First time to Disney with ADHDer

[Workingmama13]

Hi, I have been to Disney several times, but we are planning a trip to Disney World in the fall with my 5 year old who has severe adhd. She is medicated but still gets very agitated and has meltdowns when things don’t go exactly her way. I have read about the DAC and think it would help. Have any of you gotten it due to adhd? I was thinking of bringing a doctors note of her diagnosis. Would that help? Would they also give me a wheelchair pass for my stroller at guest services? I can just picture toward the end of the day her waiting in line standing and throwing herself on the ground screaming, pulling down the ropes and whining uncontrollably. I just want to have a good trip Advice appreciated.

 

[lanejudy]

I’m moving this to the main disABILITIES Forum

A doctor’s note won’t help. Have you seen the sticky pinned to the top of the disABILITIES Forum? https://www.disboards.com/threads/w...15-digital-das-on-tickets-magicbands.3178976/

As to whether DAS may help for ADHD, it’s going to depend on the individual. DAS is not diagnosis-based but needs-based. My DD has an ADHD diagnosis, but the DAS would be of no value for her ADHD. Think of your child’s specific challenges in a standard queue environment. If a stroller-as-wheelchair tag would help, that may be all you need. If not, be sure to explain her needs that cannot be met by the stroller tag.

The end of a long day is hard for lots of people. I highly recommend not planning to push your child’s limits with a long day. Head back to the resort before she’s had too much. It will make for a happier experience for all. Don’t stress over what you might “miss” as trying to push that limit to do more won’t give anyone good memories of those extras.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Hi, I have been to Disney several times, but we are planning a trip to Disney World in the fall with my 5 year old who has severe adhd. She is medicated but still gets very agitated and has meltdowns when things don’t go exactly her way. I have read about the DAC and think it would help. Have any of you gotten it due to adhd? I was thinking of bringing a doctors note of her diagnosis. Would that help? Would they also give me a wheelchair pass for my stroller at guest services? I can just picture toward the end of the day her waiting in line standing and throwing herself on the ground screaming, pulling down the ropes and whining uncontrollably. I just want to have a good trip Advice appreciated.

even if you get DAS or stroller as a wheelchair, they will not help you leaving the park with lines for transportation be it tram, bus, boat or monorail. you will still have to fold stroller where required on buses and boats and that will be before you load. as others have said doctor's note will not be looked at so it is no help even if doctor says it will. one for help in lines is she near height requirement for any of rides that she will want to ride? because if she wont stand at measuring bar she will not be allowed to ride even if just got off and back in line. would practice hitting the bar because ducking under will get her not being able to ride. plan on her having to get out of stroller to be measured

 

[gap2368]

As others have said you will not need a Dr note the DAS is need-based. So, your job will be to tell the CM at GR why she will need to wait outside the line and not in the physical line. Even with the DAS she will still have to wait in line (and wait to get on rides). I would not rely too much on the DAS but find other things to help her wait. like does she need to have something to do with her hands a fidge cube might help, does she need something to keep her active like playing heads up or an I spay game, would playing a video game on a phone help. I would talk to her teacher or therapist about idea ( like the PP even with the DAS there will still be lines.

a few other thing do not get her overtired going from park open to park closed is not a good idea, make sure she eats and drinks ( having a hungry tired thirsty child is not good and then add ADHD to this and you know where this is going) if she is on medication you more then likely want her to stay on this ( but I would talk to the dr.)

I know a family with a child with ASD and ADHDthey use the DAS for any ride line longer than 45 minutes and anything under they will do standby ( they find this works for them because otherwise there child will say they want to ride XYZ and then walk passes ABC and want to do this. They also let the child play a game on their tablet after they have waited for at least 15 minutes.

I hope this helps.

 

[DisneyOma]

Hi, I have been to Disney several times, but we are planning a trip to Disney World in the fall with my 5 year old who has severe adhd. She is medicated but still gets very agitated and has meltdowns when things don’t go exactly her way. I have read about the DAC and think it would help. Have any of you gotten it due to adhd? I was thinking of bringing a doctors note of her diagnosis. Would that help? Would they also give me a wheelchair pass for my stroller at guest services? I can just picture toward the end of the day her waiting in line standing and throwing herself on the ground screaming, pulling down the ropes and whining uncontrollably. I just want to have a good trip Advice appreciated.

Is she in school yet? If so, ask her teacher for some strategies, as I'm sure they have some.

 

[Workingmama13]

Thanks for the great info! Reading your feedback makes me think we don’t need a dac but a wheelchair tag for our stroller. I think that and an iPad would work so she can zone in a comfortable place while we wait. She is medicated and we plan to stick with that during the trip. We also plan to only stay until mid afternoon and skip night activities.

Thanks all!

 

[gap2368]

Thanks for the great info! Reading your feedback makes me think we don’t need a dac but a wheelchair tag for our stroller. I think that and an iPad would work so she can zone in a comfortable place while we wait. She is medicated and we plan to stick with that during the trip. We also plan to only stay until mid afternoon and skip night activities.

Thanks all!

If you find she needs more help you can go back to GR and talk to them you might find having one sleep in day and doing night time things fun too. The MK fireworks are very cool. But you know your child if this would work.

 

[cobright]

My girl kiddo has add and frustrates easily which has posed some challenges on our Disney vacations in the past. Here's a few things that have helped us through the years, at Disney and elsewhere.

1. Get your kiddo's buy-in whenever possible. Offer a pair or trio of doable activities at a time and ask which she would like to do. Plan in advance only things you have some control over like fast passes and dining. Don't talk up something then find out the line is too long or whatever.
2. Build up reasonable expectations now before you go. But just as important is to frame the vacation as a whole as something she's getting. So now, without the immediate drama of some specific plan falling through, do you best to convey that changes in plans are part of the excitement. Like a game, you have to lose a few rounds or it's not really any fun. Then, when something does go pear shaped (and I recommend you orchestrate a failure early to drive this home) you can share the disappointment and also the fun of replacing that lost activity with something else.
3. This part is a parenting style choice we made and it's not for everyone. We did not tolerate public tantrums, not one. A tantrum is your child attempting to hold you hostage with social pressure. Give in or she'll scream in fro the of all these people. That cannot be allowed to work, ever, or it becomes a lever she will use against your parenting. Public tantrums were countered by hoisting my child up and walking her somewhere else. Leave whatever you're doing, shopping, eating, line for a ride, whatever. Walk out, find an out of the way place and tell her you'll wait for her to wrap that up or you'll be going back to the hotel for a rest. Always follow through. ADD kids tend to have crappy impulse control but they will make good decisions if you give them a little extra time to do so.
4. Kind of a reiteration but frame as much as possible as choices she gets to make, including conflict management. "What do you think we should do about ___________?" In a crisis you want to challenge her like this until you get "I don't know." as an answer. Once that happens it's like the key turns in the lock and you can change the narrative how you like, "well how about we find something just as fun...” and failing that, "Do you think we should just head out and try again tomorrow?" will do well to hit the reset button.
5. Parent dirty. Cajole subtly. Coerce covertly. Bribe when you need to. Threaten only what you have the stones to follow through on.
6. Finally, set some $$ aside for Uber rides. Might be the best $10-20 a day you spend.

Good luck.

 

[mamabunny]

My girl kiddo has add and frustrates easily which has posed some challenges on our Disney vacations in the past. Here's a few things that have helped us through the years, at Disney and elsewhere.

1. Get your kiddo's buy-in whenever possible. Offer a pair or trio of doable activities at a time and ask which she would like to do. Plan in advance only things you have some control over like fast passes and dining. Don't talk up something then find out the line is too long or whatever.
2. Build up reasonable expectations now before you go. But just as important is to frame the vacation as a whole as something she's getting. So now, without the immediate drama of some specific plan falling through, do you best to convey that changes in plans are part of the excitement. Like a game, you have to lose a few rounds or it's not really any fun. Then, when something does go pear shaped (and I recommend you orchestrate a failure early to drive this home) you can share the disappointment and also the fun of replacing that lost activity with something else.
3. This part is a parenting style choice we made and it's not for everyone. We did not tolerate public tantrums, not one. A tantrum is your child attempting to hold you hostage with social pressure. Give in or she'll scream in fro the of all these people. That cannot be allowed to work, ever, or it becomes a lever she will use against your parenting. Public tantrums were countered by hoisting my child up and walking her somewhere else. Leave whatever you're doing, shopping, eating, line for a ride, whatever. Walk out, find an out of the way place and tell her you'll wait for her to wrap that up or you'll be going back to the hotel for a rest. Always follow through. ADD kids tend to have crappy impulse control but they will make good decisions if you give them a little extra time to do so.
4. Kind of a reiteration but frame as much as possible as choices she gets to make, including conflict management. "What do you think we should do about ___________?" In a crisis you want to challenge her like this until you get "I don't know." as an answer. Once that happens it's like the key turns in the lock and you can change the narrative how you like, "well how about we find something just as fun...” and failing that, "Do you think we should just head out and try again tomorrow?" will do well to hit the reset button.
5. Parent dirty. Cajole subtly. Coerce covertly. Bribe when you need to. Threaten only what you have the stones to follow through on.
6. Finally, set some $$ aside for Uber rides. Might be the best $10-20 a day you spend.

Good luck.

Our go-to response when things go south in an unexpected fashion? "If this is the worst thing that happens to us today, we are lucky!" Our daughter grew up knowing that a bump in the road wasn't the end of the journey.

Never more true than while standing in the middle of Disney World. There's a million other things to do!

 

[Workingmama13]

My girl kiddo has add and frustrates easily which has posed some challenges on our Disney vacations in the past. Here's a few things that have helped us through the years, at Disney and elsewhere.

1. Get your kiddo's buy-in whenever possible. Offer a pair or trio of doable activities at a time and ask which she would like to do. Plan in advance only things you have some control over like fast passes and dining. Don't talk up something then find out the line is too long or whatever.
2. Build up reasonable expectations now before you go. But just as important is to frame the vacation as a whole as something she's getting. So now, without the immediate drama of some specific plan falling through, do you best to convey that changes in plans are part of the excitement. Like a game, you have to lose a few rounds or it's not really any fun. Then, when something does go pear shaped (and I recommend you orchestrate a failure early to drive this home) you can share the disappointment and also the fun of replacing that lost activity with something else.
3. This part is a parenting style choice we made and it's not for everyone. We did not tolerate public tantrums, not one. A tantrum is your child attempting to hold you hostage with social pressure. Give in or she'll scream in fro the of all these people. That cannot be allowed to work, ever, or it becomes a lever she will use against your parenting. Public tantrums were countered by hoisting my child up and walking her somewhere else. Leave whatever you're doing, shopping, eating, line for a ride, whatever. Walk out, find an out of the way place and tell her you'll wait for her to wrap that up or you'll be going back to the hotel for a rest. Always follow through. ADD kids tend to have crappy impulse control but they will make good decisions if you give them a little extra time to do so.
4. Kind of a reiteration but frame as much as possible as choices she gets to make, including conflict management. "What do you think we should do about ___________?" In a crisis you want to challenge her like this until you get "I don't know." as an answer. Once that happens it's like the key turns in the lock and you can change the narrative how you like, "well how about we find something just as fun...” and failing that, "Do you think we should just head out and try again tomorrow?" will do well to hit the reset button.
5. Parent dirty. Cajole subtly. Coerce covertly. Bribe when you need to. Threaten only what you have the stones to follow through on.
6. Finally, set some $$ aside for Uber rides. Might be the best $10-20 a day you spend.

Good luck.

Wow! Amazing info! And I think most of these tactics would work with my ADHDer. Thank you! Last year we went on a Disney Cruise and several days we had to change our plans because of her behavior and miss things. I am praying with advance planning and expectations it will be a better trip. And I love the Uber plan, never thought of that!

 

[marcyleecorgan]

And also accept that anyone's child is likely to be having a meltdown regardless of ADHD or not. It is a very overstimulating place if you let it be...

And yeah, one "rope-flinging" moment that gets her carried off sobbing and screaming, yeah, it's not the end of all things. My own DD decided that she was D-O-N-E with park touring entirely at like 1 PM when we were only... *gasp and moan* TEN FEET from the queue for M&G with Moana. Moana! But ahhhh you know what? We can laugh about it in hindsight and maybe by the time we go back, Disney will have been able to figure out how to cast a permanent M&G or a Character Meal or like, an upgraded boat ride somewhere... IDK but I look back at it and shake my head that, "WHAT were we as parents thinking, dragging and forcing her through the day when we hadn't consulted her AT ALL about Hollywood Studios?!" It was over 30C for us so she would drop to the ground like a wilted piece of lettuce and refuse to move. She didn't meet height requirements for many of the rides and we had thought that the Toy Story area would have been too similar to the one in Tomorrowland. And she is utterly unimpressed with ANYTHING Star Wars. So we did what we could in the Park, but she really needed a "resort day" and we didn't give it to her, so of course she forced our hand and made us all miserable. Depending on the length of your trip I would definitely build in appropriate BREAK TIME. Even if that is sleeping on the PeopleMover!

 

[arminnie]

My nephew now in his early 30s and not the least bit out of control ever again had the most massive meltdown ever at the DFW airport about 25 years ago.

OMG - I truly thought I was going to be arrested as we waited for his mother to arrive. He screamed “I want my mommy and don’t touch me” for over an hour.

I would have carried him off but I just knew I’d have to deal with authorities if I did that.

My nephew did not have ADHD, nor was he an undisciplined brat - but he still had a one time horrid meltdown. It happens.

My much younger sister was the most easy going child ever. She almost never even cried. But she had an epic meltdown at age 5 (the only one ever) over her cousin pouring her milk. I mean screams and hysteria.

I am sure that somewhere someplace someone has a memory of something horrible I did as a child.

 

[tubbity]

I used DAS for my 8 year old ADHD daughter last year and have to say it was the best decision I could have made.
She really wouldn't have minded waiting in queues, the beauty of not being able to concentrate on anything is she rarely gets worked up by things, by the time it annoys her she is away thinking about other things. But I'm pretty sure the rest of the queue would have minded her being in the queue with them.
She climbs, jumps, and moves constantly so the chance to not have to spend hours telling her off and getting angry for behaviours she has little control over relaxed not only her but the rest of the family.
I don't think a pushchair would have helped her, she'd have been in and out of that and actually probably made things worse as it would have just been something else to knock into the other guests.
Getting the DAS was actually pretty simple. There was a small line waiting for guest services during which time she was literally climbing the walls (I never realised how much she climbed until that holiday). By the time we got to the front of the line the cast member just asked how many are in our party scanned our bands and sent us on our way.

 

[SteveH]

DAS is great thing, the CMs are extremely respectful but they do give you options. Along with your FP+ and planning accordingly, based on your child's own needs. I saw a number of kids with headphones and iPads while waiting in line. Most of the lines for FP+ moved along very quick, but the head phones help address the noise and distraction triggers. But the most important thing is knowing your child's limits and when you need to take a break. I did see a couple of kids that had pretty major melt downs leaving the park, I won't pretend to know happened but I know it wasn't fun for the parents, Disney is easy to get over stimulated at.

Have blast!

 

[DisneyOma]

I used DAS for my 8 year old ADHD daughter last year and have to say it was the best decision I could have made.
She really wouldn't have minded waiting in queues, the beauty of not being able to concentrate on anything is she rarely gets worked up by things, by the time it annoys her she is away thinking about other things. But I'm pretty sure the rest of the queue would have minded her being in the queue with them.
She climbs, jumps, and moves constantly so the chance to not have to spend hours telling her off and getting angry for behaviours she has little control over relaxed not only her but the rest of the family.
I don't think a pushchair would have helped her, she'd have been in and out of that and actually probably made things worse as it would have just been something else to knock into the other guests.
Getting the DAS was actually pretty simple. There was a small line waiting for guest services during which time she was literally climbing the walls (I never realised how much she climbed until that holiday). By the time we got to the front of the line the cast member just asked how many are in our party scanned our bands and sent us on our way.

What does she do in school? Do the teachers have any advice about how to handle the inappropriate climbing, jumping, etc?

 

[michbaron]

This exactly describes my 5-year old son who was just recently diagnosed with ADHD. I’ve been thinking if the DAS will help him on our trip in April. In the past we’ve had to just tell him that we couldn’t wait that the line was too long for something and he’d be disappointed and ask for it on the next trip and knowing this is going to be our last trip for a while I want him to able to experience all the things we’ve had to pass up in the past. And I agree he could probably wait for some extended amount of time on a line but he would be climbing the walls and disturbing to those around us more than our actual family because we’re used to it. The problem would come from having to correct him non-stop for everyone else’s sake. Not very magical for a 5 year old to be reprimanded endlessly for behavior they can’t control. I’m glad to read someone who had a similar experience because I was feeling like maybe he didn’t need the pass because others have such more difficult problems than him.

Also new to posting so don’t know how to use the quote thing but for someone asking about ways to help in school... at times my son has used a spio (compression type) shirt, a weighted bean bag in his lap when trying to sit at a desk or story time and luckily his teacher has made accommodations that he can lay down on the carpet and stuff at reading time or while taking an assessment.

 

[FlyingBelle]

We used DAS for the first time last week and it was life changing. OK, that may be an overstatement, but it did make a world of difference for DD10, who only had one minor meltdown, instead of several major ones (including potty accidents) as she's usually experienced.

The actual DAS system was apparently down while we were there, so we either received a handwritten card with a return time, or they offered us to go directly into the fastpass lane (each ride/cast member handled it a little differently)

For the first time she got to meet Tiana, the past 2 years we've tried, but after 40 minutes in line we had to abandon.

 

[DisneyOma]

We used DAS for the first time last week and it was life changing. OK, that may be an overstatement, but it did make a world of difference for DD10, who only had one minor meltdown, instead of several major ones (including potty accidents) as she's usually experienced.

The actual DAS system was apparently down while we were there, so we either received a handwritten card with a return time, or they offered us to go directly into the fastpass lane (each ride/cast member handled it a little differently)

For the first time she got to meet Tiana, the past 2 years we've tried, but after 40 minutes in line we had to abandon.

It looks like they moved Tiana from the outside/no FP (hence no DAS) pavilion to an inside location that has FP? Wanted to make sure others realize that DAS is not honored at character greets that have no FP queue, meaning the outside ones with limited access to the characters.

 

[FlyingBelle]

It looks like they moved Tiana from the outside/no FP (hence no DAS) pavilion to an inside location that has FP? Wanted to make sure others realize that DAS is not honored at character greets that have no FP queue, meaning the outside ones with limited access to the characters.

She is at Princess Fairytale Hall - at least she was when we were there - with Rapunzel. Yes, it is a fastpass attraction, but we've not wanted to use a fastpass because we're never entirely sure who is going to be there.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

Oh that Tiana photo is lovely! What a great memory!

Ehhh... I try to correct DD somewhat but honestly all kids are wiggly energy monsters in their own way... so unless they are going to hurt themselves or others, best to just get on with life and let them wiggle and keep trying to distract them... ;D Especially if you all get to ride a ride at the end!