Disneyland/Theme Park Anxiety

[MrsD.Duck]

Yes we are taking two days to drive this time! Soooo not worth doing it in one day. 16 hours in the car will start to mess with ya

It does we leave about 4 in the morning gets us through the passes before Grants pass before heavy traffic. We stay at the bottom of the grapevine at the Ramada, nice motel, then in the morning you can get over the graoevine before traffic which is nice because that part just freaks me out.

 

[smartlabelprint]

I agree about a longer relaxing drive. Does a plane cause too much anxiety?

I also agree about getting a das if Less close quarters with other guests will help.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

OP has stated that she knows her triggers -- this is a great help. Knowing coping strategies is another great help -- almost any CS restaurant will give free cups of ice water (just ask!) and a hot tea break while people watching can be very restful any time of day! Also, know the location of First Aid in both parks. The nurses there are super nice and ready to help at a moment's notice. If you need to lie down in a quiet place, they can give you a cot with the curtains drawn for privacy. Just explain your situation -- they are ready to help! Ear plugs, dark sunglasses (even on rides to help filter the stimulation), and aromatherapy can help, too. There is nothing wrong with not doing "everything" at DLR -- taking breathers and resting can be very enjoyable and fun, too. Choosing not to do everything just gives you more reasons to plan another trip in the future!

 

[cruisehopeful]

What I have found that works for anxiety and pretty much everything else is just taking very good care of myself. Keeping hydrated, keeping snacks handy (never letting blood sugar drop), getting enough sleep and enough exercise. Do these things well in advance of the visit and then keep water and snacks with you at all times.

You could also try CBD oil. It's the non hallucingenic part of the marijuana plant. I take it for fibromyalgia, but may people take it for anxiety. It may even help with the excitement before the trip.

When I was a kid, I used to get super excited about going to a dance or a party, etc. Right before I went, I would get all the IBS symptoms and then think I wouldn't be able to go. It was so frustrating. I would eventually suck it up and just go and eventually it would clear and I would be fine. I also found that when I have anxiety, it helps to tell the people around me. Not sure why but I guess it's like letting go of a burden. Good luck and focus on keeping yourself feeling your best rather than having to do something.

 

[gottalovepluto]

The train is a relaxing & long ride. Mark Twain is also nice. Main St vehicles are all neat.

To avoid crowds I would normally advise rope drop but for you I would skip it. As a PP mentioned rope drop can be it’s own trigger for anxiety.

DLH Coffee Bar has the exact same Dole Whip as the park without the insanity!

Consider trying MP your first day. For you I think this is beneficial solely because you won’t have to walk through the crowds and to a ride twice in order to use FP. Don’t worry about getting the most use out of it or trying to hit the max amount of rides, just try it at your convenience for the first day & see if it helps.

The shops are quietest in the morning. My last trip the shops seemed packed afternoon & evenings, were much more enjoyable to meander in the mornings.

 

[Cubbiecakes]

Xanax does wonders.

 

[V.I.N.CENT.]

Try an app called Headspace. They have an anxiety module. I went through many treatment methods, meditation finally helped me manage my anxiety. Note, I mentioned "managed". Helped me to understand that it will never totally go away, everyone has it to some extent.

 

[Nathalie Olds]

Try an app called Headspace. They have an anxiety module. I went through many treatment methods, meditation finally helped me manage my anxiety. Note, I mentioned "managed". Helped me to understand that it will never totally go away, everyone has it to some extent.

i LOVEEEEEE Headspace! It has helped me greatly. I've been using it for about two years and now when I fly I turn it on and the second I hear the voice I start to feel more calm.

 

[Nathalie Olds]

The train is a relaxing & long ride. Mark Twain is also nice. Main St vehicles are all neat.

To avoid crowds I would normally advise rope drop but for you I would skip it. As a PP mentioned rope drop can be it’s own trigger for anxiety.

DLH Coffee Bar has the exact same Dole Whip as the park without the insanity!

Consider trying MP your first day. For you I think this is beneficial solely because you won’t have to walk through the crowds and to a ride twice in order to use FP. Don’t worry about getting the most use out of it or trying to hit the max amount of rides, just try it at your convenience for the first day & see if it helps.

The shops are quietest in the morning. My last trip the shops seemed packed afternoon & evenings, were much more enjoyable to meander in the mornings.

These are great tips! I have been considering MP actually. It seems it would be beneficial for me. Also love the idea of browsing a quiet Main St. shop in the morning

 

[Niltiac]

I have been considering MP actually. It seems it would be beneficial for me.

If you can work it into the budget, definitely consider MP. If you have to leave to go for a walk or take a break, even if you leave the park altogether, you can still be collecting FP for later. Have your fiancé learn how to use MP so that if the need arises you can focus on managing your anxiety and they can handle the app. We did this on our last trip, after a little panic attack my partner was wiped out and took a nap, and I watched TV and lined up a bunch of rides for the evening. After the nap she was feeling better and we had plenty of FP.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

For the OP: I noticed that you asked about Uber/Lyft drop off on Harbor in another thread. Since this will be during Holiday Time, you might want to consider an alternate drop off if the crowds at the Harbor bag check are bad. When the Harbor bag check is backed up, it can be rather stressful. You can be dropped off at the DTD bag check (usually very light crowds there -- and lines move quickly). The DTD lot has a short grace period (up to 15 minutes, I think), so the driver shouldn't have to pay anything if the drop off is fast. If you see lines at the DTD bag check, just walk around the ESPN Zone building to the DLH bag check -- usually no crowds there, either. Then stroll through DTD to the gates.

 

[Nathalie_Rae]

For the OP: I noticed that you asked about Uber/Lyft drop off on Harbor in another thread. Since this will be during Holiday Time, you might want to consider an alternate drop off if the crowds at the Harbor bag check are bad. When the Harbor bag check is backed up, it can be rather stressful. You can be dropped off at the DTD bag check (usually very light crowds there -- and lines move quickly). The DTD lot has a short grace period (up to 15 minutes, I think), so the driver shouldn't have to pay anything if the drop off is fast. If you see lines at the DTD bag check, just walk around the ESPN Zone building to the DLH bag check -- usually no crowds there, either. Then stroll through DTD to the gates.

Thank you!! That is extremely helpful actually.

 

[lalasmama]

Hi everyone This feels a bit scary to put myself out there but I thought this might be a good place to find some help/someone who can relate.

Last year my finace and I went to DLR after my college gradation. I hadn't been to a Disney Park in 7 years and since then I've developed Generalized Anxiety from various life situations. Anyway, I was so excited for the trip, planned for months, stayed up all night with anticipation. Then when we got to the park, I totally shut down. I think the sounds/sights/stimulation was all so overwhelming...not to mention the major life event of graduating, lack of sleep and 15 hour drive from Portland the day before.

Everything left me a wreck. It was like I suddenly had ride anxiety (never had that before since I was a child). I had a panic attack on Pirates (my favorite) and it took me three times to get on TMR (my other favorite!). On top of it, I have a condition called IBS (look it up if you don't know) that can be triggered by stress. That made it very hard to get on rides when feeling so uncomfortable.

That was over a year ago, and I've been going to counseling regularly and feel like my anxiety levels are generally lower. BUT my trip is coming up in about 3 weeks and I'm getting nervous I might not do well again so I wanted to ask if anyone has experienced theme park/vacation/DLR anxiety and what they do to help. WHEW, that was long. But any feedback would be appreciated

Over-planning always gets my anxiety going. Easier said than done, I know. It's such a frustrating catch-22 for me! And, like you, the anxiety starts, and then the IBS acts up! Ugh!

My partner has anxiety problems.

Before our first trip I looked at maps and anecdotes, and made myself a mental list of relatively quiet spots in various areas of the park so we could "escape" easily, and she said that made a huge difference. There's a thread here somewhere where a bunch of people listed their favorite quiet spots so I've recently added a lot to my mental list. She can't always think clearly when she's overwhelmed so after it gets to a certain point I just have to take charge and bring her somewhere where she can calm down, or make the call that we need to leave the parks.

A big thing she has to remember is to kind of stop and check in with herself throughout the day. She gets little physical signs that a panic attack is building, but with all the distractions in the parks it's easy to miss them. Things definitely go better if we catch the problem early and take a break before it gets bad.

Another thing to keep in mind is to manage expectations. This is something I actually struggle with more than she does. When we're at the parks, I want to get up and out the door for opening, make good use of time, etc., but all of that isn't worth the risk of triggering her anxiety. When we're running late, or we're missing our FP window because we're not up for it, or things just aren't going how I planned, I really have to remind myself to watch my outward queues and relax a bit because my nervous energy affects her. Otherwise a minor setback will turn into something much bigger. If you're the "go go go" person in your group, these are good things to keep in mind. And if someone else is that person, it would be good to have a conversation about to what extent that stress affects you and how you can avoid escalating your anxiety. For us, it's a lot of back and forth. She needs to let me know when she's starting to feel anxious, and I need to take that seriously and really slow things down until she's doing better.

This is a lot like my husband and I. My anxiety acts up if I think that my anxiety is affecting others, so I tend to ignore it when I think it's at a tolerable level, and "suddenly" we're in full-panic mode. I'm bawling in the middle of a walkway, because "clearly" I've ruined everyone's vacation because we had to stop and grab a soda to give me a break from the stimulation of the parks. Hubs is ridiculously understanding and compassionate, but if I've missed my anxiety cues, and he's really excited/happy-anxious about whatever, then it's pretty much guaranteed that when I crash, it's going to be a bad one, because, again, "I've ruined everyone's vacation." So, I have to remember to survey my anxiety levels, and my husband has to really listen so we can both catch it before I believe I've "ruined" the whole vacation.

It really is a challenge to slow down when you're excited to be there. I'm not very good at it. Sometimes I feel oddly guilty, like we spent money to be here and we're "supposed" to be doing lots of stuff, not just sitting and watching the ducks. When I want to "go go go" but I know we need to slow down and take a break, sometimes I distract myself with a book so I'm not just sitting there thinking about all the things we're not doing.

While I have the anxiety in my marriage, I'm also the go-go-go one, thinking of all the things we aren't doing because I needed a quiet space and a moment to recollect myself... which then makes things worse, of course! Hubs and I both carry a book in the parks with us, so if I need that quiet time, I don't feel like he's staring at me, waiting for me to "be better." We can both sit and read until I feel better.

OP has stated that she knows her triggers -- this is a great help. Knowing coping strategies is another great help -- almost any CS restaurant will give free cups of ice water (just ask!) and a hot tea break while people watching can be very restful any time of day! Also, know the location of First Aid in both parks. The nurses there are super nice and ready to help at a moment's notice. If you need to lie down in a quiet place, they can give you a cot with the curtains drawn for privacy. Just explain your situation -- they are ready to help! Ear plugs, dark sunglasses (even on rides to help filter the stimulation), and aromatherapy can help, too. There is nothing wrong with not doing "everything" at DLR -- taking breathers and resting can be very enjoyable and fun, too. Choosing not to do everything just gives you more reasons to plan another trip in the future!

This is a great reminder. Hubs has actually worked on "training" my grandkids before our trips to "make" me drink water. Grandpa reminds them to drink, they hand me the water bottle and tell me to drink, I drink, then they drink, then they pass it back to me for another drink. It started as a joke, but it quickly became a little routine to keep us all better hydrated (and less cranky!). I also carry my essential oils (specifically, citrus, which I've made a part of my meditation routine), so that if I'm on a solo trip and need to re-center, I can sit down, take a few deep breaths with my oils, and bring myself to a calmer place fairly easily if I noticed my anxiety in time.

 

[tarheelalum]

I've dealt with aniexty off and on for years. I've taken various prescription meds for it over the years but I've learned the most effective way to deal with it is eating a diet low in sugar, caffeine and exercising daily. Now its hard to eat a diet low in sugar at Disneyland but you will get your exercising in by all of the walking. Also taking a few supplements can help a lot. High doses of fish oil help a lot. And for short term use 5 HTP is very helpful in reducing aniexty. Just try to avoid alcohol if your taking it and don't take more than 200 mg per day. For longer term use ashwagandha is very effective in reducing aniexty. In my experience its just as effective as an SSRI or xanax for prevention of aniexty without the bad side effects or concerns with addiction.

 

[krd315]

OP I am glad you got a lot of great advice and ideas here. I hope you have a great trip. Thank you for posting the questions and thanks to all the posters who responded. My 13 y/o granddaughter has GAD and crowds are a big trigger for her so I am worried about our trip next year. This thread really helps with my planning!

 

[amyamya]

I totally understand this, because DLR is my favorite place on earth, but also one that makes me anxious. I had a terrible experience being stuck in a mass of people on Main Street so after that, I always avoid places after parades and nighttime entertainment. This is crucial. You must be aware what time things are happening and over, and avoid those areas at all costs. I also get very anxious waiting to ride Soarin' since I am terrified of heights. I use Bach's Rescue Remedy before I ride that ride--BOTTOM ROW ONLY. My kids have a choice, ride on the top row alone or ride on the bottom row with mom. I spray the Rescue Remedy under my tongue and it is really calming. You can buy it on Amazon or any health food store.