Going to WDW with Autistic + ADHD nephew who’s used to a priority pass at DLP

Noemie

Earning My Ears
Joined
May 9, 2013
My brother’s family and me are annual passholders at Disneyland Paris and regularly visit with my high functioning autistic and ADHD nephew. He has a priority card there which allows us to board any ride very quickly as well as waiting in alternate areas for shows.
I know the DAS doesn’t work like this and I worry about meltdowns when he first experiences this. We will explain it to him before arriving but I don’t know if he will understand what it really means.
Any ideas how to handle this?
 
My brother’s family and me are annual passholders at Disneyland Paris and regularly visit with my high functioning autistic and ADHD nephew. He has a priority card there which allows us to board any ride very quickly as well as waiting in alternate areas for shows.
I know the DAS doesn’t work like this and I worry about meltdowns when he first experiences this. We will explain it to him before arriving but I don’t know if he will understand what it really means.
Any ideas how to handle this?

How old is he? If he's high functioning, he should be able to understand that at a different place things work differently. With DAS and FP+ you will board pretty quickly anyways. If he's been experiencing 'get on immediately' - wow, that does him quite the disservice in life, doesn't it? Does that mean wherever he is he flashes the pass and gets taken care of immediately? What happens when 3-4 people have the same pass?

Perhaps take him out to some places and have him start waiting a bit? the FP+ queues are usually 5 minutes, maybe up to 10 minutes, unless the ride shuts down. How does he handle ride shutdowns at DLP? Or waiting for counter service?
 
He’s 6, will be 7 when we go to WDW next year.
Maybe I didn’t explain it correctly immediate access is mainly for the kids rides that have barely any wait anyway. For some others he goes through the FP line and is fine with waiting 10-15 minutes if we notify people standing around us to leave a 3ft gap between us. He doesn’t tolerate crowded spaces well and we’ve found this to be very helpful.
What I really meant is that I worry about return times if they’re too long. I’m not sure he can handle having to wait an hour to do something.

In Paris we usually handle counter service by having one adult playing outdoors or at a table with him while the other gets the food.
Ride shutdowns have caused meltdowns in the past, now he understands them better but it always takes a CM explaining the situation to him. He simply won’t believe us and needs to know for sure from the person working there.
 
The DAS program at WDW may be very different from the disability program offered at DLP. Is your nephew familiar with any other theme parks or zoos or theaters, or other such places where there are lines for activities? I wouldn't compare it to his experience at DLP as that may cause confusion.

Another person can approach the attraction to get a DAS Return Time, and your nephew doesn't even need to know about it. Then go about your business with other rides, dining, shopping, etc. until time for the DAS Return Time. That way he won't be aware of the waiting time. I also suggest that you use other members of your party to create that 3' buffer for him rather than relying on others -- just have someone hang back a bit behind the rest of the party, allowing your nephew to be near the front of your group.

Also, I don't know if DLP has FP+ or any similar program, but you can explain it's a return time just like the FP+ (be sure to scheduled in advance your 3 FP+ for each day). Or maybe he can related to a restaurant reservation, or a show ticket (like a movie or theater) -- "this is the time we go." The main difference is DAS can be used any time after the return time and is not locked into a specific window of time.

Obtaining a DAS at WDW is different than at DLP as well. Be sure his parents are ready to explain his needs and not his diagnosis or presenting a card or letter from the doctor.

Enjoy your vacation!
 
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My brother’s family and me are annual passholders at Disneyland Paris and regularly visit with my high functioning autistic and ADHD nephew. He has a priority card there which allows us to board any ride very quickly as well as waiting in alternate areas for shows.
I know the DAS doesn’t work like this and I worry about meltdowns when he first experiences this. We will explain it to him before arriving but I don’t know if he will understand what it really means.
Any ideas how to handle this?
Would expanding how Disney world and the DAS works ( you go to the ride and then get a return time to come back the is 10 minutes less then you get to ride ) telling him this and then taking him to DLP and saying look this ride is 30 minute wait so if we were in Disney world we would have to wait 20 minutes before riding drying a timer and saying lest go shop look around while we wait. Would this help him
 
Anyone linked to the DAS should be able to get a return time so he does not need to really know that he needs to wait for an hour+ for some rides, although if you want to be sure, you can take his magic band and have it scanned. (we've had some issues with bands that are linked to DAS but they can't seem to assign the time. Yay technology).

We actually had issues with getting INTO the fastpass line itself. I don't know if WDW is giving too many FPs at a time or if the DAS is getting more use, but there were several times we needed to wait 5-10 minutes just to scan the bands at the FP entrance, then another 10-15 in the line itself. At one point the FP+ line just to scan at the Mickey heads was back to the Laugh Floor entrance. We encountered lines like that all over the World.
 
Agreeing with the other posters...
for people familiar with WDW, the disability system at Disneyland Paris works more like WDW’s previous Guest Assistance Card. DL Paris does require proof of disability, but the system in Europe is much different than in America. In Europe, people with disabilities are ‘certified’ as being disabled and do have cards they can present for special treatment and access. Even accessible bathrooms (other than at DL Paris) might not be accessible without having applied for a disability key to use them.
One of the reasons that disability services at DL Paris works differently is that the DL part of the park was built without Mainstream lines and entrances (Mainstream Lines as accessible thru the regular/main line). The Studio part does have Mainstream lines for most attractions.

For the OP, this link has complete information about how the Disability Access Service ((DAS)works at WDW: https://www.disboards.com/threads/w...15-digital-das-on-tickets-magicbands.3178976/
Only the first few posts are up to date, the rest are from just before and just after DAS began.

If he needs separation from others in line, as others posted, the easiest way to get it is to have him toward the front of your group and have the others in your group behind. That way, he controls how far away guests are in front of him and you prevent getting too close from behind.
Another thing that might be helpful is using a stroller as a wheelchair in line. Almost all attractions are wheelchair accessible in the line to the point of boarding. Using a stroller as wheelchair tag is often helpful for people who need separation from other guests. The stroller becomes a ‘safe haven’ for waiting. The tag is requested at Guest Relations and the link above gives information.

As others mentioned, they will want to prearrange the 3 Fastpasses available to every guest. Once those are all used, you can make another Fastpass, one at a time. DAS works best used with Fastpass.

If they have smartphones or a tablet, I’d suggest downloading the My Disney Experience app. It uses WiFi, which is available in the parks. On that app, you can see all of your Fastpasses, the DAS time that has been scheduled and things like current wait times and attractions that are not running (whether for a renovation or temporary outage).
The app also includes restaurant menus and allows guests to preorder their food at a variety of counter service restaurants.

So, even though it works different at WDW, there are a lot of tools you can use.
 


Thanks for all the advice!
To be honest we feel DLP spoils us too much as with his “green card” my nephew has a lot of advantages. If we wanted to we could even use the disabled line at quick service restaurants... we don’t do this as we feel other guests probably need it more as my nephew simply waits elsewhere.

I totally understand how the DAS works as it’s very similar to my “orange card” (easier access instead of priority access) that I get for my PTSD and ADHD and agree that it already is a very useful tool. I would be totally satisfied with this if my nephew didn’t know anything else.
I will definitely use FP+ and hope my nephew will be ok with the pre-booked Fastpasses. Worst case scenario is we change them on our phones.

As for the 3’ buffer: we implement it as a group, but sometimes the adults are tired of riding Dumbo and only one adult will ride with him. Also Europeans can be quite pushy and explaining the situation tends to help a lot. We don’t rely on others to accomodate his needs in line, but more often than not a short explanation goes a long way.

Practicing waiting before going on rides at DLP also sounds like a great idea. My nephew won’t know about WDW before next summer as we’re going for Halloween 2018 and the long wait would be very frustrating for him. Hopefully we can go a couple times to DLP when he knows and maybe use my orange card to practice. We won’t practice mainstream lines at DLP as using his pass allows CM to know he has special needs in case of a breakdown.

He also uses a stroller at DLP and if he still needs it next year we’ll rent one off-site for him.

I think everything will work out fine, but I like to have as much knowledge and ideas as possible to be prepared for the worst case scenario.
 
If you are renting a stroller, you can get a stroller as a wheelchair tag as well. That will allow you to take the stroller in line and help with the "buffer" issue. I don't think you'll get much flack from people in line with a 3 foot buffer but you may get some from cast members as they REALLY like to squash as many people in as possible sometimes and will repeatedly ask you to "fill in all available space"
 
He’s 6, will be 7 when we go to WDW next year.
Maybe I didn’t explain it correctly immediate access is mainly for the kids rides that have barely any wait anyway. For some others he goes through the FP line and is fine with waiting 10-15 minutes if we notify people standing around us to leave a 3ft gap between us. He doesn’t tolerate crowded spaces well and we’ve found this to be very helpful.
What I really meant is that I worry about return times if they’re too long. I’m not sure he can handle having to wait an hour to do something.

In Paris we usually handle counter service by having one adult playing outdoors or at a table with him while the other gets the food.
Ride shutdowns have caused meltdowns in the past, now he understands them better but it always takes a CM explaining the situation to him. He simply won’t believe us and needs to know for sure from the person working there.

6-7 years old on the spectrum can be tricky. Others have given you lots of great advice - stroller as a wheelchair for some buffer space, getting the DAS return time without him knowing, etc. In between time is pretty easy to fill at WDW. Look for water features (fountains/splash pads) if it's hot, Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom at MK, Club Cool at EPCOT, The animal trails at AK. The MDE app is your friend, as it will give you pretty accurate wait times for all attractions.
 
With the line spacing thing, I'm not sure how the CMs run the queues in DLP, but for some of the WDW queues, the CMs repeatedly encourage people to fill in all of the available space (like haunted mansion). It can get really crowded and people bump into you in some queues as a result. Just something to be aware of.
 
With the line spacing thing, I'm not sure how the CMs run the queues in DLP, but for some of the WDW queues, the CMs repeatedly encourage people to fill in all of the available space (like haunted mansion). It can get really crowded and people bump into you in some queues as a result. Just something to be aware of.

In DLP my nephew is not allowed to do the stretching room because of his autism, this is the official Park policy. We always enter through the exit and load into the doombuggies there. Is this a possibility at WDW?
 
In DLP my nephew is not allowed to do the stretching room because of his autism, this is the official Park policy. We always enter through the exit and load into the doombuggies there. Is this a possibility at WDW?
I have never had a problem skipping it some have said they have. When you first enter the the first room stay to your right a CM should be there let them know you would like to skip the stretching room
 
We did WDW last year with my son who is special needs. He also cannot do long lines or closed spaces. He has good and bad days, however. So I was relieved when we discovered how simple it was to accommodate what he needed, and if it changed from day to day. The day we did Haunted Mansion, he could NOT have done the stretching room. We just told the person at the last door, and they showed us an alternate route that took us straight to the ride. If we had not mentioned it, (if it had been a good day) we could have just entered the stretching room with everyone else. Just be aware of the rights and rules--we had one ride attendant try to tell us that they couldn't do what we were asking. We calmly asked for a supervisor, who immediately follow their protocol and allowed us the alternate entrance--no problem. The best part for us about the DAS, was that anyone in our party (myself, my husband or my parents) could take the cards, go to a ride with a long wait, and sign us in. If that ride had a 45 min wait, we were given a return time of 45 minutes later--we showed up and went straight in. So you do your waiting, but somewhere else. Sometimes we were able to get in a ride with a short line, or just looked around the shops or something. And he never knew we were waiting. It helped tons that he never had to approach the long line and walk away again--we sent one person ahead. Just be prepared to speak up and ask. Something else that helped in the short lines we DID wait for--we bought him noise-reduction headphones, sunglasses, and a special chewable necklace. Having those things to reduce some of the noise and visuals, and give him a stimming outlet helped immensely! We went 6 long days without ONE meltdown.
 
We did WDW last year with my son who is special needs. He also cannot do long lines or closed spaces. He has good and bad days, however. So I was relieved when we discovered how simple it was to accommodate what he needed, and if it changed from day to day. The day we did Haunted Mansion, he could NOT have done the stretching room. We just told the person at the last door, and they showed us an alternate route that took us straight to the ride. If we had not mentioned it, (if it had been a good day) we could have just entered the stretching room with everyone else. Just be aware of the rights and rules--we had one ride attendant try to tell us that they couldn't do what we were asking. We calmly asked for a supervisor, who immediately follow their protocol and allowed us the alternate entrance--no problem. The best part for us about the DAS, was that anyone in our party (myself, my husband or my parents) could take the cards, go to a ride with a long wait, and sign us in. If that ride had a 45 min wait, we were given a return time of 45 minutes later--we showed up and went straight in. So you do your waiting, but somewhere else. Sometimes we were able to get in a ride with a short line, or just looked around the shops or something. And he never knew we were waiting. It helped tons that he never had to approach the long line and walk away again--we sent one person ahead. Just be prepared to speak up and ask. Something else that helped in the short lines we DID wait for--we bought him noise-reduction headphones, sunglasses, and a special chewable necklace. Having those things to reduce some of the noise and visuals, and give him a stimming outlet helped immensely! We went 6 long days without ONE meltdown.
What is the stretching room please?
 
We did WDW last year with my son who is special needs. He also cannot do long lines or closed spaces. He has good and bad days, however. So I was relieved when we discovered how simple it was to accommodate what he needed, and if it changed from day to day. The day we did Haunted Mansion, he could NOT have done the stretching room. We just told the person at the last door, and they showed us an alternate route that took us straight to the ride. If we had not mentioned it, (if it had been a good day) we could have just entered the stretching room with everyone else. Just be aware of the rights and rules--we had one ride attendant try to tell us that they couldn't do what we were asking. We calmly asked for a supervisor, who immediately follow their protocol and allowed us the alternate entrance--no problem. The best part for us about the DAS, was that anyone in our party (myself, my husband or my parents) could take the cards, go to a ride with a long wait, and sign us in. If that ride had a 45 min wait, we were given a return time of 45 minutes later--we showed up and went straight in. So you do your waiting, but somewhere else. Sometimes we were able to get in a ride with a short line, or just looked around the shops or something. And he never knew we were waiting. It helped tons that he never had to approach the long line and walk away again--we sent one person ahead. Just be prepared to speak up and ask. Something else that helped in the short lines we DID wait for--we bought him noise-reduction headphones, sunglasses, and a special chewable necklace. Having those things to reduce some of the noise and visuals, and give him a stimming outlet helped immensely! We went 6 long days without ONE meltdown.

That was SO SWEET of the person at the last door! I miss the GAC, but long live the DAS!

And to realfoodfans, it's the room everyone goes into at the beginning, with no windows, and no doors. (It might not be really stretching - it could be just your imagination. Mwahahaha!!! :teeth:)
 
That was SO SWEET of the person at the last door! I miss the GAC, but long live the DAS!

And to realfoodfans, it's the room everyone goes into at the beginning, with no windows, and no doors. (It might not be really stretching - it could be just your imagination. Mwahahaha!!! :teeth:)
I haven't been in there and didn't FP+ it as I thought it wouldn't suit the youngest DGC - however my grandson (who has Dyspraxia and SPD on the autism spectrum) has watched it on YouTube and says he really wants to ride it! I'm hoping we can get DAS for him then when we've done our FP someone can take him there :)
 
I haven't been in there and didn't FP+ it as I thought it wouldn't suit the youngest DGC - however my grandson (who has Dyspraxia and SPD on the autism spectrum) has watched it on YouTube and says he really wants to ride it! I'm hoping we can get DAS for him then when we've done our FP someone can take him there :)
Wooooohoooooo!
By the way, have you checked out this post about a (still under construction) guide to the Disney parks, for Autistics by Autistics? (The title says it's for Autistic adults, but it might help your grandson too.)
https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...or-autistics-by-autistics-needs-help.3634686/
 
Wooooohoooooo!
By the way, have you checked out this post about a (still under construction) guide to the Disney parks, for Autistics by Autistics? (The title says it's for Autistic adults, but it might help your grandson too.)
https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...or-autistics-by-autistics-needs-help.3634686/
Thank you yes I've seen that. His Mummy is amazing with him and always knows when he has a wobble and just needs to withdraw - they did it when we were at an event recently and his little sister and I were able to carry on - that's how we will try to keep them both having an amazing trip this time :)
 
What is the stretching room please?

At Haunted Mansion, you walk the line to the mansion. Once inside, you are SQUISHED into this round room with portraits and the wall closes behind you. The room "stretches" upward, revealing that the people in the portraits are actually in dangerous positions. All the while this is happening, and BOOMING "creepy" voice is talking about the people. The very tight squeeze, and the very loud voice, were not something he could handle when he was already a little nervous about riding the "scary" ride. When the room is done "stretching", a different wall opens, and you enter onto a moving sidewalk, where you get into a vehicle for the ride. We bypassed the stretching room via a short walkway that took us around it. Basically, we entered the moving sidewalk room through the door that lets you "chicken out" and leave the ride is.
 

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