Panic Attacks, Sensory Issues - DAS appropriate?

[Golden Rose]

We have friends who are contemplating a trip to WDW with a child who sometimes gets panic attacks in large crowds, gets overwhelmed easily, has some sensory issues, and gets agitated and weepy easily. This child is the youngest family member, and they have put off taking a trip for several years, in hopes that the child will be more comfortable, but they don't want the eldest child to get too much older before a first family trip.

They are planning to split up, avoid most character interactions, and take the youngest child back to the resort early every day, but would like to try a few rides. The three attractions a park that you get with FP+ may be enough, but this child really can't manage tightly packed lines for long without being held, and by the time of the trip will be too big to be carried much, if at all.

Is this a situation where requesting DAS accommodations is reasonable? To my knowledge, the child does not at this time have an official diagnosis or doctor's letter.

 

[nikkislaght]

You will not need a diagnosis for a DAS,, you will need to be prepared to explain how they can accommodate the child . and understand that even with a DAS or fastpass there will still be wait times.. it may not be crowded but there will be wait times..
My son has SPD and can get overwhelmed at Disneyland.. so he wears a hat. or hoodie.. , sunglasses... he has a sensory diet in place and that is followed before we leave for the parks.
we make sure that there is space between him and the next person in line. so my husband on one side and me on the other and we leave room.. this gives him space to jump or hop.. we take plenty of crunchy snacks.. good oral feedback.. he will sometimes have his MP3 player with him.. so he can cut the noise.. you can also take noise cancelling head phones.. lots out there to chose from.. my son is a seeker , and loves the roller coasters.. and fast moving rides,, but an avoider when it comes to noise. food textures and smells... just the wrong smell can send him off course . let the child wear a backpack that is weighted.. this will " ground " him and give his body feedback too.. we make sure we go over to Tom Sawyers island so he can run crazy.. and this resets him .. when he was younger we always went back to the hotel during the day so he could relax, eat , (he sometimes refuses to eat in front of people) and swim, now that he is older and knows his triggers life at DL is a lot easier to navigate ..
planning and knowing the child and listening to his signals will aid you all in having a wonderful trip..
The characters are great with kids with special needs... if you have a quiet word to the handler , they will let the character know who to engage with them..
Not sure how it all goes on in WDW as we only go to Disneyland... but Im sure it would be similar to our experience.. hope they have a great time if they go..

 

[Golden Rose]

We go every year, and I read various forums pretty often, and I try to stay fairly current on my Disney knowledge. This is just not an area I feel like I'm as a good adviser an for. They've never been, and this may be a once in a lifetime trip for them, so I'm really trying to help them plan a good time. I've been making a list of rides I think won't be overwhelming (our son has some sensory issues, so I have some first hand knowledge there). Honestly, I've been trying to figure out if the process of getting the DAS would be stressful enough for their family that I ought to just suggest that they plan on their 3 FP rides and then back to the room for down time and/or swim. The only place I think that would be a problem is Magic Kingdom, but maybe the stand by lines for Small World and Mermaid won't be too bad.

 

[gap2368]

I would tell your friend to go to guest relation and just explain what the child need in line what happens when this things happen if they say the DAS is not right for him then you go on with your plane. I would tell your friend to pick 3 rides that they thing would be there favorite and must do do then earlier in the day ( about an hour or so after the park opens) that way they can book more FP rides take some breaks ( there are quiet places in the park) or at the hotel, but I think your friend will find that disney is very accommodation to people with all kinds of disability you just have to speak up as they can not read your mind

 

[Gracie09]

Another option to consider is stroller as a wheelchair tag. This would allow them to bring the stroller into line giving the child his own space And separation from others. Also you can grab a light blanket an use it as a cover to cocoon him a bit

 

[lanejudy]

They can certainly request a DAS. Nobody here can guarantee it will be given. There is considerable information about the DAS at WDW on the sticky thread WDW - Disability Access Service. The first post has all the details, you can skip the rest of that long thread which was discussion. I don't believe the process of requesting the DAS should be too stressful for the parents -- they'll need to describe the how the child reacts in a standard queue environment and what can be done to alleviate that.

Keep in mind that DAS will not avoid any lines. They will enter through the FP+ queue. Since you are familiar with WDW, you know that often the FP+ queue runs parallel to the standby, so not really away from crowds. The suggestion of stroller-as-wheelchair might be very helpful to provide a "safe haven" for the child when the crowds get too overwhelming for her; this can be requested at Guest Relations. If noises are an issue, has the family tried Peltor earmuffs that essentially reduce the amount of sound coming at the child? Many families fine this to be a very helpful tool in the parks, including my own family. Along with "plan B" to take the child back to the resort if it all gets to be too much.

I hope the family has an enjoyable vacation!

 

[LilyWDW]

They can certainly request a DAS. Nobody here can guarantee it will be given. There is considerable information about the DAS at WDW on the sticky thread WDW - Disability Access Service. The first post has all the details, you can skip the rest of that long thread which was discussion. I don't believe the process of requesting the DAS should be too stressful for the parents -- they'll need to describe the how the child reacts in a standard queue environment and what can be done to alleviate that.

Keep in mind that DAS will not avoid any lines. They will enter through the FP+ queue. Since you are familiar with WDW, you know that often the FP+ queue runs parallel to the standby, so not really away from crowds. The suggestion of stroller-as-wheelchair might be very helpful to provide a "safe haven" for the child when the crowds get too overwhelming for her; this can be requested at Guest Relations. If noises are an issue, has the family tried Peltor earmuffs that essentially reduce the amount of sound coming at the child? Many families fine this to be a very helpful tool in the parks, including my own family. Along with "plan B" to take the child back to the resort if it all gets to be too much.

I hope the family has an enjoyable vacation!

Not only runs parallel, but often then merges with the main line at some point. Which means even with a DAS there will be a time when the child will be in a large crowd. So it will depend on how long the child will be able to handle this before having a panic attack as to if the DAS will be of much help.

 

[KPeveler]

They may want to think of a touring plan, at least a general one, where they alternate shows and rides. If the child can handle watching shows, the theatre may be full, but the family can request to sit near an exit, just in case, and put the youngest between the other family members.

I would definitely look into a stroller-as-wheelchair tag (I am not sure how old the child is), but this would not only allow them to keep the stroller as a buffer, complete with in-line-rescue devices, but also a lot of shows have a fenced off waiting area for people with wheelchairs and other mobility devices during pre-show (I am thinking of Muppets, Philharmagic, American Adventure). These can be crowded as well as the regular line, but I have always found them to be a little easier to handle. If they have the stroller, they can have snacks, books, music, toys, hot/cold packs - whatever helps calm the child.

They may want to make preventative use quiet places like First Aid as well. As soon as I feel myself beginning to be overwhelmed or agitated or panicky, I go to first aid. I do not wait for a meltdown or panic attack to happen.

They may want to let the child watch some videos before they go on Youtube to get an idea of what the attractions are like. Sometimes knowing what is coming is helpful.

I suggest sending them this link: Guide for Guests with Cognitive Disabilities. This is a complete guide of what to expect on which ride (like which spray water at you, like Muppets) and quiet places to take a break.

They need to have a complete park schedule and avoid some things entirely, like parades. They should probably avoid the parade route areas entirely during showtimes, and right before and after.

Hope some of this helps!

 

[Baklava]

I used a GAC and will request a DAS for my panic disorder. While I can (on a good day) tolerate the crowding in a FP line with help from my family, trying to do it for extended periods would be a recipe for disaster. Yes, there is still crowding but what you can do for 15 minutes and what you can do for an hour are different. My sensory/spectrum kiddo will probably get a stroller as wheelchair tag.

 

[Golden Rose]

Thanks for the tips. The link to the Guide is great! I'll send it on to them a little closer to the trip; I know they're currently feeling a little overwhelmed by all the planning a trip takes these days. I'm trying to help, but I think I may have already dumped too much info too fast on them.

I hadn't thought about avoiding parades; I had thought to warn them already about nearby fireworks and Fantasmic being too much. They've already decided to generally skip characters, and plan very short days in the parks for this child since there will be 4 adults on the vacation who can help.

 

[gap2368]

if the child really want to see fantastic and they have two show that night the second one is a lot less crowded I had maybe 20 people sitting in my section there was so much room for me no one in front of me beside me or behind me no I was not in the middle but off to one side and this was right after the 4th of july so the park were crowded

you may also want to send them the link to the guess with cognitive disability sooner so that they will have some idea of what disney offers as this could really change what they think they can do and let them know about the wheel chair tag. this is just me but I was so relived know disney would accommodate my disability that instead of just going for 6 day I got a years pass