If you're a family with special needs children, planning a trip to Disney can be a little scary. While there are parks, transportation, and long lines to consider, the most magical place on earth is actually extremely accommodating when it comes to making your trip as seamless as possible.
My son has a rare kidney disease that makes it impossible for him to wait in lines due to frequent bathroom trips. And by using Disney's disability pass, we've never had to wait in line for more than 10 minutes. The Disability Access Service Card is available to any family that needs one, including nonapparent disabilities. Just stop by Guest Relations, which is usually located right inside the entrance at every park, at the start of your next trip. For 10 more tips for visiting Disney with a child with disabilities, keep reading.
Make a quick stop by Guest Relations, where you'll be able to get your Disability Access Service Card. After that, you can use your ticket or magic band to reserve a return time for each ride, which means you don't have to spend the wait time actually in line. You can only grab one return time at a time, so choose wisely! Every person in your party will automatically be linked to the card.
We set up fast passes ahead of time and then used the disability pass between each fast pass. Using this method, we never waited more than 10 minutes for a ride and made the most out of our time.
The Disney app is a wonderful resource for so many things. You can view descriptions of every ride and decide ahead of time if it's something your child will be able to enjoy. I like to go through each ride with my children before we enter the park, so they won't be disappointed if there's a ride they may not be able to handle.
The staff at Disney is extremely accommodating and helpful. One day in particular, when it was storming and the ride we had a pass for was shut down, I asked a staff member if we could ride anything else in its place. They let us on any indoor rides we wanted to go on and gave us an additional return time for the ride that was shut down.
I like to plan our trips out before we visit. Using the Disney app, you can get a general idea for what your wait times may be like on the day you visit. I'll have a general timeline in mind, where we go first, which rides we will get a disability pass for, etc. This makes the day much more seamless and easy to navigate.
Just because it's Disney doesn't mean every single ride will have a wait time of 60 minutes or more. If you spot a ride with 15 minutes or less wait time (you'd be surprised at how many there are!), you'll be able to jump right in the fast pass lane for it. This is superhelpful when you have a child with special needs that may not be able to to handle long wait times.
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7Take Breaks as Needed
Image Source: Unsplash / Heather Maguire
One of my favourite ways to get some downtime from the endless walking at Disney is to ride the train at Magic Kingdom. You can enjoy a scenic tour of the park all while sitting and relaxing. It can be a great way to break up the day for anyone, especially those with sensory overload. You can always enjoy some extra stops on the monorail between hopping parks, too!
Book your dining reservations in advance. These are hard to grab last minute — although I have had success a couple of times because of last-minute cancellations. But booking in advance guarantees that you won't miss out on any key Disney moments. You can also call ahead and chat about any dietary restrictions your child may have.
Having a plan is wonderful, but being able to adapt, or having a backup plan, is wise. Brainstorm ideas that work for your entire family, including an indoor pool day at the hotel, hitting up some indoor rides, or catching a show at the park so everyone can sit, rest, and stay dry.
When it comes to special needs, nobody knows your child better than you do. Work with your child to come up with the perfect plan for everyone to have a magical day. Maybe they want to take it slow and enjoy one park per day, or if they're tired and need a break, know where to go to get away from the heat and crowds. Always remember that if you need anything at all, do not be afraid to ask a Cast Member. They are there to help!
