Best tip for the parks? About This Page:

[Eeyore Tattoo]

What is your best tip for visiting the parks with your special need?
Having Fibromyalgia I have trouble with getting worn out fast..
What I do is use a scooter and take my time. We usually have a few hour break in the late afternoon so we can get out again in the evenings..
I feel energised after a little nap..
Deb

[Tim Sullivan]

As you said the biggest thing anyone w/special needs can do is to take your time, don't rush, and realize that you won't be able to see/do everything in one day, so take your time and enjoy what you do see. That reduces stress and therefore alleviates some of the issues that arise when travelling w/special needs.

Works for me at least

Tim

[stonewall]

REST, REST, REST!!! I learned that one after my first trip and things were much more pleasant after that! Even a day at one of the water parks is a good thing- just take the day and relax at the park or in the Lazy River and then have a nice dinner and be ready to go the next day!

[mrsksomeday]

My b/f has Cerebral Palsy and is in a motorized wheelchair. To take care of his personal needs we need to have him laying down, so the companion restrooms do not work for us.

We go to the first aid stations in the parks. They offer us privacy and the staff is very professional and kind.

[jpod523]

r.e.s.t. (not that i take my own advice though!) as a "pooh" sized person i can only walk so far before my ankles are numb with pain. actually, it isn't the walking that kills me, it's the standing in line. use fast pass at all times. next time i may even use a GAC because i have trouble standing for excess periods of time. i haven't broken down to renting an EVC or ECV, whatever the motorized wheelchair is called, yet, but i have been tempted. anytime you see a bench, sit in it, even if it is for 30 seconds. it really helps.

[Teresa]

With a DD in an electric chair - not an ECV, who is a Quadraplegic, I have 2 "hints" that help us get through the day.
1.) We use the First Aid Stations for all of her personal needs. They are air-conditioned, and we have more space to take care of business. Plus, she can lay down and rest for a while.
2.) DRINK! It's very easy to get dehydrated at WDW, and for someone with special needs, that's extra bad. We have the rule that if someone is thirsty, everyone has to drink - actually, we try to make sure that no-one is ever thirsty!
3.) DO NOT try to "do it all". You can't. Unless you stay on-site for a month, there is no way you can see and experience everything. We go with a list of the Top 5 things each person wants to do. We've already scheduled our days around those 5 things, and that's all we worry about - and try to leave plenty of time for finding new things.

[Eeyore Tattoo]

These are great! Keep them coming!!!!!!!!!!
Deb

[Nala]

Research and plan!

Our DD is mentally imparied and also has sensory issues with loud noises and dark places. Several times, we have lost track of time and been caught outside when the fireworks start and that has caused her great distress. After many trips we have figured out places to duck into to avoid the firework noise. IASW works very well for her and has become a favorite place to hide during the fireworks. We just discovered this on our last trip and the CMs were more than willing to let us stay in the boat for a second ride when they were made aware of the issue. We didn't have a guest assistance pass, but they were very understanding and willing to help.

Something we have done over the years is have one of us try out a questoinable attraction first to see if it would be appropiate for DD. Either me or my DH will ride the ride and make the decision if our DD would be able to handle it. Many guide books will give warnings, but no one knows your child and what they can and can't handle better than you. The one ride we didn't do this on was Soarin' but I had read quite a bit about the ride and thought it would be fine for her. I would have never taken her on it had I not done my research about the ride. Thankfully, she loved the ride, but once was enough for her.

Using resources such as this board and guide books, both those for the general public and those geared towards special needs, will be of great value when planning a trip.

And as others have said, rest! Know the limits of those in your party with special needs as well as your own. WDW is a huge place and there is no way to see it all in one trip. Accept the fact that you may only get to see this or that, but make what you do see and do more enjoyable by being rested. I have learned from experience to never, ever push the limits of what any person, special needs or not, can take in a day.

[Eeyore Tattoo]

Nala,
Great tip!
Thanks!
Deb

[Ms_Butterfly]

Like all others said, take your time. One day of my last trip, my friend and I were almost done with what we wanted to do at Epcot and it was almost the end of the day. I didn't want to go back the next day to do just one thing, but we were s'posed to go do the pearl thing in Japan. We needed to get over there, so I busted a move walking there. (Turns out they close the pearl thing early, so we HAD to go back the next day to do it, arrgh!) Then I busted a move getting back because I didn't want to be outside while the loud fireworks and music happened. (I didn't make it all the way to the buses - had to duck inside a restaurant and sit 'til the thing was over.) I had wanted to go to MGM's EMH that night (I purposely left RnRC, one of my very favorites, for EMH), but wasn't able to because I was in too much pain from pushing myself too hard. (And, no, I didn't get to do RnRC that trip. )

Uhm, I had another tip to give y'all that hadn't been mentioned by anyone yet, but now I forget what I was going to say!

[Eeyore Tattoo]

Ms Butterfly,
As soon as you remember that other tip, We will be here for it!
I forget things as fast as I remember them, They fall out of my head someplace between my brain & mouth
I keep pen & paper in every room to write notes
Deb

[Holly213]

My DS has Asperger's and first off and formost is to get the GAC. This last trip our son was 9 and we knew he was too big for the strollers so we had prepped him for the long walks and waiting. Ummm yea that lasted 2 hours before I looked at my hubby and said let's go rent a wheelchair. We learned that whatever we need to do for him and our family to have a great trip that's what we should do. Just know that all plans can and should be adjusted to meet your needs!

[snoozin]

For those who might (or do) need meds during the day, make a list (and check it twice! ) so you don't head for the parks without something.

[Ms_Butterfly]

Originally Posted by Eeyore Tattoo

Ms Butterfly,
As soon as you remember that other tip, We will be here for it!

You might be waiting a long time, LOL!!!!!

Originally Posted by Eeyore Tattoo

I forget things as fast as I remember them, They fall out of my head someplace between my brain & mouth
I keep pen & paper in every room to write notes
Deb

Same here. I've got a memory problem and it ain't pretty!

Post-It Notes do help - if I can remember it long enough to write it down on one....

[Ms_Butterfly]

This isn't the one I was wanting to say the other day, but one I just thought of right now (while trying again to remember what I was wanting to say before - still hasn't happened!).

Don't be afraid or timid to use whatever accommodations you need in order to make your Disney trip possible and enjoyable. This means letting go of worrying what others will think if you use an ECV or GAC when you need it in order to last the day in the parks. This means taking time out to rest or get a drink, even if it means others in your party go on a ride without you. This means skipping a ride you don't think would be good for you because it would cause pain (possibly ruining your trip later on) or other symptoms - or, as a parent of a disabled child, skipping a ride because your child cannot handle it. It means lots of different things - just don't be afraid to do whatever reasonable things you have to do in order to make your vacation possible, enjoyable, and as symptom-free as possible.