High anxiety question

[iamdisneyfreak]

I know this must have been asked before, but I have a very high anxiety and I take medicines to control that. Plus I have macrophobia which worsens my anxiety.

Before going to Disney world, I have tried to contact many people and ask about their experiencex, but got mixed reviews.

My 4 yr old really wants to go and has been waiting since may for this trip, but my anxiety is just rising about wait and long queues. Plus my 2 yr old is going through separation anxiety and that's driving me nuts thinking how will I manage on some rides where he will be outside waiting with dad and me standing in the queues with my son.

I know we can consider option of my husband standing in queues, but my 4 yr old has mild autism and he wouldn't stay with dad at all. I am giving them training to keep them with their dad for about 1 hr or so, but it ends up being torture for my husband and my kids just crying non-stop asking for me....

Any ideas????

 

[Skippyboo]

Would your 4 year old be okay with doing stuff that the 2 year old can ride? Using FPs can minimize your standing in line time. Something like After Hours would help with the crowd level but it is not probably going to be helpful since your kids are so little. Could you afford a day of VIP to bypass line but if the 4 year old wants to ride a bigger ride that the 2 year can’t then there is still a separation problem.

 

[mukorasirish]

How tall is your 4 year old and what rides does he want do do? He may just be happy with the rides the 2 year old can ride as well. He may be too short for many of them. You can get a DAS for yourself by explaining why you can't wait in line. Combining that with fast passes and a good touring plan can help make things much easier for you.

 

[iamdisneyfreak]

Would your 4 year old be okay with doing stuff that the 2 year old can ride? Using FPs can minimize your standing in line time. Something like After Hours would help with the crowd level but it is not probably going to be helpful since your kids are so little. Could you afford a day of VIP to bypass line but if the 4 year old wants to ride a bigger ride that the 2 year can’t then there is still a separation problem.

we r planning to do almost all the rides together in which we all can go when my 2 yr old is awake. When he is sleeping, we may go for some rides where my 4 yr old can go.

FP will work as mentally I would know we will be back with him in about 20 mins... I dnt exactly know that yet.. last time when I went to disney, my younger one was really small and sleeping all the time and older was small enough to be picked up if he got cranky in the queues. The only bad experience I had in disneyland was when my husband had to use the washroom and we were in queues and my older one threw the fit to pick him up and other guest (especially one) shouted at me to take him out... That's the thing I am worried much about (at that time my son wasn't diagnosed with autism, but speech delay.. now he is on Autism spectrum and special program at his pre school)

This is the plan right now, but how that goes, is what i am more worried about.

 

[iamdisneyfreak]

How tall is your 4 year old and what rides does he want do do? He may just be happy with the rides the 2 year old can ride as well. He may be too short for many of them. You can get a DAS for yourself by explaining why you can't wait in line. Combining that with fast passes and a good touring plan can help make things much easier for you.

he is 42inches.

 

[bopper]

Is there anything you can give him to distract him in line? (e.g., ipad, book, toys)?

Have you considered using a stroller as a wheelchair (and getting a tag from guest services allowing you to do so) and then have a towel or something over it to give him a quieter, defined space?

 

[Skippyboo]

Could kid headphones with tablet/phone to watch cartoons help? Maybe a scavenger hunt list, keep track character you spot or number of Mickey balloons he sees. The Play Disney App has some interactive stuff while you’re in the parks.

 

[iamdisneyfreak]

Is there anything you can give him to distract him in line? (e.g., ipad, book, toys)?

Have you considered using a stroller as a wheelchair (and getting a tag from guest services allowing you to do so) and then have a towel or something over it to give him a quieter, defined space?

Can I do that? Make stroller as a wheelchair? I have no clue how that would work? I would be bringing double stroller..

 

[iamdisneyfreak]

Could kid headphones with tablet/phone to watch cartoons help? Maybe a scavenger hunt list, keep track character you spot or number of Mickey balloons he sees. The Play Disney App has some interactive stuff while you’re in the parks.

Could kid headphones with tablet/phone to watch cartoons help? Maybe a scavenger hunt list, keep track character you spot or number of Mickey balloons he sees. The Play Disney App has some interactive stuff while you’re in the parks.

he is not into cartoons, but he plays puzzles on his tablet. I don't think he can stand and play though.... he usually lies down and play.. I can try that option too..

 

[Skippyboo]

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/cognitive-disabilities-services/

 

[iamdisneyfreak]

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/cognitive-disabilities-services/

Thank you. This is helpful. I had no idea I can use stroller as a wheelchair. That will solve so many issues along with separation anxiety my 2 yr old has..

 

[lanejudy]

Thank you. This is helpful. I had no idea I can use stroller as a wheelchair. That will solve so many issues along with separation anxiety my 2 yr old has..

Just be aware...if you have a double stroller and tag it for Stroller-as-Wheelchair, you will need to decide who gets the stroller for rides the little one can't do. A child too short to ride cannot enter the queue, regardless. So I'm not sure that helps the separation anxiety issue. But it might help your older son if he has issues in the queue (you don't really mention that much, so I'm not sure).

I would ask your older son's therapists to help him with his issues around staying with dad. I'm actually thinking not just WDW but life at home will be much smoother if both parents are involved with him and it will help you avoid burn-out. At WDW, maybe there could be a reward after the ride if he goes through the queue with dad (Mickey bar, balloon, small toy).

If you haven't already seen the disABILITIES FAQs thread or the WDW - Disability Access Service (DAS) thread, both pinned near the top of this forum, those may be helpful. You only need to read first post of the DAS thread, the rest was discussion several years ago.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[iamdisneyfreak]

Just be aware...if you have a double stroller and tag it for Stroller-as-Wheelchair, you will need to decide who gets the stroller for rides the little one can't do. A child too short to ride cannot enter the queue, regardless. So I'm not sure that helps the separation anxiety issue. But it might help your older son if he has issues in the queue (you don't really mention that much, so I'm not sure).

I would ask your older son's therapists to help him with his issues around staying with dad. I'm actually thinking not just WDW but life at home will be much smoother if both parents are involved with him and it will help you avoid burn-out. At WDW, maybe there could be a reward after the ride if he goes through the queue with dad (Mickey bar, balloon, small toy).

If you haven't already seen the disABILITIES FAQs thread or the WDW - Disability Access Service (DAS) thread, both pinned near the top of this forum, those may be helpful. You only need to read first post of the DAS thread, the rest was discussion several years ago.

Enjoy your vacation!

Thank you for the info.

My older one has mild autism. He is okay with dad too, but sometimes he gets fixated over things and will scream and cry like anything. That time no rewards nothing helps. We are working together as well as his special program at pre-school is also helping. Bigger part of the problem is that he has major speech delay and he doesn't seem to understand when he is fixated. His speech and understanding is improving a lot now, but I am worried about the past experience which happened when he was 2.5 yrs old. I get high anxiety when I am in crowd especially what will people think, inability to control him.. etc... But thanks. I will be looking more into the details. I am also learning that we can get DAS as he is on autism spectrum, which I had no clue about before (atleast not when I went to disneyland - although he wasnt coded, but speech was a problem anyway.. I thought DAS is only for people who are not mobile.. apologies about being so uneducated in this matter).

 

[lanejudy]

I am also learning that we can get DAS as he is on autism spectrum, which I had no clue about before (atleast not when I went to disneyland - although he wasnt coded, but speech was a problem anyway.. I thought DAS is only for people who are not mobile.. apologies about being so uneducated in this matter).

No apologies necessary!

DAS is for people who do NOT have mobility-related issues. It is specifically for those who have issues waiting in a standard queue environment. Diagnosis - what diagnosis or if there is a diagnosis - actually doesn't matter. To obtain DAS, you'll need to briefly explain why he (or you) cannot wait in a standard queue environment. "Needs" are the key here, not diagnosis. If it is challenging for you to ask, or explain, you can write a short bulleted list to share with Guest Relations.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[iamdisneyfreak]

No apologies necessary!

DAS is for people who do NOT have mobility-related issues. It is specifically for those who have issues waiting in a standard queue environment. Diagnosis - what diagnosis or if there is a diagnosis - actually doesn't matter. To obtain DAS, you'll need to briefly explain why he (or you) cannot wait in a standard queue environment. "Needs" are the key here, not diagnosis. If it is challenging for you to ask, or explain, you can write a short bulleted list to share with Guest Relations.

Enjoy your vacation!

Thank you! I will write all the points down.