We attended an info session last Thursday night about "Taking a Disney Vacation with Your Special Needs Child". Received some good tips! Here are a few of them:

* If your child is still in stroller weight - TAKE IT! For the airport, for Disney, for everything. It's worth the hassle!

* Fly non-stop. You're not over-taxing kids who tend to get overwhelmed and/or have sensory issues.

* If your child doesn't chew gum yet, give then a snack to eat at take-off and landing.

* There is a Disability Guide for each park.

* Doctor's Excuse: Get this! A letter from your child's doctor, giving the child's dignosis and stating, "any accomodations that can be made for her/him would be appreciated". Disney will accept this letter and give you a card that you use to either enter rides at the exit or through the Fast Pass entrance.

* If your child needs some down time, a few nice spots to visit are Tomorrow Transit in Future World, Tom Sawyer's Island, the 100-Acre Wood in Magic Kingdom.

* Picture Stories are great to prepare your child for the plane ride and Disney.

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Marlene, mommy to my precious Aleena (1/30/04)

Good list...I'm a fan of lollypops for a non gum chewer!

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Thanks for this, we're leaving in 2 weeks for Disney!

In my research, I came across a lot of Disney "lifetimers" (those who go every year or multiple times a year) that say you do NOT need a Dr.'s excuse to get accomodations for your child. In fact, Disney does not want to see it. They are not legally allowed to judge whether or not you meet any disability requirements.

All you need to do it describe your situation and ask for the accomodation you may need and you can get a GAC (a card for to grant you these accomodations throughout the parks).

We are probably going to get a GAC, but I'm really not sure it's going to help us. It will allow us to keep our stroller in line (as if it were a wheelchair), but my concern is that Grady has trouble waiting in line and waiting his turn. However, I don't know how to get around that (other than fastpass). They say that disability cards do NOT grant you faster access to the rides/shows. You still have to wait your turn.

So I don't know what's really true. I don't know if they just say that to discourage people from getting a card to try to get through line faster. Or what. My SIL took her kids and her DD was in a wheelchair (had foot surgery) and she got a card and said they never had to wait in line. So I don't know what will happen.

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~Kathy
Grady (DS 5/26/04)
Hailey 9/20/06
Expecting #3 8/1/10

The GAC does not allow you to the front of the lines but in most cases they do allow you in through the handicapped access line which is usually much shorter.In the case where you have to wait in the regular line, the cast members must allow you to wait in an alternate place, until it is time for your turn.In most cases, if you have a GAC and you explain the situation the CM's are generally very accomidating.

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Mom to Hannah(11)DS and Logan (7)

Don't wait until you go to talk to guest services - call them as part of your trip planning. Also find out what the weather will be like when you go - it can get hot and you want a plan for preventing overheating and to know where the cooling stations are etc.

Have fun! I'm so jealous, can't wait until we can go!

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Anara
Wife to Craig (wed 3.8.03)
Mom to Clara (DS, Autism, born 8.8.05), Alan Russell (born 3.9.07)

Visit us on Facebook - I finally caved in!
Or my blog: able2able... your special needs resource directory http://www.able2able.com

I don't know if it's the same with the real Disneyland, but when we went to Disneyland, Paris, we didn't queue for anything. We were given a fast pass for the 5 of us, and we went to the exit of every ride and avoided all the queues. It was fantastic. Seriously! My girls absolutley loved their brother that holiday!!! We took a certificate of Matt's disability benefit. We also showed our mobility pass and were able to park our car right next to the entrance. And for every 'Meet and Greet' we avoided the queues and sat in the special needs area for the processions, and ALL the characters came up to us (as opposed to one of two for the general population)! Was fantastic. Absolutely brilliant. Hope its the same in US!

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Helen

Mum to ...
Rachael Kinza (25/07/01), Matthew Isaac - DS & Autism - (14/06/03) and Hannah Cerys (14/06/05) - my gorgeous kids!

Hannah's Mom described how it is at Disneyland/California Adventure. The main thing it does is accomodate you to use the stroller in line. On the older rides, you enter through the exit and wait in what is usually a shorter line, but they also "work you in" with the regular line, so line length isn't always a shorter wait. At the newer attractions, you plug along with everyone else, with accommodation made for the particular ride wait setup(read stroller logistics). . . I found it to be fair, and (curmudgeon that I am, expected the opposite) found each and every ride operator to be glad to see us, not one acted as if we were inconveniencing them in any way.
I didn't have to provide any sort of Dr's info, I merely walked into Guest Services with Emma.

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Nature goes her own way and all that to us seems an exception is really according to order.
-Goethe

The gal who gave this talk is a travel agent who specializes in Disney and has visited a ridiculous number of times. She also has a 6-yr old daughter with Ds. She's been to Disney FOUR TIMES since having her daughter. Her personal experience was that for the rides that offer the Fast Pass, you must use the Fast Pass line. Rides without a Fast Pass line, you may show up at the ride's exit with your card and they will let you on.

She also said Disney is GREAT at accomodating special diets!!!

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Marlene, mommy to my precious Aleena (1/30/04)

That is acurate.It's like a fast pass but without any specific time. I think I posted this before. We went spur of the moment when we were in Miami. I went to guet services right inside the entrance. We were with 5 kids & the pass is only for 6. The guy at guest services said they can only do 6 but not toworry all the rides will let 7 . It was so great. They were all really nice(my big kids want to know what they take every morning to be that cheery). You get in first even by the characters. We saw people sitting on the floor waiting for 45 min to see Mickey, Minnie, the fairries... We waited 5 min, at most. My kids think we should rent out Netanel.

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Married ,Mommy to 8
girl 24 married with dd & baby boy 3/21/09, boy23 married with baby boy 11/30/08, boy 21, girl 18,girl 16, boy 13, boy 11, Netanel 4 with Down syn

We were able to get the pass with ease from guest relations at WDW for alternative entrances where available. However, to get it honored was a differenct story. We were asked..."Can your child walk?" Which was yes and then we were ushered to the general line or told to obtain a fast pass. After trying to explain the reason for the alternative entrance was not mobility but for behaviour with crowds over and over...we gave up! How degrading to have to prove to each cast member that your son has a disability. I guess they didn't really look to see that Nate had a disability or Down syndrome. We just tried hard to not get the lines bunched up too tight as Nate does not take to crowds and if he is bumped in to by a bag or person he will just haul out and automatically hit or yell out "naughty!". We also made sure he was in the best mode by keeping attention to time between meals and drinks. Good luck!

The individuals who were waiting in the alternative lines...exits and fast pass lines had obvious disabilities physical and psychological. There wait was also a wait...they did not just let them right on the ride.

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Sherry
Evan 10, Olivia 9, and Nate 6*

Hosted on Fotki

We have used the GAC the past 2 years with Joey and none of the CM have ever given us a hard time, if anything, they are asking if htere is anything else they could do for us! They have always been over accomodating. We have either gone in through the exit or through the fast pass line (sometimes with the stroller and sometimes without). Once we waited to see Mickey in ToonTown in the long line but we were able to keep Joey in the umbrella stroller.

Also if your child is a runner, like ours....even though we tend to keep him inthe stroller, we found temporay tattoos at safetytat.com that say "If lost, please call.......(with our cell phone #). Inexpensive and have last for a few trips to Disney.

We also bring our own umbrella stroller as they are most tired at the end of the day and carry them back to the hotel, from the bus or boat, at the end of the day is tiring for all and children are super heavy when they are sleeping!

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~Melissa~ Mom to David (11) and Joey~Ds(6) and wife to Michael

I never updated here but we had a great time in Disney. We got the GAC and it was a lifesaver. We didn't know for sure how much accomodation we'd get because we'd heard so many different stories.

However, it was very easy to get. They just asked us what we needed it for and I told them "he gets tired very quickly when walking/standing for long periods of time" or something like. She was like "ok" and gave us the stuff to use our stroller in line and in handicap entrances.

So, I assumed we'd still have to wait in regular lines but that wasn't the case. All we did was hold us the GAC as we came to a CM and they directed us in the handicap entrance and we were always the next to get on the ride.

A few times they asked us if he could transfer (get out of the stroller to get on the ride) and we said yes, he could. I mean, really, even if he couldn't walk, we could carry him from the stroller to the ride since he's so little.

I don't think we waited in line more than 5 minutes for any ride. We definately did not expect such amazing accomodations, but we sure were thankful to have them.

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~Kathy
Grady (DS 5/26/04)
Hailey 9/20/06
Expecting #3 8/1/10

Wow that is great to hear, my daughter is truly going to be a hero to her sister and brother. It is nice to see that places like Disneyland still take care of special needs

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