me she knows a family with an autistic child and Disney gave them some sort of pass, so they didn't wait in the same lines?

Anyone know anything about this? He's not registered disabled. And he actulally looks perfectly normal, but i do have medical certs.

Thanks for your help. And for putting up with this rambling post!

 

[BONITATIME]

I know in WDW there is a possibility of a pass like this that helps with waiting times with only a doctors letter.
I would try phoning or emailing customer relations or even through the website( I have always had a good response from the DLRP website.)

 

[Cyrano]

Hopefully someone with firsthand experience can offer a better insight.
I think your friend is right regarding Disney giving you some lattitude with an autistic child. Have a look at the link here for a number to call.

AFAIK you will fill out a questionaire at City Hall and will hopefully be offered a pass which includes one carer to get fast access to attractions. I'm sure CM's will allow other family members to be included if you ask.

This link suggests that DLP are happy to provide a pass

 

[landerd]

Hi Hedgehog.
I know exactly what you mean, we have been in the same situation many times with our autistic 8 year old. Your Christmas Day experience sounds exactly like ours!
We tend to go during the quiet periods (eg we're going in a couple of weeks).
Anyway, you can get a special access card (don't know the exact title, but anyone in guest services at City Hall will know what you mean). You just need to present some proof of the condition at City Hall eg. a disability benefit book or (probably better) a letter from your GP/Consultant explaining his condition. Once they see the word 'disabled' they're happy. They will issue you with a card for the duration of your stay which allows you to avoid the queues on most things in the main park (but not valid in studios). Usually you enter through the exit from a ride/attraction, but some have separate disabled entrances. Try to avoid the strange looks you may get from other people as you do this
I believe that the cards are offically only good for up to 2 carers, but if there are more of you in your party explain this - we usually get up to 4 carers on ours.
As an aside, if you don't want to take your own buggy, you can hire one and if you pay a deposit you can keep it for the duration (including taking it out of the park to take back to your hotel at night). They don't fold up at all though, so only of use really if you are walking back to the hotel at night.
As for watching parades, we tend to find the quietest spot to be by the gates that the floats start or finish through near the camera shop at the bottom of main street.
Sorry I can't help with the shows, we have the same issues.
Hope this helps, if you have any more questions we'll try to help...

Dave
PS
Completely unrelated but if he's a bit big for a normal buggy, you could take a look at a McClaren Major for future use

 

[Hedgehog]

That's all fantastic info. thank you so much.

Dave its wonderful to hear from someone else in the same position. ts a double edged sword really, Jack loved DLP. Its his fave palce on earth. But sadly it also presents him with some of his worst nightmares.

We are pretty much stuck to going in Early June. Hubby's hols are not flexible. on the bright side this is coinciding with jack's birthday, which he is really excited about. He thinks Mickey (his hero) will be at his party.

Parade wise, we've been in the same spot as you i think! Only prob is Jack insists on sitting down there, in silence, a good couple of hours before the thing starts. So we take shifts to sit with him.

Its amazing what consideration you can get if you ask. We had a major issue on the ferry this year . It was packed with school parties, all pushing and shoving down the stairs. J was terrified. Homeward journey, he was fretting as we boarded. IN desperation we asked for help at info desk and they took him down to the car deck in the disabled lift, before anyone else went down.

This year we managed him in a normal buggy. JUST! He has dyspraxia as well and not only refuses to walk, but has low muscle tone and balance and i'm told he can't walk far. I wish he could/would walk, but can't see it. He also uses the pram as a bit of a safety blanket from the crowds/noises etc. I wondered if anyone made a bigger version. I'll look into that!

Again thanks for ALL your help. My mind is a bit easier now.

 

[Cyrano]

Again thanks for ALL your help. My mind is a bit easier now.

Great that you have a bit more info.

 

[Raci]

this is coinciding with jack's birthday, which he is really excited about. He thinks Mickey (his hero) will be at his party.

Sounds like a birthday tea party with characters is called for or maybe a meal at cafe mickey with birthday cake!

Have a great trip hope the pass will help you make the most of it!

 

[landerd]

That's all fantastic info. thank you so much.


Again thanks for ALL your help. My mind is a bit easier now.

No problem. Just had another quick thought - in noisy areas (may even work in shows) we've had him wearing headphones/earmuffs to keep the noise out, which seems to keep him a bit happier. I'm not convinced they do a huge amount to block the noise, it's probably just psychological, but it does help
We're over there on the 21st Jan, so when I get back I'll scan in the card that we get from City Hall and post it here so you can see what it looks like and you'll know what you're asking for...

Dave

 

[higgy66]

Adding on to the strollers you can hire - these are much larger than normal pushchairs/strollers I've seen. They actually look a little like small wheelchairs.

My eldest is 4 and hasn't been in a pram for over a year but as there was so much walking involved we hired one for her. She's VERY tall for her age and wears clothes for 6 year olds and the strollers on hire were plenty big enough.

Hope this helps

Janet

 

[margaret2]

we were there in november and had quite a job getting the blue card, even though this was arranged by the holiday company i booked with who said it would be at the hotel receptionwaiting for me which it was, but because have three autistic young men 21, 24 and 23 and just because they looked normal they were not going to give them out, one cast member told me they were only for terminally ill children so i went to city hall and told them what had happened, and i could produce a doctors letter they could not see what the problem was and promptly gave us the cards we needed, but these do not get you front of the line you are given a time to go back when they are not to busy, with the exception of maybe a couple of the rides that let us join the fast pass queue straight away. but we had a great time anyway hope you and your son have geat fun too

 

[landerd]

but these do not get you front of the line you are given a time to go back when they are not to busy, with the exception of maybe a couple of the rides that let us join the fast pass queue straight away. but we had a great time anyway hope you and your son have geat fun too

Hmm, that's interesting. Never had a problem being issued a card ourselves (but we don't try to pre-arrange it, just go straight to City Hall).
In the past (we were last there in March 2006) we've always just gone in through the various ride exits and waved to attract a CM's attention with no problems. Maybe the system has changed - I'll report back on our experiences this time around in about 3 weeks