touring the parks with PTSD

[SCmom3]

My husband has PTSD. Enclosed spaces full of people are a problem for him. I already know that the stretching room at HM is out of the question. Is it possible to bypass that? We plan to use FP to avoid the queues and the inevitable personal space invasion. Is there anything else I am missing? A day at the zoo can be very stressful for him and I do not want our vacation to be a miserable experience.

 

[stitchlovestink]

My husband has PTSD. Enclosed spaces full of people are a problem for him. I already know that the stretching room at HM is out of the question. Is it possible to bypass that? We plan to use FP to avoid the queues and the inevitable personal space invasion. Is there anything else I am missing? A day at the zoo can be very stressful for him and I do not want our vacation to be a miserable experience.

Yes, I skip the stretching room every time and board at the exit at HM. So it is possible. I anticipate that You will need a GAC to do this though. I highly doubt (with the number of other complaints I have seen on here about people encountering rude/unhelpful CMs at HM...although I have pretty much always had the opposite experience and had helpful CMs there) that they will do any accommodating without a GAC. Besides I think that your DH could benefit greatly from a GAC with all your DH's stressors!! You can go to Guest Services and discuss his situation with them and they can let you know what accommodations can be made to help make his trip more pleasant!! Good Luck!! Feel free to PM me if you have any add'l questions on how I get my help.

 

[SCmom3]

Yes, I skip the stretching room every time and board at the exit at HM. So it is possible. I anticipate that You will need a GAC to do this though. I highly doubt (with the number of other complaints I have seen on here about people encountering rude/unhelpful CMs at HM...although I have pretty much always had the opposite experience and had helpful CMs there) that they will do any accommodating without a GAC. Besides I think that your DH could benefit greatly from a GAC with all your DH's stressors!! You can go to Guest Services and discuss his situation with them and they can let you know what accommodations can be made to help make his trip more pleasant!! Good Luck!! Feel free to PM me if you have any add'l questions on how I get my help.

Thanks, I will.

 

[buffettgirl]

Even with fast passes you're going to have crowds and tight spaces in the queues. Even just walking through the parks is going to be troublesome. Ask your DH how he also feels about being on a crowded bus, in traffic. I'm not sure if your dh's PTSD is military related, but I know my husband had terrible trouble driving, or being in traffic for the longest time when he came home.

 

[Bete]

If you are on site at Disney then I would take advantage of the early magic hour each day. This time period will be the least crowded; because, the general public are not there yet. When opening time occurs then head for the back of the park. You probably have about an half hour before the general public will reach the back of the park; so, it won't be as crowded at that time.

Even if you don't use the extra magic hour then I would arrive for the opening times at the parks.

If you can do it, staying very late in the parks can be a less crowded time especially during the week.

Fastpass and GAC will help, too.

Keep in mind each park has a first aid center where you can get a cot for a while and be away from the crowds.

I would also suggest eating meals at off times; avoid peak times.

I would consult your doctor in regards to any medicines that might help for the trip. We use a natural calming supplement to help our dog on trips.

Think about doing the parks in small shifts. Maybe, do three hours on and three hours off, for example.

 

[Gracie09]

I don't know if you have already booked but time of year can make a huge difference. I've gone in September and walked on most rides and other than toy story mania never waited more than 20 minutes (I fastpass tsm). I've heard the beginning of may and December are likewise slow seasons.

 

[powellrj]

Not sure if its military, but the fireworks were a huge stress for DS. He has been home for several years and he still has problems with them.

 

[ttintagel]

It's the luck of the draw at the HM. My visual impairment makes it literally not safe for me or others for me to go through the normal way, but I've always been told no when I asked to go the other way. The last time I was there, the CM at the door even denied that a different entrance existed.

 

[Schmeck]

A GAC may help with some queues at some attractions, but it does not shorten wait time, and you may be directed to wait in an area that is small/crowded, and part of the exit. FPs are your best bet to miss long waits in crowded areas.

Going at a 'quiet' time of the year may help, but it is difficult to find a quiet time these days! seems Disney offers some great discounts in the off-season, so that there aren't many real 'off season' times.


Rent or bring your own car. Avoid taking the bus or other Disney transport, especially at closing, after parades, etc.

At MK, it can get really crazy in certain areas (especially Main St.) up to an hour before a parade or fireworks. The area around World Showcase at EPCOT gets crowded before Illuminations as well. Fantasmic at DHS is one of the worst areas for crowds, even the street on the way there is packed.

 

[buffettgirl]

from another thread I think she said they're going in May (baby has skin graphs and needs to be out of the sun...).

 

[SCmom3]

We're going next month, I am actually in the process of rearranging our reservations around the updated crowd calendar. When I first started planning this I realized that the bus systek is out. We're driving our own vehicle because a standing room only bus would be really unpleasant all around for us. We are certainly not looking to shorten our wait time at attractions with a GAC. I just want my husband to be able to enjoy his very hard earned vacation with as little stress as possible. If that means skipping certain things, that's fine. It's just best for us to know what thingswill be a problem ahead of time rather than in the middle where there is no easy escape.

 

[TagsMissy]

Op I am by no means not saying don't go -- but before going do you have any local theme parks or something similarly crowded that you can all go to as a family and see how your husband handles it before taking a big trip to WDW?

 

[SCmom3]

Op I am by no means not saying don't go -- but before going do you have any local theme parks or something similarly crowded that you can all go to as a family and see how your husband handles it before taking a big trip to WDW?

We do. We visited Carowinds right at he beginning of our trip planning and have zoo and museum memberships as well. We would have preferred a December trip but had to switch to May for work reasons

 

[buffettgirl]

We do. We visited Carowinds right at he beginning of our trip planning and have zoo and museum memberships as well. We would have preferred a December trip but had to switch to May for work reasons

I'm saying this with all due compassion - my husband didn't even have PTSD and he was freaking out when the buses were stopped...with other buses around us. It wasn't a good situation.

 

[SCmom3]

I'm saying this with all due compassion - my husband didn't even have PTSD and he was freaking out when the buses were stopped...with other buses around us. It wasn't a good situation.

I understand. I wouldn't handle it well either. And adding in three kids and two strollers to worry about, plus DD and I get carsick. Oh dear, I'd rather walk to the parking lot and get in a hot minivan.

 

[dawnball]

My husband has PTSD. Enclosed spaces full of people are a problem for him. I already know that the stretching room at HM is out of the question. Is it possible to bypass that? We plan to use FP to avoid the queues and the inevitable personal space invasion. Is there anything else I am missing? A day at the zoo can be very stressful for him and I do not want our vacation to be a miserable experience.

I have a husband who doesn't like enclosed spaces full of people. He stays home. My daughter doesn't cope well with crowds, but loves WDW, so she goes anyway. Even with a GAC, even with FP, even with skipping a lot - just being in the parks with that many people is stressful. You're going to get bumped and jostled. Avoid Fantasyland at all costs, particularly where it feeds into Liberty Square.

Plan lots of rope-drop mornings. We hang out kind of at the edges of the space inside the turnstiles. Once the area in front of the turnstiles is packed full, the far edges still have space, but more people can't come in. Then follow the back of the rope-drop crowd. It thins out, because the turnstiles hold people back.

The first hour to hour and a half is good. You can go back to HM, go through the regular queue and have a stretching room pretty much to yourself. Or you can go to BTMRR and ride several times with no waiting. If you must do Fantasyland, I'd devote a whole morning block to it.

Leave the parks by 2-3 hours after opening, usually by 11am. We sometimes stay until 11:30 and eat in the parks, then leave. The buses aren't full then, and if you took one of the very early buses to the park - it probably wasn't full either.

Hang out at the pool/resort. The resorts run activities during the day, and you can go visit other resorts and do their activities. They're usually sparsely attended. Rent a boat and go out on the lakes. If it's midweek, the water parks might be a good option- even when it's fairly crowded, the lazy river seems to be good for my DD. We sometimes plan to go back at night for a couple of hours. More often, my DD needs the rest of the day off to recuperate.

Touring with someone who doesn't tolerate crowds well requires a different mindset. Four attractions in one day is a good day. Three is pretty ok. Six is a great day. When you start to think you might be getting near the end - call yourself done. There's a lot of humanity between you and the exit.

 

[beaucoup]

I have to agree with the concerns of others for military & PTSD. Honestly, is Disney the best place for a vacation for him right now? I could think of so many other places that would so much more relaxing for him & less stressful. WDW is so not what he needs to deal with. Crowds, fireworks, etc.

My husband didn't come home with PTSD, but just the short temper & other changes in him for the first while was enough to stay clear of fireworks, crowds, and anything stressful. He still blows up about things he would have just accepted before.

I can't believe he wants to go to WDW. I wouldn't be bringing my DH to WDW if it was me. I would be taking a vacation that would help him in his recovery. They've been thru enough.

 

[buffettgirl]

I understand. I wouldn't handle it well either. And adding in three kids and two strollers to worry about, plus DD and I get carsick. Oh dear, I'd rather walk to the parking lot and get in a hot minivan.

sorry- I meant when in a car. He was freaking out when we'd stop at a light, with other buses around us. Buses surrounding us. I could see him scoping out the whole situation.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

I have to agree with the concerns of others for military & PTSD. Honestly, is Disney the best place for a vacation for him right now? I could think of so many other places that would so much more relaxing for him & less stressful. WDW is so not what he needs to deal with. Crowds, fireworks, etc.

My husband didn't come home with PTSD, but just the short temper & other changes in him for the first while was enough to stay clear of fireworks, crowds, and anything stressful. He still blows up about things he would have just accepted before.

I can't believe he wants to go to WDW. I wouldn't be bringing my DH to WDW if it was me. I would be taking a vacation that would help him in his recovery. They've been thru enough.

I'm guessing he's doing it for his children even though it is hard for him. Children want to go to Disney and don't understand that Daddy is too sick.

Good luck OP! You may want to watch done YouTube videos of rides so you can avoid any that may have triggers. Like Philharmagic has corks popping really loudly that could set off someone.

 

[ttintagel]

Leaving the parks for the busy midday hours is a great idea. It might also be worth investing in parkhoppers so that if one park ends up being more crowded than you thought, you have the option of trying another.