Need Advice -- Taking 2 1/2 year old son with Sensory Issues to Disney

[gtpooh]

I am planning a trip to Disney in May with my son, who will be 2 years 9 months at the time of the trip. He has sensory integration dysfunction and global developmental delays, and we are concerned about how he will handle the whole experience, especially the crowds, waits, and noise.

Have any of you had similar experiences taking a child with these issues? Any advice on how to plan the trip so it is a good experience for him and our family. We will also have a 6 month old with us, but I don't expect him to be affected by these things like our older son.

It sounds like I may want to look into a GAC -- how does it work for rides that young children go on? Has anyone had experiences on specific rides and how it works? How have your kids held up with all of the busyness of WDW?

THANKS IN ADVANCE!

 

[mechurchlady]

Read the FAQs stickied for this board as that helps.

Get a GAC called the "Stroller as a Wheelchair" as that will let you take the kid in the stroller into any place that a wheelchair is allowed even buildings that say no strollers allowed. The stroller allows the child to have a private place away from the crowds and keeps people away from the kid.

I have SID and know that we vary greatly like one person like my mother can be HSC which is extreme sensitivity to anything and everything while another person may not react to anything. A person may love the sound of certain music but other sounds bother them.

Ear muffs used by hunters and construction workers help for sound sensistive kids. Strollers helps the crowd shy kid to hide. FAQs has a link to special diets for kids who cannot, should not or will not eat foods for medical reasons. You can tell your server of any limitations like "Kid cannot stand the sight of olives and gags" or "Kid cannot handle being touched". CMs will work with you in restaurants and rides is they can.

There are tour books and online planning you can do as well as planning the trip for the off season. Use the Extra Magical Hours to get into the park at a less busy time.

 

[Brightsy]

I second the suggestion for the earmuffs. My younger son uses them whenever we go to amusement/theme parks, movies or anywhere there might be noises that bother him. It works!

 

[SueM in MN]

If you have not checked into it yet, I would suggest reading post #6 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread, which is all about GACs.

Even more helpful than a GAC (Guest Assistance Card) is a good touring plan - like Tour Guide Mike (a Theme Park Board Sponsor). Using a plan like that will help you to be in the park and parts of the park that are not busy. The GAC will only help you while you are waiting for attractions. But, a touring plan can help you avoid the crowds and general 'busyness' that you end up with if the park is busy.

 

[LuvsTinker]

My son has the same issues. When he was 3 yo some of the things we noticed were Fantasmic being to much for him - not just sound but flashing lights also.

The Garden Grill restaurant rotates over the The Land boat ride; when we rotated towards the thunder scene, my son jumped under the table. We didn't realize he was hearing the faint thunder before we even noticed it.

Another chaotic scene was in Chef Mickey's; the loudness and monorail passing over was too much stimulation for him. On the other hand, he enjoyed Crystal Palace and it was more relaxing for us.

I would recommend ear plugs or ear muffs. Many of the inside attractions are loud.

Plan for down time and not being on a mad dash towards something if your son decides he wants to take a detour or watch the ducks for 20 minutes like my son did.

 

[KJ and Crew]

The Garden Grill restaurant rotates over the The Land boat ride; when we rotated towards the thunder scene, my son jumped under the table. We didn't realize he was hearing the faint thunder before we even noticed it.

Thank you! I'm taking my DS w/ SID to the GG and didn't know about the thunder scene! We had planned to try Fantasmic from the back row and have an exit strategy if necessary, but until I read your post, I wasn't planning on having an exit strategy from our dinner, and now I'll make one just in case; THANKS!

 

[LuvsTinker]

Thank you! I'm taking my DS w/ SID to the GG and didn't know about the thunder scene! We had planned to try Fantasmic from the back row and have an exit strategy if necessary, but until I read your post, I wasn't planning on having an exit strategy from our dinner, and now I'll make one just in case; THANKS!

You're very welcome.

I wish I had known prior what to expect. When my son was 3, we were still in the very beginning learning stages of what was causing his anxiety and reactions.

 

[debbi801]

We did WDW when my son was 2 and again when he was 4. He has Asperger's and lots of sensory issues. Surprisingly, he did much better than I would have thought. We took lots of breaks and had lots of down time: back at the hotel, riding the monorail, riding TTA, and other quiet low key rides. He also had his stroller for when he needed his own space.

Passporter has a book about doing WDW with special needs, it is called Passporter Open Mouse. It has lots of great info in it.

HTH

 

[pilesoflaundry]

My daughter has SID, she was 4, almost 5 on our trip last year. She did a lot better than I thought she would.

She didn't like the 3-D shows and she was afraid of the characters. Otherwise she was fine. I really thought the crowds and stuff would upset her but she was good.

The only thing I noticed is she went down hill quick when she did have a few issues. It was a sudden without warning meltdown but only happened once or twice when she was hungry. She also refused to let anyone take her picture but me so she isn't in our family pic at epcot and she wouldn't let photopass take pics of her either.

 

[GraceLuvsWDW]

My DD5 has the same issues and I took her for her first trip at age 4. She was hesitant to go near any of the characters and at times quite fearful if she even saw them from afar-be prepared for this possibility. Character Meals can be quite brutal for these kids IMHO. Also, the 3D attractions such as Philharmagic, Muppets, HISTK, ITTBAB were (and still are) too painful for her. Surprisingly, she now loves many of the rides but we have been many times and it has been very slow for her to warm up to many of the experiences at WDW.

I have never used the GAC (although I've thought about it) because we mostly go in slow seasons and the waits are not so bad with her issues. It is more the overstimulation certain rides create which we compensate for with a very lazy style of touring where she has many rests, snacks, time away from the crowds.

Good Luck! My daughter now loves WDW and begs to go. It is such a wonderful family bonding experience with a child that faces difficulty in everyday situations-my daughter has a lot of anxiety issues due to her sensory processing and developmental delays but it does get better over time and I wish you the best of luck!

 

[LuvsTinker]

Also, the 3D attractions such as Philharmagic, Muppets, HISTK, ITTBAB were (and still are) too painful for her. from the crowds.

Same with my son; at 8 yo this past Sept., he still didn't want to go into the 3D attractions. I think it's too loud for him; even with ear plugs he refused.

He remembers the 3D attractions from the trip when he was turning 4 and we've been back now 3x since and he will not go back into those attractions.

 

[andijean]

My son is 8 now and we have gone every other year. It is so good that you are thinking of these things and planning ahead. The first year he went at 3 I was not prepared and had to do a lot of thinking on my feet to handle his reactions to the environment. We did have the GAC and this definitely allowed him and us to enjoy our experience there. We did not use it on FP rides and probably used it for 1-2 rides each day. It also helped in a couple of the waiting areas for shows as they tending to be loud and packed with people and he could not handle this. The other thing we did after one day in the park was go and buy earplugs. They helped take the edge off and now we are just careful to bring our own earmuffs. We were so surprised at how LOUD disney is. There is music everywhere and MK seems to be the worst. AK is actually one of our best days b/c it is quieter and we can relax in the boneyard for an hour digging. One of there place we go to is Tom Sawyer Island for an hour. It is quiet over there and gives him a chance to run around for an hour to burn off some nervous energy.

The restaurants can be very loud also b/c of the vaulted ceilings. Some of the places we have learned to avoid are Chef Mickeys and Whispering Canyon. Crystal Place is tolerable with earmuffs. We tend now to plan at restaurants with lower ceilings and not open to the whole place.

We also avoid 3D shows or he does not where the glasses. If you think about how hypersensitive these kids systems are, I can now see why he didn't like it. It was too REAL and in his face. Even at 8 he does the show, but does not use the glasses. We have not done fantasmic for this reason. When I read the reviews and saw atypical kids struggling, I knew we were not ready for it. That was one of the things I realized. We did not need to do everything to have a good time and I would just watch his face and reactions to gauge where he was at.

These are just some of the tips we have learned through the years. Each child reacts different and sometimes their reactions surprise us. The fact that you are thinking ahead will help out greatly. I think having the stroller with canopy to be able get away also is helpful. I also pack fidget toys, chewy toys, and chewy snacks. These things can be calming and organizing to kids with SID. One year I grabbed a pack of straws at a CS restaurant b/c he was chewing on his collar so bad. We used those for the rest of the trip. I hope this helps out. Have fun!

 

[disneyworldmom2]

Our son, who is 6, has had many successful trips to Disney with sensory issues. My advice would be to take your own stroller, and plan that he will spend quite a bit of time in it, as it provides a safe retreat. Take a favorite toy that is washable. If you can find a way to attach it to the stroller, that's even better! One thing that we found to be invaluable is a stroller fan. He sits and turns it on and off, not for the cooling it provides, but for the ability to (1) be in control of something, and (2) for the sound that it makes. It makes a gentle sound that seems to help block out some of the other noises for him. Also, even though some shows may be loud, don't write them off entirely. On his first trip, our son would actually sleep through Fantasmic and the Muppet Show. He would just sit on my lap, snuggle in and sleep. (Even though it was loud, it was also dark and a great place to cool off) Also, don't forget to plan breaks! Good luck!

 

[ireland_nicole]

First of all; Congrats on making the decision to go! Yes, travelling with kids who have challenges can be intimidating, but is so worth it. In fact, WDW is by far the best place to go our kids. They've gone enough now that they have a routine for everything, so it's pretty relaxed for us. As far as the crowds, I think you've picked a pretty good time to go. I would caution you against fantasmic and the 3-d stuff. Even without the glasses, there's a lot of smells, tactile stuff, just very overwhelming. I know my fantasmic stance isn't popular, but our experience has been far from positive We liked the character meals, although we will not be going to CM's again (very, very loud and chaotic, and a pretty mean pluto and friend.) but my kids love the other ones. The first time we seated the kids on the side away from the characters, so they only had to interact if they wanted to. Our kids also wear the earmuffs everywhere, and we use the stroller as w/c and use TGM's touring plans too. I agree, the best thing is to play it by ear, and allow plenty of time for breaks and to smell the roses. One other piece of advice is to bring plenty of snacks and really be careful of dehydration. Oh yeah, and never, ever, ever, ever ever force your kiddo to ride anything b/c you're sure they'll like it once they're on. (DS and I had a traumatic experience on Dinosaur 2 years ago that he still has nightmares about. Big mistake, Big, Huge... and of course it happened on our first day. I'm shuddering again now remembering.)

 

[KJ and Crew]

One year I grabbed a pack of straws at a CS restaurant b/c he was chewing on his collar so bad. We used those for the rest of the trip. I hope this helps out. Have fun!

This may sound really silly, but I actually had tears in my eyes as I read this... Sometimes I think we are the only people who know what it's like to have almost EVERY shirt stretched out and damaged from the giant wet spot on the front. Your post reminded me we are not alone!

My son is also 8, and no matter how many times he's been corrected, he still sucks on his shirt and ruins the collar (sometimes the sleeves too). I realized after a billion corrections, he can't control it.

I thank you for the tips about the food, straws, and squishy toys. I was so worried about the rides/shows, I didn't think of planning to bring those... Your post reminded me to add these things to the list!! PLUS, I better not try to "push" a 3D show b/c I'm curious and pay for it the rest of the day! I had "Bug's LIfe" on my "NO WAY IN HECK" list, but I'll think carefully about the others too... Thanks!

 

[SueM in MN]

There are some links to past threads about autism that may help you also. The links are on the disABILITIES FAQs thread. Even though your children don't have a diagnosis of autism, many of the ussues and things that are problems are similar.
One other thing to also look at are threads about small children who don't have disabilities. Many toddlers and young children have problems with darkness, noise, sudden things. If small children without special needs commonly have problems with a certain attraction (Bug's Life, Stitch and Fantasmic come to mind), that will be a good 'flag' to you that your more sensitive child may have issues too.

The Passporter's Open Mouse book that was mentioned is a very good resource. I was one of the peer reviewers of the original book, which is very similar. I have a couple suggestions when looking at it.

1) It's a very large book and can be overwhelming, so I'd suggest just paging thru it to get an idea of how it is laid out and what sort of information is in it. Then pick a section to read thru; use Post It notes or flags to mark things you want to come back to. Then, re-read those parts and underline or highlight things you think are really important. If you start underlining at the first reading, you may find you have marked so much that nothing stands out any more.

2) Read the whole listing, not just the 'coded' part. In the ride/attraction listings, they have things divided up by codes (a heart for people with heart conditions, for example). I would suggest not looking at the codes - just look at the write up in general. For example, they may have "stairs" listed under "Mobility" or "Heart". If your child is fearful of going up stairs, you may miss that information if you are only looking for 'your' code. Many things are like that; different things about the attraction were assigned to a particular code, but people with other conditions might find that information just as helpful.

3) Some attractions are listed as "Best For" certain conditions or "Worst For" certain conditions. It doesn't say why though and I know that some of the ones that were listed as "Worst" for people with autism have been posted here as the favorites as some of our posters who have autistic members of their family. And, some of the people may have not liked an attraction because of loud noise might have done OK if they had earplugs.
So, I would take those recommendations with a big grain of salt. Look at the description and search out information (like youtube videos) to help you decide.

I have started an Epcot FAQs thread that has information about many of the Epcot attractions, with pictures of the queue and information about noise, lighting, etc. That might be helpful. I'm not done with it, but it does have information about many of the attractions already.

 

[CajunDisFan]

Hey,

We are travelling to WDW with my 7 year old daughter and 4 year old son with SPD (SID) for the 3rd time in a few weeks. We have not had the trouble with the 3D movies like some others have described, but he freaked out when we ate at the Garden Grill, too -- especially when approaching the dark areas. Our biggest issues have been over-stimulation from the rides. We did a GAC last time, and this was a double-edged sword. We avoided the anxiety/aggressiveness that we saw on a previous trips while waiting in lines, but we were able to go through the lines more quickly (hence riding more rides in a shorter amount of time), so the stimulation accumulated quickly. On the advice of his OT, we started and ended each day with heavy lifting/deep tissue massage. We took one of his backpacks and put those exercise balls in it, and had him carry it around while we were getting ready in the morning. Water bottles work nicely, too. That seemed to help calm him. During the day, if we saw that he needed more "reorganizing," we had him either push the stroller, jump, or push against a wall to give him more of that feedback.

Hope this helps! Good luck on your trip!

Jennifer