UPDATED. Christmas trip? DAS? Do we still go?

[bookgirl]

I try and make her order for herself every where we go. She would rather not eat than have to talk to a stranger. She has had the same Doctor her entire life. It is still like pulling teeth to get her to talk at her appointments!

I like your escape route idea! Getting out of line is going to be one of my reasons for needing the DAS. I anticipate there may be several occasions she cant deal and we will need to leave the line. That also stresses her out though because she HATES people looking at her...sigh...the more I talk to more "we will make it work" seems like crazy talk.

Its also entirely possible she will be doing well on her new meds by then. I just never know where she is going to be at from day to day. Ultimately if the day before we go, she changes her mind and decides she cant handle it, we won't go. Trying to prepare for all scenarios and I appreciate all the input!

Could she do some social stories where you can plan out different scenerios to remind herself that she has options if she feels stressed.

 

[Karin1984]

I believe that for every scenario there is a way to prepare.

What you can talk to her about is that when she leaves a line people do not look at her per se, but at the movement or the sound. Animal brains are wired to look in the direction of unsuspected movement or sound to assess fight or flight. That's a biological response that exists since we were reptiles (if you believe in that ;-) ) There is no judgement to that, just an uncontrolled reflex. If she has an interest in biology, I would definitely recommend her to look into the workings of the brain. I am not anxious per se, but learning about the brain helped me put some things in perspective.
They will have forgotten about her the moment she is out of sight.

Most rides have a chicken exit, it's designed to leave the ride at the last moment. You can tell the CM at the end that she (with or without you) isn't going to ride, and she can exit the ride easily. If you are near the end, it might be easier to continue than to go back.

If you are waiting for a parade (if there is somethng like that), you might want to look for a spot near stores. That if the crowds of the parade get to her, she can sneak into the store, while the rest watches the parade. If there is something like a show, pick a seat at the aisle near the exit.

Oh for her ADHD, I really like the youtube channel How to ADHD. The host is really likeable and has great videos on all kinds of ADHD topics, not just what it is, but also how to get through mundane and more complicated things, how to deal with finances, how to deal with emotions and she did one recently on ADHD in women. Maybe she can get some ideas from this channel on how to deal with her current state of mind. The host also did a ted talk (search Jessica McCabe TEDxBratislava)

 

[DLgal]

OP, do you know how ride lines will cause distress for your daughter, specifically? This is the question you need to be prepared to answer in quite a bit of detail. You can speak on her behalf, but she needs to be present next to you. They need to take her picture when they issue the DAS.

If you are not sure how lines might cause her distress, you will have to do some rides standby and see how it goes. Once you have an idea, or of your daughter has a meltdown, you can then take that information back to the kiosks and ask for the DAS, explaining that you tried without it and X, Y, and Z happened. It is ALWAYS an option available to you. You don't have to get it immediately. You can wait and see if you even need it.

That said, have a plan on what you will do if your daughter needs a QUICK exit to somewhere quiet. Going back to the TS lot can be quite a hassle, having to wait for the bus and all. Sometimes that wait is 30-45+ minutes. I would recommend heading to the picnic area just outside the park gates. It is often empty and it's kinda secluded feeling. She can take a mental break there with a snack or watch some videos/play games on her phone.

Often the crowds can become suffocating in the parks, and this "limited capacity" is a farce. Its crowded, and will be especially so on those 2 days you will be there. Please be prepared. Personally, if my child was this bad, I'd cancel the trip. I have 3 people in my household with autism, ADHD, anxiety, or depression. If one person had all those things, and was experiencing a bad patch, the absolute last thing I would do is visit crowded theme parks right now. It's an exercise in mental stamina even for people who don't have these kinds of struggles. I am hoping that this all works out for your family, but be prepared for it to be a disaster.

 

[gottalovepluto]

She knows. We haven't talked about it since her backslide though. It wasn't until seeing her this week around lots of family and that I started to reconsider. That plus it's looking likely genie + won't be out by then. She loves Disneyland and I hope her love of it will inspire some resilience. We plan to drive the RV to the toy story lot so that we can take breaks during the day as well.

G+ is not MP. After reading the reports out of WDW I would never, ever depend on using it manage the issues you mentioned. G+ was a total waste of money on busy days over Thanksgiving because so many people bought it there was nothing good available for booking. Now, nobody knows how it will look at DLR. It’s kinda like MP except the a la carte purchases remove some large rides from the inventory and there is no free option for FPs so anyone who wants FP access to buy. So don’t plan on it being useful for your situation until you hear reports on how it’s going.

All that said I’ve dealt with crowd anxiety in the past and I’m going to be blunt- if Thanksgiving was too crowded for her DLR will be an absolute nightmare. And please remember you cannot rope drop with crowd anxiety so the beginning of early morning is off the table, you have to arrive after the initial rush.

 

[bprwatson]

OP, do you know how ride lines will cause distress for your daughter, specifically? This is the question you need to be prepared to answer in quite a bit of detail. You can speak on her behalf, but she needs to be present next to you. They need to take her picture when they issue the DAS.

If you are not sure how lines might cause her distress, you will have to do some rides standby and see how it goes. Once you have an idea, or of your daughter has a meltdown, you can then take that information back to the kiosks and ask for the DAS, explaining that you tried without it and X, Y, and Z happened. It is ALWAYS an option available to you. You don't have to get it immediately. You can wait and see if you even need it.

That said, have a plan on what you will do if your daughter needs a QUICK exit to somewhere quiet. Going back to the TS lot can be quite a hassle, having to wait for the bus and all. Sometimes that wait is 30-45+ minutes. I would recommend heading to the picnic area just outside the park gates. It is often empty and it's kinda secluded feeling. She can take a mental break there with a snack or watch some videos/play games on her phone.

Often the crowds can become suffocating in the parks, and this "limited capacity" is a farce. Its crowded, and will be especially so on those 2 days you will be there. Please be prepared. Personally, if my child was this bad, I'd cancel the trip. I have 3 people in my household with autism, ADHD, anxiety, or depression. If one person had all those things, and was experiencing a bad patch, the absolute last thing I would do is visit crowded theme parks right now. It's an exercise in mental stamina even for people who don't have these kinds of struggles. I am hoping that this all works out for your family, but be prepared for it to be a disaster.

it’s definitely a day by day decision. I talked about it with her and her therapist this week and as of right now she still wants to try it. If that changes, we don’t go. We are still going to take the RV down to California and enjoy the weather, the heated pools, visit the beach etc. she knows she has until the night before to change her mind.

thank you for all your suggestions and the info!

 

[Chickinvic]

We had a lengthy discussion and left the decision to her. I think we have a good plan. The trip is already paid for and we told her we have no problem doing it another time but we are at the mercy of school breaks/Paid holidays so any time we go will be busy. We can hope she is more stable on meds by another time but that is no guarantee either. She loves Disney, especially at Christmas. Having the RV in the Toy story lot will allow her to take as many breaks as she needs.

Turns out SOME of the problem at Thanksgiving was my FIL. He has a hot temper and though he never yelled at her, she heard him laying into my sister in law (we all did) and any sort of yelling at ANYONE sets her off. She also heard him talking about "how messed up" she is and that we were doing her a disservice with therapy and putting her on meds....What a treat huh! We won't be going back there for a while.

Anyway, I do appreciate your input. Its definitely not ideal but we are just going to make the best of it and set expectations low. If you have any advice on navigating the parks with your son I'd love to hear them!

Oh, FIL sounds like a big part of the problem there. Hopefully she will manage to have a great time at Disney at Christmas. Sorry, no real tips for bigger crowds as we always tried to go at less busy times. Early December was great in those days for enjoying the holiday stuff and not being overrun with a sea of humanity. Also, back then (when he was still a kid/teen) you could still save up your Fastpasses during the day and ride like crazy all night with very little wait times.

 

[Chickinvic]

G+ is not MP. After reading the reports out of WDW I would never, ever depend on using it manage the issues you mentioned. G+ was a total waste of money on busy days over Thanksgiving because so many people bought it there was nothing good available for booking.

Well, WDW's old system was no good for me. With FP+ all the good ones were gone before my booking window ever opened (no matter what time of year it was) since I stay off site. I think I will far prefer this new system.

 

[Chickinvic]

We had a lengthy discussion and left the decision to her. I think we have a good plan. The trip is already paid for and we told her we have no problem doing it another time but we are at the mercy of school breaks/Paid holidays so any time we go will be busy. We can hope she is more stable on meds by another time but that is no guarantee either. She loves Disney, especially at Christmas. Having the RV in the Toy story lot will allow her to take as many breaks as she needs.

Turns out SOME of the problem at Thanksgiving was my FIL. He has a hot temper and though he never yelled at her, she heard him laying into my sister in law (we all did) and any sort of yelling at ANYONE sets her off. She also heard him talking about "how messed up" she is and that we were doing her a disservice with therapy and putting her on meds....What a treat huh! We won't be going back there for a while.

Anyway, I do appreciate your input. Its definitely not ideal but we are just going to make the best of it and set expectations low. If you have any advice on navigating the parks with your son I'd love to hear them!

Oh, FIL sounds like a big part of the problem there. Hopefully she will manage to have a great time at Disney at Christmas. Sorry, no real tips for bigger crowds as we always tried to go at less busy times. Early December was great in those days for enjoying the holiday stuff and not being overrun with a sea of humanity. Also, back then (when he was still a kid/teen) you could still save up your Fastpasses during the day and ride like crazy all night with very little wait times.

 

[Chickinvic]

I try and make her order for herself every where we go. She would rather not eat than have to talk to a stranger.

This could have been written about my kid. Even for something he really wanted (for example ordering a pizza), he would have died before picking up the phone to do so. I asked him why, and it has something to do with him being so afraid of making a mistake while talking/saying something not perfect or whatever. Now he does all ordering online. I used to try to get him to do things like that for his own good, but with everything online these days - not a chance lol. He would have never been able to book a doctor's appointment (always wanted me to do it for him even as a young adult). It's tough.

 

[bookgirl]

Looks like the video option is coming online. From the website:

Important Pre-Registration and DAS Advance Planning Update
Eligible Guests visiting the parks on or after December 20, 2021 can now pre-register for DAS Advance virtually with a Cast Member, using live video chat. Please note that you may pre-register as soon as 30 days in advance of a park visit, but no less than 2 days before arrival.

Page with the Request a Chat link

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/guest-services/disability-access-service/plan/

ETA: Link to a good thread over on the DISability Board

https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...ow-genie-genie-going-live-december-8.3862545/

 

[dreamer17555]

Coming in to say I did the pre registration video chat today and the cms were wonderful. I would look into this before your trip for your daughter.