Sensory overload at Disney - can it improve with age?

[UnderneathAMagicMoon]

I recently visited Disney with my in-laws and some cousins for my son's 3rd birthday. At this point I suspect he has some sensory processing issues, although we won't be able to see his pediatrician for another couple of weeks. He completely melted down at the parks, within a few minutes of being there. I was prepared for short days, limited rides, nap times, etc., but I didn't anticipate him just screaming his head off within about 15 minutes of being in the parks. The rides terrified him, the crowds made him agitated, and he didn’t seem to “get” the idea of meeting characters, like why that would be a fun thing. He would beg to go back to the hotel room and the pool and didn't seem to enjoy the parks at all. Even worse, the level of overstimulation seemed to actually make his sensory issues worse - it can be hard to get him to eat at home, for example, I assume because he's not in tune with his hunger cues, but at the parks it was as if he was on a hunger strike. He absolutely would not touch food there. Usually I can comfort him with a hug but at MK, he would scream if anyone touched him. I feel like I plunged him into total dysregulation. The only thing that appealed to him at all were the various forms of park transportation (monorail, buses, Skyliner, steamboat) because he does love vehicles.

So my question is this - it's been almost a lifelong dream for me to visit Disney with my child and enjoy the parks together. Disney World is such a special thing to me and I really hope it's something we can share in the future. If we can't, then we can't, his needs come first, obviously - but I'm wondering if anyone's child has been in a similar place and then grown out of it? If you experienced sensory meltdowns at the parks, did it get better, worse, or stay the same over time?

 

[Betty Rohrer]

I recently visited Disney with my in-laws and some cousins for my son's 3rd birthday. At this point I suspect he has some sensory processing issues, although we won't be able to see his pediatrician for another couple of weeks. He completely melted down at the parks, within a few minutes of being there. I was prepared for short days, limited rides, nap times, etc., but I didn't anticipate him just screaming his head off within about 15 minutes of being in the parks. The rides terrified him, the crowds made him agitated, and he didn’t seem to “get” the idea of meeting characters, like why that would be a fun thing. He would beg to go back to the hotel room and the pool and didn't seem to enjoy the parks at all. Even worse, the level of overstimulation seemed to actually make his sensory issues worse - it can be hard to get him to eat at home, for example, I assume because he's not in tune with his hunger cues, but at the parks it was as if he was on a hunger strike. He absolutely would not touch food there. Usually I can comfort him with a hug but at MK, he would scream if anyone touched him. I feel like I plunged him into total dysregulation. The only thing that appealed to him at all were the various forms of park transportation (monorail, buses, Skyliner, steamboat) because he does love vehicles.

So my question is this - it's been almost a lifelong dream for me to visit Disney with my child and enjoy the parks together. Disney World is such a special thing to me and I really hope it's something we can share in the future. If we can't, then we can't, his needs come first, obviously - but I'm wondering if anyone's child has been in a similar place and then grown out of it? If you experienced sensory meltdowns at the parks, did it get better, worse, or stay the same over time?

can not help with the sensory problems but a lot of what you talked about can happen with "normal" kids that age. not long ago a thread about child not wanting to leave pool for park. age does seem to help with this. my grandson who was one at age 5 did not want to leave pool but now at 13 loves all theme parks and all the rides. as I say no idea with those with special needs

 

[DLgal]

Yes, they can get better. I have one of these kids and he's 16 now and Disneyland is his absolute favorite place in the world. It took a LOT of visits to get him acclimated, he still uses ear defenders and earplugs to deal with the loud rides and impromptu live performances (bands, singers, cavalcades). He never liked meeting the characters except for Mickey because he likes giving hugs and Mickey is his absolute favorite. Foods have always been tricky but he can get his old reliables at the parks (plain burgers, chicken nuggets and pizza). We had MANY meltdowns at WDW on our first trip there (Disneyland is our home park). Like your son, the transportation was the best stuff. We used a DAS and still do to this day.

Your child will improve with therapy and a lot of strategies and tools to help regulate him. You will have to plan your trips around lower crowd times, mild weather, and be ready to spend a couple hours in the parks and MOST of your time back at the hotel. These kids need a lot of down time to regulate themselves.

Hugs. I know how disheartening a trip like this can be. I've been the mom crying on the boat back to Wilderness Lodge while her kid was screaming his head off from a meltdown that had started an hour prior at lunch in MK when a bottle of water spilled on him by accident. It sucks. It's so hard. But there IS hope. My son now wants to one day work at Disneyland. And he has been on every ride in the parks. Space Mountain is his favorite. And he is afraid of the dark!

Hang in there. And definitely get your child properly evaluated and set up with therapy.

 

[UnderneathAMagicMoon]

can not help with the sensory problems but a lot of what you talked about can happen with "normal" kids that age. not long ago a thread about child not wanting to leave pool for park. age does seem to help with this. my grandson who was one at age 5 did not want to leave pool but now at 13 loves all theme parks and all the rides. as I say no idea with those with special needs

Glad to hear your grandson warmed to rides as he got older!

It’s funny because I found myself in “compare and despair” mode in the parks and I felt like all I saw were toddlers enjoying the food, hugging the characters, and having a great time. My husband was like “Didn’t you see the 800 kids having meltdowns?” but I was kinda in Mom Anxiety Tunnel Vision mode and I honestly didn’t notice those kids at all!

 

[UnderneathAMagicMoon]

Yes, they can get better. I have one of these kids and he's 16 now and Disneyland is his absolute favorite place in the world. It took a LOT of visits to get him acclimated, he still uses ear defenders and earplugs to deal with the loud rides and impromptu live performances (bands, singers, cavalcades). He never liked meeting the characters except for Mickey because he likes giving hugs and Mickey is his absolute favorite. Foods have always been tricky but he can get his old reliables at the parks (plain burgers, chicken nuggets and pizza). We had MANY meltdowns at WDW on our first trip there (Disneyland is our home park). Like your son, the transportation was the best stuff. We used a DAS and still do to this day.

Your child will improve with therapy and a lot of strategies and tools to help regulate him. You will have to plan your trips around lower crowd times, mild weather, and be ready to spend a couple hours in the parks and MOST of your time back at the hotel. These kids need a lot of down time to regulate themselves.

Hugs. I know how disheartening a trip like this can be. I've been the mom crying on the boat back to Wilderness Lodge while her kid was screaming his head off from a meltdown that had started an hour prior at lunch in MK when a bottle of water spilled on him by accident. It sucks. It's so hard. But there IS hope. My son now wants to one day work at Disneyland. And he has been on every ride in the parks. Space Mountain is his favorite. And he is afraid of the dark!

Hang in there. And definitely get your child properly evaluated and set up with therapy.

Thank you!! I’m really glad to hear about your son.

In some ways this trip was a good thing because it finally made me get past my nagging doubts and contact my pediatrician about my concerns. I kept doing the “Oh, just give it another month, he’ll grow out of it!” thing even as some part of me kinda knew this might be denial and causing us to delay that critical early intervention. I think seeing how hard “the most magical place on Earth” was for him finally convinced me to make the call… and now, honestly, I’m looking forward to hopefully getting some guidance from an OT. And still hoping we’ll be back when he’s older, sensory strategies in hand!

 

[shosh1530]

My child has sensory processing issues and we had pretty disastrous first visits to Legoland (age 4) and Disneyland (age 5). He was very overwhelmed by most rides (particularly the dark rides) and characters. At Legoland we basically spent a few hundred dollars for him to play at the splash pad. At DL the only things he said he like was the pizza and getting to buy a toy.

Thankfully it has gotten easier over time. We did Legoland again at age 7 and with their version of a DAS pass, staying on site, and much research we had a great visit (until the part where we had to leave). Him being older and having done different therapies helped a lot too.

We've also done 4 visits to DL in the last 2 years (age 9, 10, 11) and they seem to get easier each time we go. In his case, having the DAS pass to reduce ride wait times, staying on site/close by with frequent breaks, lots more research and managing my own expectations have all helped.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Glad to hear your grandson warmed to rides as he got older!

It’s funny because I found myself in “compare and despair” mode in the parks and I felt like all I saw were toddlers enjoying the food, hugging the characters, and having a great time. My husband was like “Didn’t you see the 800 kids having meltdowns?” but I was kinda in Mom Anxiety Tunnel Vision mode and I honestly didn’t notice those kids at all!

we all kind of see what we want to see in the parks. you wanted your child to love what you love and it did not happen so you only saw the kids having fun that you wanted for your child. happens all the time. bet he is your only one so far and I am in double digits counting kids and grandkids. you learn to see things differently as the numbers grow. I have had some special needs in the group but not what you suspect with your child. hopefully things improve so you guys can enjoy the parks even if different from what you had hoped for

 

[Lilsia]

Yes, they can get better or it is possible that they don't and WDW is just someplace that they can not go. My niece is a very high functioning autistic. She plays sports, drives, hugs us, etc, but WDW is just too over stimulating for her. The crowds, lines, noise from everywhere, etc is too much for some people to handle. I completely understand your disappointment. We all go into parenting with what we want our lives to be like, but reality is that rarely happens how we envisioned it. Since your child is still very young, I am sure that your doctor will send him to a specialist and get you into a program that can help him cope better.

 

[UnderneathAMagicMoon]

My child has sensory processing issues and we had pretty disastrous first visits to Legoland (age 4) and Disneyland (age 5). He was very overwhelmed by most rides (particularly the dark rides) and characters. At Legoland we basically spent a few hundred dollars for him to play at the splash pad. At DL the only things he said he like was the pizza and getting to buy a toy.

Thankfully it has gotten easier over time. We did Legoland again at age 7 and with their version of a DAS pass, staying on site, and much research we had a great visit (until the part where we had to leave). Him being older and having done different therapies helped a lot too.

We've also done 4 visits to DL in the last 2 years (age 9, 10, 11) and they seem to get easier each time we go. In his case, having the DAS pass to reduce ride wait times, staying on site/close by with frequent breaks, lots more research and managing my own expectations have all helped.

I’m glad to hear that - I’ve read that sensory issues tend to improve with age and even more so with therapy, so I’m hopeful!

 

[UnderneathAMagicMoon]

we all kind of see what we want to see in the parks. you wanted your child to love what you love and it did not happen so you only saw the kids having fun that you wanted for your child. happens all the time. bet he is your only one so far and I am in double digits counting kids and grandkids. you learn to see things differently as the numbers grow. I have had some special needs in the group but not what you suspect with your child. hopefully things improve so you guys can enjoy the parks even if different from what you had hoped for

You are spot on, he is our first and only child! Trying to be a little more laid back but sometimes I have selective laser vision only for the kids who are hitting the milestones that he is not getting (yet). The Disney Junior Dance party at Hollywood Studios was particularly brutal - it seemed like everyone in the preschool set loved the characters and the music and could happily follow directions while my little guy was screaming his head off with his dad outside (I went to help with my young nephews). I have to remind myself that of course the kids who didn’t want to be there were also outside or elsewhere, like my son.

 

[UnderneathAMagicMoon]

Yes, they can get better or it is possible that they don't and WDW is just someplace that they can not go. My niece is a very high functioning autistic. She plays sports, drives, hugs us, etc, but WDW is just too over stimulating for her. The crowds, lines, noise from everywhere, etc is too much for some people to handle. I completely understand your disappointment. We all go into parenting with what we want our lives to be like, but reality is that rarely happens how we envisioned it. Since your child is still very young, I am sure that your doctor will send him to a specialist and get you into a program that can help him cope better.

Thank you! I think my expectations were skewed because I have a nephew with high functioning autism, but Disney probably qualifies as one of his “special interests”, so he could stay in the parks all day every day! I was kinda thinking “Oh well, if he can handle it, my son can,” but found that of course every child is different. I’m hopeful that therapies can help my little guy.

 

[mamabunny]

I’m glad to hear that - I’ve read that sensory issues tend to improve with age and even more so with therapy, so I’m hopeful!

Take a deep breath. It may be difficult, but I promise, we will get through this next part, together.

Ready?

There is no such thing as a ”perfect” Disney trip.
What I mean is this: We *all* - no matter how many times we have gone - tend to have this fantasy that we will arrive at WDW, and somehow every thing will be perfect, every day of our stay, and every interaction will be magical with every human (and every character) that we see. When it’s time to take the perfect picture, no other Guests will block the shot. The food will look *better* than the menu pictures, the rides will be better and longer - and with no lines! The sky will be bluer… The air will be brighter! Oh. Wait. That’s not reality.

That’s a Disney TV commercial.

We tend to forget between trips that last time we had that churro that was just all kinds of wrong, and that the Country Bears broke down halfway through, leaving you with a terrible ear worm for hours. We don’t remember that Starbucks ran out of nitro cold brew, *and* there were no cupcakes, either. And we forgot about all the Guests who were horrible, the buses that were late, and the CMs who were less than magical. Our memories betray us when we are planning for our next trip.

So, your very first strategy is to stop stressing out about the “perfect” trip - because it can’t ever happen. Yes, it might look like that family over there was having a “perfect” Disney moment, but you don’t know their reality - and it’s *your* family’s reality we are focusing on.

°O° °o° °o° °o° °O° °o° °o° °o° °O°

You will begin to find the strategies that work best for your child, and your family.

What worked for my (now adult) kiddo may be super helpful to someone else… or they may only find that certain bits and pieces of our usual methods are helpful. That’s OK. We had to piece together strategies as we saw what helped, what worked and what did not.

I think it’s our friend here, @Disney Oma, who regularly reminds us that when trying to plan for our next trip, we can “try out” new things at local places that can have a similar vibe to Disney - like the zoo, or the county fair, etc. It’s really great advice, and a lot of people have benefitted from it.

I know how overwhelming this is for you; I went through something very similar with our daughter. Today WDW is literally her favorite place in the world; it is the only place she wants to visit, to vacation. We spend many happy hours there every year.

Find your strategies. Loop in your medical team. Work with, and learn from everyone you can. Create your own plan. And remember that it is entirely possible that he can, and will grow to love Disney World every bit as much as you do!

And, welcome! I hope you find a happy home here with all of us!

 

[UnderneathAMagicMoon]

Take a deep breath. It may be difficult, but I promise, we will get through this next part, together.

Ready?

There is no such thing as a ”perfect” Disney trip.
What I mean is this: We *all* - no matter how many times we have gone - tend to have this fantasy that we will arrive at WDW, and somehow every thing will be perfect, every day of our stay, and every interaction will be magical with every human (and every character) that we see. When it’s time to take the perfect picture, no other Guests will block the shot. The food will look *better* than the menu pictures, the rides will be better and longer - and with no lines! The sky will be bluer… The air will be brighter! Oh. Wait. That’s not reality.

That’s a Disney TV commercial.

We tend to forget between trips that last time we had that churro that was just all kinds of wrong, and that the Country Bears broke down halfway through, leaving you with a terrible ear worm for hours. We don’t remember that Starbucks ran out of nitro cold brew, *and* there were no cupcakes, either. And we forgot about all the Guests who were horrible, the buses that were late, and the CMs who were less than magical. Our memories betray us when we are planning for our next trip.

So, your very first strategy is to stop stressing out about the “perfect” trip - because it can’t ever happen. Yes, it might look like that family over there was having a “perfect” Disney moment, but you don’t know their reality - and it’s *your* family’s reality we are focusing on.

°O° °o° °o° °o° °O° °o° °o° °o° °O°

You will begin to find the strategies that work best for your child, and your family.

What worked for my (now adult) kiddo may be super helpful to someone else… or they may only find that certain bits and pieces of our usual methods are helpful. That’s OK. We had to piece together strategies as we saw what helped, what worked and what did not.

I think it’s our friend here, @Disney Oma, who regularly reminds us that when trying to plan for our next trip, we can “try out” new things at local places that can have a similar vibe to Disney - like the zoo, or the county fair, etc. It’s really great advice, and a lot of people have benefitted from it.

I know how overwhelming this is for you; I went through something very similar with our daughter. Today WDW is literally her favorite place in the world; it is the only place she wants to visit, to vacation. We spend many happy hours there every year.

Find your strategies. Loop in your medical team. Work with, and learn from everyone you can. Create your own plan. And remember that it is entirely possible that he can, and will grow to love Disney World every bit as much as you do!

And, welcome! I hope you find a happy home here with all of us!

Thank you so much, I really appreciate it! I think having a first Disney trip - which is an emotionally loaded milestone for me - combined with a milestone birthday (3 marks the entry into “preschool age”) - just exacerbated so many worries about my son’s future and development. My in-laws were super generous and kind in paying for this trip for their grandkids and I think that pressure was a factor too - we wanted to show up at the parks, at the character meals, and so on with the rest of the family because we didn’t want to disappoint them when they’d been so sweet in inviting us, but it just caused more meltdowns.

Now that I have some distance from the trip I’m able to remember some of the good moments a little bit - riding the steamboat several times was actually a nice experience and a nostalgic throwback to the 1980s Disney I remember from my childhood. My son actually liked staying in a hotel, which is in and of itself a huge step. He still plays “monorail” with his toys. So there was some good stuff. I’m glad to hear that your daughter warmed to the parks over time! I’m feeling more hopeful that with some appropriate therapies and new strategies we might get there too.

 

[RogueX]

My daughter doesn't have any sensory issues, but on her first trip to Disney when she was 4 years old, the first few hours she scowled. The pictures in front of the castle, she looked like grumpy cat. Near Tigger and Pooh, she gave them the cold shoulder. Eventually she got used to the environment and the smile and laughter came.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

My daughter doesn't have any sensory issues, but on her first trip to Disney when she was 4 years old, the first few hours she scowled. The pictures in front of the castle, she looked like grumpy cat. Near Tigger and Pooh, she gave them the cold shoulder. Eventually she got used to the environment and the smile and laughter came.

your daughter sounds like one of my grandkids at that age. all he wanted to do at 4 was the hotel pool. now as a tall 13 year old he cant get enough of any theme park not just Disney

 

[tetera]

.

 

[UnderneathAMagicMoon]

My daughter doesn't have any sensory issues, but on her first trip to Disney when she was 4 years old, the first few hours she scowled. The pictures in front of the castle, she looked like grumpy cat. Near Tigger and Pooh, she gave them the cold shoulder. Eventually she got used to the environment and the smile and laughter came.

That must have made for some memorable photos!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

That must have made for some memorable photos!

with my one grandson it took him aging about 5 years for him to start loving any theme park for its self even though he became a ride lover a couple of years ahead of that

 

[UnderneathAMagicMoon]

Two of my kids have SPD and for the most part they both have complete opposite sensory issues. With my older one (who is now a teenager) there was a complete meltdown almost just after entering Epcot when he was close to your son's age. I have hardly any memories of that trip besides the meltdown and getting one of those bubble blower toys for him that kept breaking and leaking and getting it replaced multiple times throughout the day. (We also had a separate pre-DAS issue of having to leave Epcot due to a meltdown in the Living with the Land queue of all places but IIRC that was actually several years later.)

Now both of them love WDW (the older one even wants to be an Imagineer) and we are able to go to several times a year - we don't always go to the parks on every visit, (and when we do we rarely do more than one park per trip); we switched from staying at other resorts to staying at a cabin at Fort Wilderness, which my kids have said makes all the difference - we can now rope drop, stay at the park for about 6 hours, come back to the cabin for a few hours and have a nice, calm relaxing lunch, then go back to the park until it closes. (On the most recent trip the kids didn't even end up using earmuffs!)

Being able to have that "sensory break" for a few hours in the middle of the day in a place like FW (vs the noise of other resorts or even just hearing people coming/going, opening/closing doors in the hallway at hotels) has changed our trips immensely - like I said, we don't even go to the parks on every trip because the kids enjoy doing stuff at the Fort so much. (But they do still love the parks!)

One of my kids is a big fan of the transportation, too, so we often fit in a "resort hopping day" where we try to take all of the modes of transportation around and visit different resorts.

I’m glad your family had success with the parks over time! I was super bummed after returning from our trip but after hearing some success stories, I find myself feeling positive about setting “small goals” for Disney. While we’re awaiting evaluation I have all these worries flooding my head… is this a sensory processing issue only or another neurodevelopmental difference (so many of the symptoms overlap… ADHD, ASD, NVLD, etc.)? Will my son reach his full potential in life? Make friends? Get bullied? Be happy? Being in the early stages is nerve wracking. It makes me feel better to think about smaller, hopefully achievable goals for Disney that make me truly happy to envision. My son choosing a treat at MK that he actually enjoys (I always pictured myself wagging a finger and saying “no” to ice cream and cookies as a parent, little did I know I’d one day be thrilled if my son would get excited about any new food that wasn’t the exact flavor and brand he’d learned to accept.) Having fun on a ride… even if it’s literally just one. Maybe just people watching or choosing a toy at a store. I’m starting to feel hopeful that those would be doable after some OT and it’s really a positive focal point. Also love the idea of Wilderness Lodge… my in-laws always do the conference rates which limits them pretty much to GF and Contemporary, so I hadn’t thought much about other resorts. A quiet cabin sounds awesome!

 

[UnderneathAMagicMoon]

with my one grandson it took him aging about 5 years for him to start loving any theme park for its self even though he became a ride lover a couple of years ahead of that

I’m glad he got there! Hoping my son will start to see the appeal once the sensory element isn’t as overwhelming. This is really something I hope we can share!