Tips for Visiting Disney with A Child with Autism Preparations Before The Trip
My family and I have visited Walt Disney World many times throughout our 40 years of marriage. My husband and I spent a couple of days at Disney on our honeymoon, and since children, we have visited with children ranging in age from a few months old through their adult years and with just two people to a group of 8. We have taken along a babysitter for a business conference, and have taken my mother. Every one of our trips is different, and we always try new things – restaurants, experiences, and resorts. However, all of that pales in comparison to traveling with JJ. He is our now 20-year-old autistic son. Here are my best tips for visiting Disney with a child with autism. This segment is to help you prepare in advance before you begin your trip.
JJ, Disney, and Autism
Even though JJ is 20 years old and has autism, I feel that we have had minimal meltdowns and problems with traveling throughout the years, but other people might look at our experiences and give up the first time they try to travel. The first trip to WDW with him we had plenty of extra hands and help with our older children. However, on one business trip, I ventured alone into the Magic Kingdom with two small children. JJ was 3 1/2; his brother Marcus was 5. I knew that I just had to push through, and eventually, travel would get easier! I was right.
Over the years, we have worked to develop tips for visiting Disney with autism to help our son, but also to help others.
JJ has a magical connection with Disney. After each trip to Walt Disney World, he has had major educational advancements. During one trip, he stopped a stimming noise he had been making for 6 months (and it hasn’t returned), and after we returned home, he began to button shirts on his own. After another trip a few years ago, he began to read and spell. Granted, he was spelling “The Little Mermaid,” “Magic Kingdom,” and other Disney-related words, but he was still spelling.
Disability Access Service is Amazing for a Child with Autism when visiting Disney
No matter what age JJ has been, we have employed some skills, procedures, and tactics to keep things flowing smoothly. In this 3 part series, I highlight our Advanced Preparations, Tactics While in the World, and Our Home Again Routines. I will not talk about hotels, restaurants, or recommendations on rides. But I will discuss the Disability Access Service. Since JJ looks normal as he ages, it may be necessary for Cast Members to realize there is a disability. I will discuss that more in Tactics in the World.
Advanced Preparation Tips for Disney with a Child with Autism
Read, research and know the layout of the land! Make as many advanced plans as you can. Know about the resorts, travel times from resort to park, travel methods (bus, monorail, resort ferries, or your own car), dining options, Lightning Lane and more. Make yourself as informed as possible.
Obviously, our advanced preparation includes where we are staying. We have stayed both on-site and off-site, but knowing the theme of the resort is key. The Disney’s Beach Club Resort is a wonderful resort, however, I was totally unprepared for the depth of the pool. They have a lazy river that is 8 feet deep in some areas, and the entire area is open without fencing between the child’s area, the adult pool, and the lazy river. You can see overviews of the resorts on the WDW website.
In addition, the theme of the resorts is important. If your child hates Tiki men, do not stay in Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. Many parents have good reports of staying in Art of Animation. This resort has Pixar theming rooms including The Little Mermaid, Cars, Finding Nemo and Lion King. The pool areas are a hit for many children. Additionally, the Cars area has most of the character cars in life-sized reproductions.
Make a Calendar to Help Countdown Your Visit
We generally make a calendar of the year for JJ. He had a horrible sense of time, and the calendar helped him keep track. However, the longer we used a calendar, the more he began to understand the concept of time. He now knows the important Disney dates such as the release dates of all the upcoming Disney movies, and when our next trip is. He also knows the number of days until the next birthday in the family.
We mark other events, too. If we do not have our next trip on the calendar, he begins to ask when we can go to Disney next. He likes knowing what is coming up as far as holidays, travel plans and birthdays. Most days, JJ marks off his calendar and will say something like, “David’s birthday is next,” even though David’s birthday is still a month away, it is indeed the next big landmark in his life.
Before traveling to WDW, I include our travel plans on his calendar complete with poorly drawn pictures of each park. This way JJ knows how long we will be gone and when we plan to visit each park. Even though Hollywood Studios no longer has the Mickey Sorcerer’s Hat as the park icon, JJ still associates the park with Mickey’s Hat.
I do buy stickers for his calendar. If anyone knows where I can get cute Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios stickers, please drop me a line.
The Magical Power of YouTube
I usually make a “booklet” or some other visual of rides and attractions. When JJ was younger, I would sit down at the computer with him and YouTube each attraction and ride, starting with the Magic Kingdom. If it was something he thought he wanted to do, I would print out a picture of that ride and place it in his booklet. This gave both of us a reminder of what was important. This one thing eliminated meltdowns on our last day, and it also eliminated the scare factor of certain rides.
JJ has watched videos but has never ridden certain rides such as Tower of Terror, but he has never ridden it. For years he wouldn’t ride Big Thunder Mountain, but eventually, he decided to try it out. He rode Haunted Mansion once, but has decided he does not like it.
However, watching the videos beforehand gives him an idea of what to expect. Either the content or the music has prevented him from riding. He is very sensitive to ominous music, and many times that is enough to keep him off a ride. Even now, when he has ridden so many of the rides, we will YouTube the rides beforehand to see if anything has changed.
Many of our trips we encounter one or more rides that JJ has gone on in the past, but for one reason or another, he decides not to attempt again. On our trip last year, JJ wanted to see “It’s Tough to Be a Bug,” which he had seen in the past. Afterward, he said very little about that 4D movie experience. On another trip, on the day before we were to go to Animal Kingdom, he announced, “I don’t want to see the bug show.” Apparently, the scare factor was more than he felt comfortable with at that time. We created our own YouTube channel that is completely child-friendly because we wanted to know that JJ could watch a video without picking up any language or behavior. Feel free to visit – WDWPov and subscribe.
*Since this original post, JJ has ridden Big Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain, Expedition Everest, and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, but he still hasn’t ridden Tower of Terror. Furthermore, JJ once again is visiting It’s Tough to Be A Bug.
Be aware that It’s Tough to Be a Bug is scary for many children. When we are in that attraction, there are almost always children screaming and crying as huge spiders descend from the ceiling.
Dining Reservations/Schedules
Because JJ was child number 5 we didn’t really have the opportunity to allow his meltdowns to keep us home. We had 4 other children who wanted to go to the mall, movies, Chuck E Cheese, and travel. He had to learn to adapt. However, JJ has never eaten well if we are not sitting down. He might snack on crackers or fruit, but we cannot eat a meal “on the run.”
For this reason, it is very important for me to schedule Advanced Dining Reservations. I check out the menus and make sure there is food available for JJ’s picky taste. I know that even if there isn’t anything on the Children’s Menu, if there are chicken breast and fries, we are set. JJ does not eat macaroni and cheese, pizza, or sandwiches. JJ also eats for a very long time. He needs that downtime, and we allow him to have it. It might mean that we don’t get to ride as many rides, but we generally have a calmer experience overall.
I know families that pack their children’s meals because their food choices are so limited. At most Disney restaurants, Disney chefs work hard to accommodate your dietary needs. I have personally been gluten-free for 15 years, and for a period of time, I needed to be dairy-free. Disney did not disappoint. Disney chefs will try to work with your family to find choices suitable for your child.
Involve Your Child With Autism When Packing for Your Trip
I try to include JJ in the packing. I don’t want to get to WDW and find out that he wanted a certain shirt, swim trunks or toy. In fact, he really doesn’t “play with his toys” while we are gone, but he still fills his backpack and carries it into the car. I think it gives him a sense of connection to home. “We took the toys from home, and the toys belong at home, so, therefore, we are going back home with the toys” kind of logic.
His selection of toys is always different, but his backpack is always taken. If you are flying this may be harder for you to do, but since we drive this is an easy one to accomplish. We don’t have to worry about carrying nonsensical items with us and paying extra to fly them. JJ just carries the backpack into the car, and we are off.
I do have a Disney Packing List, and I have been told that many families find it to be an excellent tool to use while packing. In addition to the items on the packing list, make sure to pack headphones if you need them, and any special blankets or toys that will help your child have the time of their lives.
Letting Go of “The Perfect Vacation” and Changing My Focus
This tactic is actually important before, during and after your trip and is more important for you and the rest of the people traveling with you than it is for your child. JJ is sure to have some meltdown or difficulty at some point. I have had to let go of my views of what vacation is and how things should flow. Being together and building memories is my ultimate goal, and with our family, this now looks different than it used to. I remember visiting a bed and breakfast with our first-born son when he was two. The caretakers of the bed and breakfast were amazed at how well-behaved he was. When JJ was two or 5 or 10 that was impossible.
On another trip, we had two small (ages 2 and 4), well-behaved little boys, and toured a mansion in Toronto. I would not have ventured into the mansion with JJ, nor would I have stayed at a bed and breakfast with him. I believe that God has a different plan for my life and gave me JJ to accomplish that plan. If I go into the vacation with my views of what should happen, I end up very disappointed. But, if I change my focus and just enjoy the ride, I will have a much better, relaxed trip. When you get home and find that “perfect picture in front of Cinderella Castle” didn’t come out perfectly, embrace the quirkiness of your family and change your focus to what you do have, instead of what you can’t do.
Involve Your Child as Much as You Can in the Advanced Preparations
One of my best tips for visiting Disney with a child with autism is to involve your child as much as you can beforehand. I often read stories about families that “surprised” their children with a trip to Disney. I do not think that is realistic or healthy for JJ or for many of our children on the spectrum. JJ usually packs his backpack and selects items that he deems important. I certainly don’t want to be hitting the border of Florida when he announces that he “needs” something.
We have allowed JJ to see us packing, be involved in the process, and select items to take along helps him to make the transition for leaving. In addition, we are leaving behind some pretty important people in J’s life (big brothers, their wives, and some nieces), and he needs to be able to give hugs and say goodbye!
Can You Still Do a Surprise Video?
Keeping your child involved in the preparations helps to make a better trip all around. You can still do a surprise video when you tell your children about the trip. However, make sure to do it in plenty of time before the trip to give everyone time to adjust. Additionally, if your surprise video doesn’t go as planned, do not be disappointed. Children are all different and have different reactions to surprises. You are not taking a trip because you want to film a reaction video, but to create healthy, happy memories with your children. The benefits of traveling with your child far outweigh the negative, but not all moments of your trip will be positive ones.
Enjoy the Planning
Join a Disney Facebook Group to find out the latest, or ask for recommendations from other Disney travelers. If you have questions, ask the Disney Parks Moms Panel Group. This is a wonderful group of both men and women who love all things Disney and will be happy answering your questions. There is usually a person on the panel experienced with traveling with disabilities, food allergies, and children! If you absolutely don’t enjoy the planning, have a Disney vacation travel agent do the work for you.
Make the countdown fun! There are all types of countdown ideas from calendars to Mickey chains strung across the house. Check out Pinterest for more ideas. I hope you have enjoyed these tips for visiting Disney with a child with autism or sensory processing disorder and have found them helpful to your family.
RECAP – TIPS for Visiting Disney with a Child with Autism:
- Check out the Disability Access Service
- Research and Planning
- Know the Layout of the Parks
- Make a Calendar
- YouTube Videos
- Check-out the Dining Options
- Involving Your Child in the Planning
- Involve Your Child in the Packing
- Let Go of Expectations of the Perfect Vacation
- Enjoy the Planning
- Enjoy Your Vacation
And Remember:
-Walt Disney
Part 2: Visiting Walt Disney World – Autism in the Parks
Reviewing movies for parents from a Christian perspective since 2005. Know Before You Go!
Christian Homeschooling mom – 30 years and counting
Autism Mom & Disney enthusiast
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Hope you have a wonderful family vacation. If you need any tips, feel free to ask! It truly is a magical place to visit.
We are hoping with everything crossed that we can make it to Disney this year. It may be our last family vacation for a while. Daughter off to University on the other side of USA. We will see. We went in 2007 and had an amazing time. I remember by now I had so much planned already. I can't do that now until next month. So here is to keeping ones fingers crossed that we can go and maybe we will see you there. Good luck and have BLAST!!!!!
xoxoxo
That is amazing the learning that has come from his time there! Disney is magic for sure. I would have never though about all of these great tips you give. I hope you have submitted this to Disney SMMS, because it is fabulous!
We are so thrilled with his progress! I actually use Disney movies to teach him at home. I know I am going to sound stupid, but how do you submit something to Disney SMMS?