Sensory

[RunningRD]

My family of 5 visited DW in February for the first time. My 9 year old with sensory issues was very overwhelmed by the first two hours.

We want to go back but wondering if there is any good / tricks. We are discussing maybe every other day she and I just stay at the resort & swim .

 

[DL1WDW2]

I recently booked a movie without realizing it was for Families with sensory issues . I’m glad I did this because I learned a lot about life and experiencing a completely different corporate response for family and individuals. It was amazing ( Theatre near the MargaritaVille in Kissimme .Not sure if Disney Springs AMC offers this .
I know the Disney Resorts TV Channel 74 , I think has a nightly display of Happily Ever After and it is repeated from 6:30 to 9:30 I think …
A nice quiet experience to enjoy this incredible show and see Tink flying from the Castle.
I think the Riviera Resort and the BLT Resort have a Childrens Room for craft activiies and playing Disney Board games or watching Disney dvds plus the castmembers are wonderful spending time with children .
Let us know if you are visiting during a specific holiday or staying on property… The Marriot Bonvoy Bonita Springs has the most amazing childrens area I have ever seen !!! Including a childrens library childrens miniature golf and a Pixie Fairy scavenger hunt that is delightful .
And a specific childrens room for downtime that doesn’t feel like a punishment .
I admit I am not familiar with the nightly rates, etc because a friend had a free night reward .
They have an amazing rooftop Bar with great view of Disney fireworks !

 

[sdmjmom]

We've been many times with my now 12 year old who has SPD. We always rent a stroller (from a third party) so she will have safe place to escape to when she gets overstimulated. We pack her noise canceling headphones and her iPad for these moments. When she has had enough of the crowds and noise, she can get into the stroller, pull the canopy down, put on her headphones and have "quiet time."

Making sure she is not overtired is also key, as that worsens her anxiety and shortens her threshold. We take breaks from the park midday to rest, visit a resort, go swimming, etc.

If you try the fireworks, definitely stay out of the crowd and near an exit just in case. My daughter did well with them in MK away from the crowd wearing her headphones, but the next night in EPCOT was a very opposite experience!

Also watching Disney youtube videos together helps her visualize a little what she will be seeing and the things we will be doing.

 

[RunningRD]

I recently booked a movie without realizing it was for Families with sensory issues . I’m glad I did this because I learned a lot about life and experiencing a completely different corporate response for family and individuals. It was amazing ( Theatre near the MargaritaVille in Kissimme .Not sure if Disney Springs AMC offers this .
I know the Disney Resorts TV Channel 74 , I think has a nightly display of Happily Ever After and it is repeated from 6:30 to 9:30 I think …
A nice quiet experience to enjoy this incredible show and see Tink flying from the Castle.
I think the Riviera Resort and the BLT Resort have a Childrens Room for craft activiies and playing Disney Board games or watching Disney dvds plus the castmembers are wonderful spending time with children .
Let us know if you are visiting during a specific holiday or staying on property… The Marriot Bonvoy Bonita Springs has the most amazing childrens area I have ever seen !!! Including a childrens library childrens miniature golf and a Pixie Fairy scavenger hunt that is delightful .
And a specific childrens room for downtime that doesn’t feel like a punishment .
I admit I am not familiar with the nightly rates, etc because a friend had a free night reward .
They have an amazing rooftop Bar with great view of Disney fireworks !

Very helpful info thank you !

 

[RunningRD]

We've been many times with my now 12 year old who has SPD. We always rent a stroller (from a third party) so she will have safe place to escape to when she gets overstimulated. We pack her noise canceling headphones and her iPad for these moments. When she has had enough of the crowds and noise, she can get into the stroller, pull the canopy down, put on her headphones and have "quiet time."

Making sure she is not overtired is also key, as that worsens her anxiety and shortens her threshold. We take breaks from the park midday to rest, visit a resort, go swimming, etc.

If you try the fireworks, definitely stay out of the crowd and near an exit just in case. My daughter did well with them in MK away from the crowd wearing her headphones, but the next night in EPCOT was a very opposite experience!

Also watching Disney youtube videos together helps her visualize a little what she will be seeing and the things we will be doing.

Thank you ! Have you stayed at a resort you prefer.

 

[tetera]

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[Keladry84]

First a disclaimer - I don't have kids, so I can't answer specifically how to help someone else, especially a 9 year old. However, I do experience sensory overload so I'd like to share some of things that I do to help myself (with the caveat that sensory overload is a spectrum, different things will be triggers for different people, and each person has their own tolerance of individual things as well as their own strategies that help them).

- I try to limit the amount information I have to process at once. I wear ear plugs most of the day, have a baseball cap that I pull down low, walk/sit/stand in the shade when possible. I try to zig when others zag, avoid crowded areas. I choose seats that give me a buffer from sensory impact, usually in a corner/on the edge, away from TVs/loudspeakers, and with less movement or chaos around me. Eating off-crowd time helps too. Getting to the parks early, and then doing things just before close also helps to be at attractions with less crowds.

- I plan around my limitations. I know I will need breaks. I pause between activities and rides looking for a quiet place to sit to de-compress. I know I'll have to leave the park right around lunch and zonk out in my hotel room for a few hours before coming back in the evening (and sometime not being able to return). I plan where I stay with this in mind, and pay more for lodging that will be quiet and give me that space. I know I have to initiate the pause and the break before I think I'll need it because if I don't it's complete breakdown and much harder to recover.

- I use DAS. This is a lifesaver because it helps me limit that overall input and gives me the opportunity to pause. I don't try to do other attractions while waiting in line, even though Disney says you can. That would stack too much for me. I look for quiet places to rest, or grab a bite to eat for more fuel. Sometimes I end up returning way past my return time because I needed that space before I was in a place to be able to actually enjoy the ride.

- I watch point-of-view videos of rides/attractions before I even go to the park. This helps me completely avoid something that I know will be problematic and most likely a day-ender. Once max overload hits there's not really anything that I can do about it besides leave, go to a quiet place and completely re-set.

Sensory overload can be very exhausting because of the amount of energy and effort it takes to sort through and process all of that information coming in. When I was younger (and still today), I also had a lot of difficulty to monitor my own energy, emotions, and mood throughout all of that and was not able to recognize when I needed to pause/take a break or have strategies to manage it. There was always things I wanted to do but didn't have the self-awareness to know that either I couldn't or needed a strategy to help me do it. This can be really frustrating as a kid. Having a good plan to help your daughter manage the input, expectations, and the need to break can go a long way. Also listening to her and her needs is important - I have family that still don't understand sensory overload and keep trying to push more and more and get mad at me when I initiate a stop or a break. I also think at that age letting her have some control over what you do in the park and where you go/when can help as well. She'll most likely naturally navigate towards those areas that are less overload and more enjoyable for her.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

My family of 5 visited DW in February for the first time. My 9 year old with sensory issues was very overwhelmed by the first two hours.

We want to go back but wondering if there is any good / tricks. We are discussing maybe every other day she and I just stay at the resort & swim .

dumb question but did you try for the DAS pass for your daughter? also would noise canceling headphones help her?

 

[eticketplease]

I recently booked a movie without realizing it was for Families with sensory issues . I’m glad I did this because I learned a lot about life and experiencing a completely different corporate response for family and individuals. It was amazing ( Theatre near the MargaritaVille in Kissimme .Not sure if Disney Springs AMC offers this .

Our Regal used to do this and it was great. Unfortunately we no longer have a Regal nearby but I'm sure other chains do it but in our experience they all seemed to be before the normal times started which also helped to not overwhelm people either.

 

[pindecisive]

I was a child with sensory issues and to be quite honest I absolutely hated when my mother dragged me to concerts or events with her. I only struggled at DL a little as a teenager, but for many years after I wore ear plugs to every crowd based gathering I attended.

I think one of the biggest mistakes parents make is to try and force kids with sensory issues to participate, when they would just prefer to be left alone and not attend. I think signing her up for a kids club where she can swim or read alone would be a great option.

 

[RunningRD]

I was a child with sensory issues and to be quite honest I absolutely hated when my mother dragged me to concerts or events with her. I only struggled at DL a little as a teenager, but for many years after I wore ear plugs to every crowd based gathering I attended.

I think one of the biggest mistakes parents make is to try and force kids with sensory issues to participate, when they would just prefer to be left alone and not attend. I think signing her up for a kids club where she can swim or read alone would be a great option.

Is there kids club at the resorts

 

[mamabunny]

Is there kids club at the resorts

I know that AKL/Jambo House still has an active Kids Club; we were able to peek in the door this past September, and it looked like they were having a blast. Kids Clubs at Disney tend to have arts & crafts for the kiddos to do; I do not believe there is any supervised swimming or other outdoor activities - the children remain in the Kids Club room.

Wilderness Lodge and Poly no longer have Kids Clubs; not sure about any of the other Deluxe Resort Hotels.

Values & Moderates do not have Kids Clubs either.

 

[lanejudy]

I know that AKL/Jambo House still has an active Kids Club

The old supervised childcare programs at WDW resorts no longer exist so I assume this is the Community Hall that is available at some DVC resorts. I don’t know much about the Community Halls but I believe they are open to all ages, not just children. While the link doesn’t specify, I don’t believe that it is intended to be “childcare” per se. I believe it’s more “come and go as you please” without expectation of the secure supervision one would have with a childcare program.

Is there kids club at the resorts

Not really anymore, though I have read reports that Camp Dolphin may still be operating. WDW closed all of their childcare options several years ago except activities like noted above. There is Kids Nite Out which is in-room babysitting you can arrange.

 

[eticketplease]

The old supervised childcare programs at WDW resorts no longer exist so I assume this is the Community Hall that is available at some DVC resorts. I don’t know much about the Community Halls but I believe they are open to all ages, not just children. While the link doesn’t specify, I don’t believe that it is intended to be “childcare” per se. I believe it’s more “come and go as you please” without expectation of the secure supervision one would have with a childcare program

Correct Community Hall is for anyone.
They have cast members staffing it but it states 12 and under are to accompanied with an adult. These generally are only crowded if it is raining. They can become loud but for the most DS enjoys being able to color and do crafts here.

 

[RunningRD]

I know that AKL/Jambo House still has an active Kids Club; we were able to peek in the door this past September, and it looked like they were having a blast. Kids Clubs at Disney tend to have arts & crafts for the kiddos to do; I do not believe there is any supervised swimming or other outdoor activities - the children remain in the Kids Club room.

Wilderness Lodge and Poly no longer have Kids Clubs; not sure about any of the other Deluxe Resort Hotels.

Values & Moderates do not have Kids Clubs either.

Good info thank you .