PTSD and DAS

[amyamya]

What advice were you given for fireworks and shows? We didn’t even try fireworks but I felt bad the kids missed out.

Our last trip to DL there was a combat vet watching Fantasmic with his family and having terrible PTSD. We were sitting in a roped off area on some stairs because a CM let us sit away from the crowd when he saw my son struggling. That same CM let this family sit with us to give the poor guy some space. It was heartbreaking to see. You can always inquire if such space is available.

 

[Darth Insidious]

Our last trip to DL there was a combat vet watching Fantasmic with his family and having terrible PTSD. We were sitting in a roped off area on some stairs because a CM let us sit away from the crowd when he saw my son struggling. That same CM let this family sit with us to give the poor guy some space. It was heartbreaking to see. You can always inquire if such space is available.

Thank you.

Thankfully, the fireworks themselves don’t bother him. It’s the crowds. He hates feeling trapped or packed in with a bunch of people.

We might try a dessert party to get him away from the crowd but still see the fireworks. Haven’t seen anything similar for the parades though. I saw the lunch packages with reserved parade viewing but reviews said they remove the ropes before the parade and everyone crams in, so I don’t think that would help.

To be fair, I don’t think he cares about the parade but he’d like to watch the kids enjoy it.

We did ask to sit in the back row on the aisle at Fantasmic and Indiana Jones and they allowed that.

 

[ttintagel]

He will be able to get a DAS and hopefully it makes your trip much more enjoyable. My wife has a TBI and PTSD from Iraq and they gave her one easily this time. This is the first time we even bothered to ask. After all of our return times we scanned in and proceeded in. I don't think we ever stopped moving until the very end when boarding and it was for a minute. Being able to wait outside of the lines and crowds is a godsend, especially because Disney is 100% back to packing everyone in. Several rides this last week I was greeted with the familiar fill all available space line.

My wife got a dirty look with our youngest once or twice but those people can suck it. Oddly, nobody blinked an eye when I was there. Maybe I give off more of a "get punched in the mouth" vibe

It’s not particularly helpful to say “Yes, you will absolutely be given this accommodation” or “No, you will absolutely not be given this accommodation,” because no matter what happened in your situation you cannot guarantee that the same thing will happen for the asker. I say this as a person who headed to WDW for the first time as an adult with disabilities assured that I would be given specific accommodations, only to get there and have the situation turn out differently. I had no Plan B in place and enjoyed the trip a lot less than I should have because I had to scramble around figuring things out on the fly.

 

[gap2368]

Thank you.

Thankfully, the fireworks themselves don’t bother him. It’s the crowds. He hates feeling trapped or packed in with a bunch of people.

We might try a dessert party to get him away from the crowd but still see the fireworks. Haven’t seen anything similar for the parades though. I saw the lunch packages with reserved parade viewing but reviews said they remove the ropes before the parade and everyone crams in, so I don’t think that would help.

To be fair, I don’t think he cares about the parade but he’d like to watch the kids enjoy it.

We did ask to sit in the back row on the aisle at Fantasmic and Indiana Jones and they allowed that.

I found the desserts area almost too crowded for me. There is a disability area that is less crowded but your need to get there early

 

[SueM in MN]

I found the desserts area almost too crowded for me. There is a disability area that is less crowded but your need to get there early

Depending on the day, the disability area can be very crowded.

 

[SueM in MN]

Thank you.

Thankfully, the fireworks themselves don’t bother him. It’s the crowds. He hates feeling trapped or packed in with a bunch of people.

We might try a dessert party to get him away from the crowd but still see the fireworks. Haven’t seen anything similar for the parades though. I saw the lunch packages with reserved parade viewing but reviews said they remove the ropes before the parade and everyone crams in, so I don’t think that would help.

To be fair, I don’t think he cares about the parade but he’d like to watch the kids enjoy it.

We did ask to sit in the back row on the aisle at Fantasmic and Indiana Jones and they allowed that.

For theaters and shows, the last row is usually reserved for people using mobility devices with empty wheelchair/ECV spots interspersed with companion seats. So, not a lot of seating.
For outdoor theaters like Indiana Jones, Beauty & the Beast, guests exit the same way they came in. For indoor theaters, the exit is almost always on the other side of the theater from where guests entered. The doors guests use to come in are marked inside the theater with Exit sign, but exiting there puts you where guests are waiting for the next show.
To be close to the exit, choose a row and continue all the way to the end of the row.