Help!!

[Aj1980]

I am in need of some advice. We are traveling down to Universal in Disney World on Saturday. This vacation has been planned for obviously quite some time. In the past six months I was given custody of my nephew. we really want to include him in the trip. We have already gotten tickets and everything however my nephew is terrified of anything Halloween to the extent he will not even go into a pharmacy if they have the hollow ween Decorations up. He is 10 years old and something obviously scared him when he was younger but there's not much I can do in the time I was allotted. I am so afraid of taking him in to both Universal and Disney as he will freeze throw himself on the floor and not go in if he sees anything that scares him. I do have the option of leaving him behind with grandparents. Looking for advice on what to do?

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

That's a tough one. I would hate for a kid who has obviously had a tough life to miss such a great trip.

Is it all decor or just scary decor? I think you should watch videos on YouTube of both parks to see the extent of the decorations and watch them with him. Is he able to articulate the extent of the phobia? I would let him decide if he can handle it.

 

[Aj1980]

We have watched videos and he was adamant that he is not ok with universal. Problem is I have my own son who is there and deserves to have time with both his parents and if I take him that won't happen. We tried to take him to a local Halloween store to break the ice and couldn't get within 30ft of it. He went to Disney when he was 5 and refused to go over the bridge into adventure land and also would not go through the brooms at downtown Disney.

 

[damo]

I don't think there will be anything scarier at Universal than he would see passing by Pirates of the Caribbean. I think he will probably have an issue with both WDW and Universal at this time.

 

[Aj1980]

He won't go anywhere near pirates.

 

[damo]

He won't go anywhere near pirates.

I'd be very leery about taking him at this time. Even though they say there is nothing up, one of you would have to scope it out first. Last year when we were there, there was one section that had some skulls. Perhaps someone could take a quick jog around the park to make sure there is nothing up that would scare him?

 

[Dee2013]

If the grandparents are an option, I would respect his wishes. Plan another trip somewhere else after Halloween. This "extra" trip can just be something local, but it can "special" just for him. I expect if you have custody and he has this fear that some adults along the way scared the you know what out of him during this time. This is a deep seated anxiety that won't go away without a great deal of therapy. (Sorry, teacher in me coming out)

 

[RMulieri]

I agree with the previous posters..At this time both Disney and uni will likely scare him and be a bad idea.I would leave him with the grandparents