Traveling with 2 children with disabilities

[DISNEELVR]

Where do I begin? Last October we took our first trip to WDW for 6 days. My son 2yr old son was diagnosed with Sensory integration 2 weeks before we left and we were told by his OT therapist that he should be fine because he was mild. Well, OMG!!! We arrived at WDW and the first 4 days of our trip were a complete nightmare. He was horrible and unconsolable. People looked at us with horror because there was always a tantrum because of something.

We went to AK and the only ride he could ride there was Kali River Rapids but you had to be 38in tall. He was but he refused to stand under the podium to be measured. We know he loves this ride because we have the same ride at six flags by us and it always makes him happy. After 20 minutes of him screaming, because he wants to ride the ride, but not be measured, he finally gave in! WHEW!! I thought it was over. Only for the CM to give us a wrist band and tell us he has to wear it and also mark his hand with permanant marker. Well, he wont wear anything on his wrist and didnt want his hand marked. another 15 minutes of fighting the CM that she handed us the wristband and told us to just go ahead. Right before boarding the ride, there was another CM and because he wasnt wearing the wristband she wanted to measure him again. Let me tell you I was so frustrated and wanted to scream. This ride had a minimal wait and it had taken almost an hour to get here. He finally got to ride but how do I avoid this in the future? Also, he calms down with compression. We purchased an upscale umbrella stroller so that he would sink back into it to sit. It calms him! They would not let us take the stoller into any rides, yet it was compact. (McClarren unbrella stroller)

My eldest son has congenital nystagmus and difficulties with him vision. He has trouble seening dark venues and was unable to see the parade at MK or Festival of the Lion King among others. Is there anything they can do for him so he can see these shows?

Any help is appreciated. We are hoping to go back to Disney, but to be honest I am a litle scared after what we experinced last year. There just has to be an easier way. We would love a magical trip and were hoping to have one this year. Last year was a bust!

Thanks,

Karrilynn

 

[disneyfool_1202]

Karrilynn welcome to the disAbilities forum! My son also has SPD - mild but we knew about it way before our initial trip to WDW (when he was 2.5). I got a GAC (Guest assistance pass). You will get lots of info here on GAC and what it is / isn't for. It's not a "free for all" pass - it's based on need and it sounds like you son's need is to be able to "display" wrist bands or put them on his stoller but not have them on his person. See if they can measure him once at Guest assistance and mark his height on the pass so you can bypass that if necessary for each ride.

As for your other child, I'm not sure what Disney may have that can help with her vision issues - would a closer or farther seat be helpful? If you need special considerations for each child, then you need a seperate GAC for each of them outlining what they're specific and unique needs for assistance are. Then you use it only when you need it (not every situation will apply to each child).

Hope this helps. Sorry it's sort of cryptic - I'm at work and trying not to get "caught" playing on the internet!!!

 

[Schmeck]

While you cannot take a stroller onto the ride vehicle in some attractions, you can get a GAC to use the stroller as a wheelchair in lines.

I believe WDW has a policy of not giving anyone a 'height measurement' card, as these cards could be used for other children who are not of the proper height.

The wristband at Kali was to signify that your child had to sit in a special seat on the raft, as he was not tall enough for the regular seats. I believe it's the only ride that regularly uses a wristband for height requirements.

 

[DISNEELVR]

I totally understand why WDW needs to have policies -ie, to measure for special seats. I just think they really put him through misery and would not make an exception. Like I said he looked like a very bad child just not wanting to cooperate. It was sad because it wasn't that at all.

Conor (my 3 yr old) has trouble adjusting to different situations. Crowds, noise, different places can each set him off in different ways. I think if he was able to sit in his stroller until we had to go on the ride it would have helped. Normally giving him a hug with tight compression or swinging him helps, but Disney is a different to begin with so it was anyones guess what would work. I also think when children are tired, everything is worse and was for my son.

The nice thing for Conor is that once he adjusted to his surroundings on day 5 of our 6 day trip, he was fine. Better than fine! No problems AT ALL!! We totally enjoyed the last 2 days we were there and even pushed the envelope by staying in the MK until Extra Magic Hours ended at 2am. He loved it. I just wish the first 4 days would have been easier on him, us and our other 3 boys. I have to say that I wasnt impressed with Disney Animal Kingdom Cast Members, but next time will hopefully be different.

My older son just needs to sit close if the area is darkened or if things are really distant. Most things were ok for him, but the parade was very difficult. He normally tells me when he needs to sit closer.

Karrilynn

 

[Schmeck]

I totally understand why WDW needs to have policies -ie, to measure for special seats. I just think they really put him through misery and would not make an exception. Like I said he looked like a very bad child just not wanting to cooperate. It was sad because it wasn't that at all.

Conor (my 3 yr old) has trouble adjusting to different situations. Crowds, noise, different places can each set him off in different ways. I think if he was able to sit in his stroller until we had to go on the ride it would have helped. Normally giving him a hug with tight compression or swinging him helps, but Disney is a different to begin with so it was anyones guess what would work. I also think when children are tired, everything is worse and was for my son.

The nice thing for Conor is that once he adjusted to his surroundings on day 5 of our 6 day trip, he was fine. Better than fine! No problems AT ALL!! We totally enjoyed the last 2 days we were there and even pushed the envelope by staying in the MK until Extra Magic Hours ended at 2am. He loved it. I just wish the first 4 days would have been easier on him, us and our other 3 boys. I have to say that I wasnt impressed with Disney Animal Kingdom Cast Members, but next time will hopefully be different.

My older son just needs to sit close if the area is darkened or if things are really distant. Most things were ok for him, but the parade was very difficult. He normally tells me when he needs to sit closer.

Karrilynn

No, don't expect it to be different next time - meaning that your son will still have to submit to measuring to get on rides with height requirements. WDW really can't make 'exceptions', as their liability insurance would be in question.

One thing you can do before your next trip is to prepare your son for getting measured - measure him at home, a lot! Pretend that going out the door each day is like going on a ride, and have him stand tall. Or if that is too much (wouldn't do to have him have a meltdown at home over it, that's for sure!) maybe play 'pretend Disney', and have his brothers play along, getting measured by some kind of stick with a crosspiece stuck on it, etc.

Also, you mentioned he got worse the more tired he got - the stroller should help, but so would breaks back at the resort, if that can be arranged? I've found that we all get cranky and more sensitive the more tired (and dehydrated) we get, especially at WDW!

 

[DISNEELVR]

very true.

Yeah, that's a good idea to measure him every week until we go back. Then for him it would be a habit and he wouldn't have a problem with it. He really has a hard time with anything that changes his normal routine.

Thank you for the good ideas. He was diagnosed in late Sept 2007 so we are still learning so much.

 

[ireland_nicole]

Re: using stroller as wheelchair: I have two kiddoes on the spectrum and DS also has hypotonia: we use the stroller as wheelchair GAC: it looks like a red luggage tag on the one handle of the stroller. It will allow your son to sit in the stroller until boarding, but he will then transfer onto the ride vehicle. One possible exception is POTC; last year we were told to wait on a bench outside until they brought us around the building to board us, but I've heard other people have had other experiences. That ride is tough because of two buildings and levels. Other than that, we took the stroller pretty much everywhere, which was important to help the kiddoes feel safe and not become so overstimulated.
HIH
Nicole

 

[carj]

How old is your child with nystagmus? Does he have a low vision device for distance like a monocular or portable Flipper to use at school? Another option is to use the zoom on your digital camera if he doesn't have those devices. (I have a student who prefers this because she feels like it doesn't stand out as much.) Then of course there are always binoculars, though that may not be the best option.
I would try to arrive in time to sit near the stage or ask for that accomodation.
As for the parades and other dark events, that is going to be tough to accomodate for appropriately. If there is an area in the parade route that is better lit, then I would opt to sit there, since that would maximize his ability to see the parade.
You can also try to minimize the glare of the lights by sitting higher or lower than the light source, lower is most likely better. It is also generally better to have the light source behind you. So if there are seats in a theater, opt to sit in an area where the spotlights will not be pointed at you.
Your child's Vision Teacher would be a wonderful resource for this question. I would ask her and then give her some time to think about it and come up with some ideas. (I am a VI teacher and I am sure that your son's VI would be happy to help him have a better trip!) I am not sure if this is any help or not! I hope that you have a wonderful trip!

 

[SueM in MN]

Only for the CM to give us a wrist band and tell us he has to wear it and also mark his hand with permanant marker. Well, he wont wear anything on his wrist and didnt want his hand marked. another 15 minutes of fighting the CM that she handed us the wristband and told us to just go ahead. Right before boarding the ride, there was another CM and because he wasnt wearing the wristband she wanted to measure him again. Let me tell you I was so frustrated and wanted to scream. This ride had a minimal wait and it had taken almost an hour to get here. He finally got to ride but how do I avoid this in the future?

As the others said, measuring is a fact of life that you can't avoid at WDW. One of the reasons they won't make excpetions is that there are parents who would use that to sneak a too small child on.
They did experiment with doing one measure with a laser measuring stick putting on a wristband, but stopped the trial quite soon after it began. I don't know for sure, but I have heard that the main reason they stopped it was that people were getting their taller child measured, sneaking the wristbacnd off and putting it on their smaller child. Then, they would present the older child for measuring again and had 2 kids who 'passed'. I believe that's why they started marking the child's hand with a marker also.
Here's a link to the DIS Board's Height calculator. If you enter the number "o" in the calculator, it will give you a list of the height requirements for all attractions. The ones with a zero have no height requirement, so are the ones you know for sure he won't get measured at. With the list, you'll be able to see which ones he's too small for (so you won't even try to get measured) and which he will need to be measured for that he wants to go on.

Also, he calms down with compression. We purchased an upscale umbrella stroller so that he would sink back into it to sit. It calms him! They would not let us take the stoller into any rides, yet it was compact. (McClarren unbrella stroller)

As was already mentioned, you can take the stroller in if you have gotten a Guest Assistance Card (GAC) that allows the stroller to be treated as a wheelchair. If you go to the disABILITIES FAQs thread near the top of the board, you will find a whole section about GACs.
For strollers, sometimes they put a special sticker on the stroller instead of a GAC.

My eldest son has congenital nystagmus and difficulties with him vision. He has trouble seening dark venues and was unable to see the parade at MK or Festival of the Lion King among others. Is there anything they can do for him so he can see these shows?

Where were you sitting for the MK parade?
If you were on the curb, you were as close as you could get. If you have a stroller as wheelchair GAC for your younger child, you would be able to use the handicapped/wheelchair viewing areas for parades. Those are on the curb, so you are just at the side of the street the parade is coming down.
If you don't use the handicapped viewing areas, just stake out a spot early enough to be on the curb. How early depends on the time of year.

For Festival of the Lion King, the wheelchair seating is on the floor, with a seat for one companion next to the wheelchair (or 'stroller as wheelchair') and the rest of the party sits in the seats just behind. So, your family would end up in the front and 2nd rows.

The wristband at Kali was to signify that your child had to sit in a special seat on the raft, as he was not tall enough for the regular seats. I believe it's the only ride that regularly uses a wristband for height requirements.

I think that is correct.

Another thing that will be helpful to you is knowing when it is busy and where. Services like TourGuide Mike can help a lot with that.
Also, getting to the park early and using EMH (Extra Magic Hours) helps a lot. Go to the park for a while, then head back to the resort to rest and use the pool while the park is busy. If you go back later, the crowds from mid-day will have left and you will have an easier time.

If you look in the disABILITIES FAQs thread, in post #3, there are some links to past threads. The ones about autism or ADD will be helpful because they talk about similar problems to what your son has.

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

Will he calm down when tightly hugging a stuffed animal? If so, bring one to the park with you. Otherwise, hug him tightly as they put the wristband on him and mark his hand (and keep hugging him tightly for a minute or two after, as ppl with SPD feel things for a much longer amount of time than normies do, so he'll feel that marker against his skin for a bit, whereas a normie I think doesn't feel it much after it happens [is that right? I've got SPD, so I don't know for sure]). After the ride, take the wristband off (if you want to ride it more than once, get back in line right after you get off so you don't have to get measured twice).

Also, try seeing if he can tolerate a wristband put tightly (but not tight enough to cut off circulation, of course!) around his wrist, since he likes compression. You can find those plastic wristbands for sale either at a local store or online to practice with, if need be.