Parents Allowed in Kids Club (Special Needs)

[lovewdwfun]

I was so excited to book a cruise, but I have heard different things about whether parents are allowed in the kids club and I am getting very nervous.

We would be cruising with DD2, DS5, DD 8, and DS10. DS5 has Down syndrome. He may not be potty trained by then and almost definitely won't be accident-Free. He requires a 1:1 aide watching him in school. My hope was I could take him and my DD2 to the kids area to hang out with the big kids. Sounds like we cannot take DD in, right? Would I be able to stay with him? Without supervision, I am worried he could fall off the play area, bite another child, etc. He would be fine if I were there, but he needs someone to watch him.

If the whole kids club is a no go, what can we even do as a family? I am worried we will have nothing to do for 3-4 days at sea. Something like Disney trivia will not keep his interest; he needs to run around and explore. Movies are questionable - this would be a year from now, but at the moment, he is a big talker during movies and likes to label everything, which would be distracting for everyone else.

Thoughts?

 

[iivye]

You won't be able to be in there when there is closed programming (kids only) but there are always open house times where you can be in there with your family.

I also don't think your son will be able to go by himself if he is not potty trained but hopefully others with more relevant experience will chime in.

 

[samily]

There is a past kids club cast member here on the boards that hopefully will see your question and be able to give you the answers on how they handle special needs in the clubs, but I will tell you that they do have open house times everyday where anyone of any age is welcome to come in and play. It is not secured programming at this time and anyone can come and go but it is a great time for parents and kids of any age to come in and play together.

 

[hpsalb]

Open House is going to be your best bet. That way you can take everyone and keep any eye on them. The disclaimer for the clubs indicates that they are not able to provide 1:1 support and I know parents cannot remain in the clubs for more than a few minutes during secure programming. We found that they are now offering more open house times than in years past, which worked well for us as our youngest is not old enough (nor PT), but really needs to move around.

There are lots of other activities offered that might be a good fit for all of you guys. Keep in mind that if he is not potty trained by the time of your cruise, he will not be allowed in the pools onboard though.

 

[lovewdwfun]

Thanks - as long as we have a couple hours of open house time each day, I think that will be all he really needs. He also would not be likely to need diaper changes - he has only had to be changed once or twice in two years of preschool and we would be available to change it if they called. It's difficult planning a year and a half out because I really don't know where he will be at developmentally.

 

[deanimal]

Which ship are you going on? When we took our 2 year old son on the Dream he loved the big water play area near the pools. It's sort of enclosed so it's out of the wind and the water temps are quite warm. There are all kinds of sprayers and fountains and a slide with soft cushy floors. I would imagine the Fantasy's would be similar. The Wonder didn't have anything like that, just a tiny play area near the pools but that was before the last dry dock. If he needs to run off energy the sports decks are usually quiet in the mornings and you could bring some inflatable balls to bounce around. There are also foosball and ping pong tables and our family found that it was a fun place to play together, even when the kids were too young to really know the rules.

 

[DLgal]

Open house will be your best bet. If you will be on the Dream or Fantasy, there is also mini golf. There is shuffleboard on deck (my 5 year old loved playing that because it's super easy to just push the pucks around), or you can just walk around the outside deck to burn some energy. The Dream/Fantasy also have Nemo's reef play area on the pool deck, which is pretty large and doesn't require being fully potty trained. The Fantasy also has the larger, outdoor Donald Duck themed water play area with dump buckets and water guns, etc.

You can also watch lots of Disney movies on demand in your room (Dream and Fantasy).

 

[wilkeliza]

You will be able to take the whole crew for open house. Open house is happening more and more so I wouldn't be worried. Since it is a year out hopefully he won't need a 1:1 by the time your cruise comes but I know it is hard to plan for anything other then how he is right now.

If he is potty trained but not fully he can wear a pull up but they can not change it. You can discuss with special services if he would be allowed in and you come back and check on him and take him to the potty every hour. That is an accommodation I know has been tried when children have potty issues due to disabilities. Now the biting, hitting, falling would be harder. Only one side has a slide/play area but the only time they prevent the kids from going to one side or the other is when one club has open house and the other does not. If you want to try him on his own for a short period go ahead and give it a shot. Talk to the staff about concerns and the lock on his club band will most likely be a red lock because those give the CMs working a visual queue to check the child's file for any known assistance offerings.

 

[JW9DVC]

Thanks - as long as we have a couple hours of open house time each day, I think that will be all he really needs. He also would not be likely to need diaper changes - he has only had to be changed once or twice in two years of preschool and we would be available to change it if they called. It's difficult planning a year and a half out because I really don't know where he will be at developmentally.

Yes. Check some recent navigators, posted on various websites from past cruises. The kids clubs have open house in either the club or lab portion so they can still retain secure programming. This seems to be the only viable option for you and the family. I hope you enjoy your time and the cruise!

 

[lanejudy]

Secured programming in the Club/Lab will not allow an adult to accompany a child, even for special needs. DCL also is not equipped to work with children who required direct 1:1 assistance.

Open House was designed with families like your's in mind. You can bring the 5-yr-old (and/or the 2-yr-old) to the designated Open House times, which occur for at least an hour each day in each space (Club and Lab). There may or may not be structured programming planned during that time, or you can just use it as free play. The potty-trained bit doesn't really matter unless you plan to drop him off for secured programming. Technically I believe pull-ups are not allowed, but I've read reports where parents were required to return every 30-60 minutes to check and assist as needed. The Club/Lab staff are not able to assist with toileting, though they will call if a child has an accident.

Since you have lead time before the cruise, I suggest you speak with his teachers and/or therapists who may be able to work with him towards a little more independence. He's still young, but once he is capable of participating in group activities without a direct 1:1, he could attend secure programming at the Club.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[MaleficentUK]

The evening stage shows are available to watch on the TV in your room. You wouldn't have to miss them if you are worried he wanted to talk during the show.
Plenty of other activities to do in the day and if you find you are at an activity that just isn't the fun you are looking for, leave and do something else.

 

[bbel]

Hi, ex YA CM here
I will say I left a few months ago, and while non of this changed in the 3 years I was onboard, potentially everything could have changed since christmas... Also, the ship and itinerary will alter the experiences you will have.
Ok, so I scanned the posts and I think the majority has been covered, but I thought Id try and be helpful and put it all in one post for you and any future parents looking.

First off don't stress, whatever happens you're gonna have a great cruise and everyone in YA will look after you as well as they can.
Pull-ups and Diapers are not allowed in the club or lab at all, UNLESS it is for medical reasons, so yes, your son would be fine in a pull up or diaper, as long as you agree to come and check every 45minutes or so and change as necessary, and there is a family bathroom within the space to do that so you don't have to leave and check out and all that.
As others have said, you wont be allowed in with him other than Open House times, but they do allow 5minutes at a time, so to drop off or come in and check up on.

You say he requires 1:1 at school, but for what kind of things?
I ask, because although Disney will always say they cant provide one to one care, the spaces are split up into rooms, and there is at least one counsellor in every room. Climbing and falling won't be a problem as kids aren't allowed to climb, and the counsellor in that area will stop him from doing so. Any kids that require extra care have their relevant info pinned up backstage so all YA can read up on them and know all they need to know before they even meet him, which means that when he's in the spaces counsellors will be extra away and watching out for him.
My God-daughter has DS and requires 1:1 at school but I know that she would have been fine in the club/lab and would have loved it. She would have given the CM a bit of a chase around too I bet, but she wouldn't have needed as much solo attention.
What kinds of interests does he have? you can get him settled in an activity or room and have a word with the CM if you have any concerns, CMs get 'bumped' out every 30 minutes or so and will pass on any info of the kids in their area if they need to.
They can also put a note at check in to alert the 'roaming' counsellor on the floor that he's in, and they can 'follow' him around as needed and help get him engaged in activities if needed, that CM also has a WP, so can contact you immediately if needed.

I would encourage you to register and get a band. If he ever gets separated from you during the cruise, that band is going to get you reunited than anything else on the ship.
Also go and talk to the counsellors onboard during OH on the first day, they will probably be the only people that will help you make the ultimate decision of if and when you're going to drop off.

Thats everything I can think of right now, but if anyone has any questions Ill be happy to try and answer.

 

[minorthr]

Don't know when you cruise is, but there are groups out there that arrange special needs cruises and offer respite care while on board. We did this in Sept with our son on the dream. Disney provided us with a private muster drill and also a private space since group staff are not allowed in the kids clubs, where the kids could go for a few hours a day so you can have some alone time. During our cruise they arranged a visit to the clubs during open house as well so the kids could go. They also help you out with breakfast lunch and dinner. You can arrange for them to go on excursions with you as well.