WDW with Down Syndrome

[ironz]

Just thought I'd ask here...
Some friends of mine are going to have a short (1 day) visit at WDW next month...their lovely daughter has Down syndrome, but is not profoundly affected... was wondering about anything special I can tell them to make their trip more special for her? I will let them know about the GAC if she has trouble with standing in lines for very long.

I'm thinking I will send them some good princess stuff, so she can feel like a Disney princess....they won't really have time to do BBB with a one day visit.

please post any great ideas!!
thanks!

 

[Scutapipig]

I think you can safely tell them that no matter what they do at Disney, they will all have a wonderful visit! How wonderful you plan on sending some princess things her way! That will be a big hit for sure!

A question that first came to mind was how old is she? My son reacted differently to Disney at age 3 years than at age 10 years.

Another question is what type of personality does she have? Is she adventureous, shy, frightened by noises or darkness? With my son (now 10 yrs old), some of the attractions are a bit overwhelming. The enclosed attractions are intimidating due to the darkness and sometimes the noise. If their child is sensitive to noises, ear plugs may help and if she is sensitive to the dark, a small light up toy works wonders. My son would not do any attractions until this past year at age 10 years.

If the attractions are too much for her, there is plenty to see and do with the parades and character greetings, the shopping, and even the dining.

Also, we did get the GAC for my son as a precaution, but didn't use it too often. Waiting in long lines was not an issue for him, but rather he had the tendency to "bolt" or have a type of anxiety attack at the wrong time. Our GAC was obtained so that we could be placed near an exit in the event a panic attack hit as the lights dimmed. We did actually use this at a few attractions and either exited the attraction immediately upon the show starting (Muppets) or watching it away from the crowd near the exit (Mickey's Philharmonic...without the 3-D glasses). Guest services should be able to help them determine if a GAC will be necessary based upon their daughter's needs.

 

[SueM in MN]

I think the questions that Scutapipig suggested are a good place to start. I'd also suggest thinking about what sorts of things she likes or is interested in. Age might be a big factor - even for kids without Down Syndrome, some 3 year olds are afraid of anything dark, loud or fast. But, some kids the same age are daredevils and enjoy things that some adults are afraid of.

If you haven't already checked it out, take a look at the disABILITIES FAQs thread near the top of this board. There is one section on there about GACs (Guest Assistance Cards) and in the 3rd post on that thread, there are some links to the WDW Guidebooks for Guests with Disabilities for each park. You can look at the Guidebook for whatever park they are interested in going to and get a short description of each attraction.