Visiting The Happiest Place on Earth With Special Needs

My son was diagnosed with autism at 5. My husband and I also fall somewhere on the Sensory Processing Spectrum and I unfortunately also passed my “superpower”, anxiety disorder, on to my sweet boy. I call it my “superpower” because anxiety has made me the most organized planner and organized special/different needs mother I can be. This took a lot of research, hard work and heart. I hope it helps your family enjoy Disney the way our family has been able to!

Kayla DeSnyder is a mother, wife, Pastry Chef, life long student, and Disney FAN! Her one and only beautiful son is 6 years old and on the Autism Spectrum. She is a member of the online Cherab Foundation support group.

Family on the Spectrum

About Our Family: I am a mother, wife, Pastry Chef, life long student and Disney FAN! My one and only beautiful son is 6 years old and on the Autism Spectrum. He was finally diagnosed at 5 but we had suspected ASD after his Sensory Processing Disorder diagnosis at 2.

My husband and I also fall somewhere on the Sensory Processing Spectrum and I unfortunately also passed my “superpower”, anxiety disorder, on to my sweet boy. I call it my “superpower” because anxiety has made me the most organized planner and organized special/different needs mother I can be.

Disney is a way to communicate and relate in our house. I have raised my son in the world of Disney and he is hooked! My husband is a big kid at heart and thankfully wears his Mickey Ears and matching shirts with PRIDE! He is incredibly supportive and one of the best Husbands and Dads there is. We visit Disney as often as possible for our son’s birthday and have been 4 times in his short 6 years. We hope to one day own a “vacation home” in Florida and have yearly passes, It is a long trek from our small hometown in Michigan now! I love baking and made celebration cakes and wedding cakes part-time while staying home with our son, after I graduated from Pastry and Culinary School, but now I am back in the virtual classroom becoming a special education/needs advocate! I love sharing our knowledge and experience of Disney! My heart is full if I can make your families Disney Vacation more magical!

Disneyland to Disney World

Growing up in Southern California, Disneyland has always been a staple in my life. I always believed in “Disney Magic”!

I had visited Disney World as a child as well and after that, my love grew! My family’s move to Michigan put my relationship with Disney on hold but we soon found our way back to each other. My husband’s first trip was with my family and opened his eyes, he had no idea what he had been missing. Though it wasn’t until we saw ” The World” through the eyes of our son that I really understood just how incredible Disney “magic” can be. Our son’s 3 disorders alone (ASD, SPD, anxiety) could scare any parent away from “The Happiest Place on Earth” and could spell disaster on a Disney Vacation. Let alone all 3 of us suffering from sensory overload and anxiety. Thankfully so many “special/ different needs” parents, like us, have done some research, planned and with the help of the internet, Disney’s amazing cast members and programs we are able to enjoy Disney with our families!

You always hear about how fun and exciting it is to surprise your kiddos with a trip. We all know when it comes to special needs kids on the spectrum there are rarely “good” surprises, trips take planning, even if they are just to the grocery store! So though you may not get the textbook “We Are Going to Disney!” surprise moment, you will get to enjoy everything Disney has to offer!

We have navigated all 4 Disney Parks, Disney Springs, dark and sometimes overwhelming queues(Disney’s lines), parades, fireworks and the meal plan with our “trifecta” diagnosis and up until a year and a half ago a nonverbal child.

Plan Plan Plan

For all the reasons shared above my NUMBER ONE piece of advice…..PLAN PLAN PLAN and then PLAN some more and when you are done reward yourself because you are now a DISNEY PARENT!

Before booking your trip search the internet for Special Needs Disney groups or blogs such as this one! This is another great place to find information and connect with parents like me that have visited the parks. You can also check Youtube. For example, here are a few more Disney tips from another special needs mom

If you have never been to Disney I suggest booking through a Disney Travel Agent. You can call Disney directly or use a private Disney Vacation Planner. They will help you to navigate the parks, resorts, reservations, FASTPASSES, accommodations for any disability and answer any questions and concerns you have. You can book your whole vacation package or just your park tickets through them! Ask around for planners experienced in the Disability Access Services and special needs at Disney.

There is also a wealth of information on Disabilities and Special Needs on Disney’s website. Here are the links to check out what Disney has to offer you:

I will break down the DAS, Disability Access Service(Guests with Cognitive Disabilities) later for you!

When booking your trip if you choose to stay on Disney property, whether you choose to DIY it or go with a vacation planner you can make requests ahead of time: for example:

Location of your room. You can request lower floors or rooms away from “busier” areas or adjoining rooms-if you book separate rooms for your party
Dietary restrictions at the resort. Be sure when you make any dining reservations you discuss any dietary restrictions or requests for your party. Disney posts all their menus on their website when making reservations, this will help you prepare and decide if the dining plan is right for you.

Tour online before you go. You can tour some of the resorts online through Youtube or the WDW website and call your resort ahead of time and talk with a Cast Member about some accommodation ideas. Disney will try their hardest to make these accommodations for you but it is not guaranteed they can meet every request.
If you are flying there are many programs in place. You can learn more at the TSA page ‘traveling with children‘ or by calling your local airport or your airline. If you are driving, breaking your trip up into smaller parts will be helpful if time permits. This is the start of your vacation and for most, this can set the mood of your trip so keep that in mind when planning.

Before any trip to Disney, we do a few really important things in the planning process that make our trip successful.

Visual Schedules: Not only for your child but for you! It can make navigating your schedule a breeze for you just by color coding a calendar page for your trip. We take photos of this page too and all the adults in our party can have a copy. Most importantly though the visual schedule for your child! Each day is mapped out in detail on our visual schedule. We include meals, the photo of the park we will be visiting, any parades or firework shows we will see or activities we will be doing.
Social Stories: My son responds to videos and pictures of parks more than the actual storybook format. If your child responds to that make a book for each park(include characters you may see, rides you may go on, pictures you may take, sites you may see, etc), your trip to and from Disney(the airport/drive) character dining, the resort and staying in a hotel, or the rental home and staying somewhere new! For us, we look at photos of our last trips and talk about what we liked, saw, who we met. We watch videos of the rides and talk about them. Our son loves Youtube videos of the rides and it is a great way to start talking about your upcoming trip! Use these throughout the trip to reintroduce what comes next!
Print Maps and plan your “ATTACK”: You can print maps to the parks at Disney’s website Plan the rides or shows you want to see on these. This is a great time to point out a “meeting place” if any members of your party are separated. Giving your child a copy, if they are old enough, with this place marked on the map to carry with them is a great idea. When you arrive in the park show them this spot multiple times! Guest Services is a great one at the front of the park! You can also find First Aid areas are great places for that. An attraction like the entrance to the Castle or Carousel are great places too! We hate to think of that scenario but being prepared is so important!
Visual Prompts: These help so much in those moments everyone is overwhelmed. “First, Then” is a great tool to have! We include pictures of the park we will visit, pictures of the rides we will go on, characters we will meet, the resort room or place we stay, a cast member( very important if your child becomes separated), fireworks, parades, stores, restaurants we will eat at, meals, the bathroom,” take a break”, snack/food choices they may have or any words or visuals that work for your child and you think you may need. We also include pictures of calming items or ideas, this has been helpful for our son! Things like jumping jacks or pushing the wall, a sensory/fidget toy, transitional object, his “safe haven”/stroller, etc. We offer these items to him regularly with these visual prompts to help him make his choices before we NEED them.
List of Sensory and other items you may need: LISTS ARE MY BEST FRIEND! Making a list will help you prepare and make sure you have everything needed to make your vacation as successful as possible! My son has a calm down basket and I take many of his favorite items along with those visual prompts.

Here are some of the sensory and other items on our list.

Headphones
Squishy toy/fidget toy
Transitional objects: our son loves handheld small toys but your child may have a blanket, stuffed animal, etc.
Weighted backpack/vest
Magic Box: Our “Magic Box” an amazing item our ABA therapists have helped us put together to help with transitions. He gets a choice before the transition to pick a transitional toy from 5 to 6 choice.
Post-it Notes: Yes many parents know where I am going! Not only are these great for the toilets that flush themselves” but my son loves carrying around a Post-it Notes and sticking and resticking it to everything, as long as he is a responsible post-it sticker!
Hand wipes: Disney is working hard to be environmentally friendly so many of their parks have gone to hand dryers. This can be difficult for many special needs families so come prepared!
Snacks and drinks: Even with the meal plan having a couple of your kiddos favorite snacks on hand are always helpful! All quick service food establishments in Disney will give you a cup of ice water and there are many places to refill your water bottles so do not worry. Disney allows you to bring in your own food and drinks, even a cooler, which is amazing! My son is a gum chewer when he is overstimulated, chewing gum is not sold in Disney parks but is not prohibited. We bring his gum along, again as long as he is a responsible gum chewer!
A “leash/harness”: If your child is a “runner” this is a necessity. We always take one just in case.
Stroller: While you can rent a stroller in any of the Disney parks, we purchased a higher weight capacity stroller for our Disney trips which has a canopy that pulls all the way down, and reclines.
A stroller with a canopy is a great “safe haven” for a child that gets overwhelmed or just wants “a break”. Strollers that recline can be a good “resting spot” when overwhelmed. These can be pricey unless you find one on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist or eBay second hand. You can also rent these types of strollers at the many rental companies that service Disney in the area. Disney also has an amazing pass for a “stroller as wheelchair” which allows you to take these into the ride queues and restaurants, a place strollers aren’t typically allowed. I also recommend a flag/tag to make finding your stroller in stroller parking easier. Disney is notorious for moving strollers to make room and this can save you some time. If you do purchase a stroller I also recommend using a permanent marker to label your stroller, even if it’s in an inconspicuous area, as many of these strollers look alike.
Information bracelet: I have also seen buttons too! If your child is a “runner” or wanders off this is SO important! If the worst happens, even with the “meeting place” planning, harness, and preparing, having a band/bracelet with their Parent’s phone numbers on them in so helpful. Your child can approach a cast member and get help faster. This is even more important if your child is nonverbal and can be more discreet than a t-shirt with your phone number displayed. I also recommend having something that identifies your child’s disability if it is not visible. This can help Cast Member’s help you without even having to ask, though they are amazing and trained to make everyone’s day as magical as they can! Some examples here.
GPS tracker: This is another amazing item. Some examples here. We do not have one yet and hoped to be able to try one Lisa Geng was testing but unfortunately, shipping had other plans! It is in the plan for our next trip and it will ease this anxious mom’s mind!
Extra clothes/shoes/socks/underwear/towel this is a necessity if you plan to ride anything with water(ie: splash mountain) or visit Casey Jr. Splash area in the Magic Kingdom. This is also important if the weather changes on you(Florida rain), or that brand new Mickey shirt is just too “itchy”. Also, check the weather as in Florida the weather can drop 20 degrees from the day to the night. If it’s going to be cool dress in layers. We always make sure to wear matching shirts or bright colors so we are easier to find. Rain ponchos are also a great idea if your kiddo will wear one!
Augmentative Device: If your child uses a speech device or is like mine and relies on his tablet/iPad for comfort. Programming your device is a must! Disney offers free wifi to guests in the parks and resorts! Yes, you hope technology and screen time is at a minimum on vacation but it can be helpful at times like waiting for your food or during transitions or transportation.
If it’s hot bring a spray bottle, chill pads like Frogg Toggs. or even just some towels from the hotel room that you can wet and throw over your child’s head to cool them down.
DISNEY ITEMS purchased outside the park: The most fun part of the planning! I purchase items ahead of time, while they are on sale or I have coupons, not only to frontload our son for the visit but they can save us some “moments” in the parks. Our son struggles with transitions and we use something called a “magic box” to help with that, thank you ABA! Having some smaller items available to keep that consistent even on vacation is so helpful! PLUS it is way more economical to shop the sales and many of the items I use coupons and sales for on the Shop Disney website are in the parks for more! You can also pick up Disney items in many of our favorite stores, like Target’s “dollar section” or even Dollar tree! Once you are in Orlando the local Walmarts around Disney have huge selections of Disney merchandise including t-shirts, rain ponchos, and so much more – even Disney type snacks all at discount prices. There are also two “secret” official Disney outlets for park merchandise called Disney Character Warehouse, one located right outside the gates of Disney World where you can pick up authentic Disney collectibles at “give away” prices. Parents wanting to make that Disney surprise announcement for their children, neurotypical siblings can look into Disney surprise boxes as well. You can order these online to announce a Disney trip in advance in a special way! My son loved this idea! It is a one time box, opposed to a membership that includes items for your trip!
DISNEY ITEMS purchased in the park Keyword convenience. Anything purchased at the parks can be delivered to your resort room or can be dropped off at the designated areas in the front of the parks and picked up at the end of the day for those of you staying off property.

FASTPASSES

Another huge piece of advice I can give you is, use your FASTPASSES! Book those FASTPASSES as soon as your window opens up. This is 30 days for those staying off Disney property or 60 days for those staying at a Disney Resort! You can do a little bit of quick research online and find what rides in each park are the best rides to use those FASTPASSES on. You only get 3 to start and once you use all 3 that day you can sign up for ONE at a time. Group them as close together as you can! These along with your Disability Access Services/DAS pass will make riding everything you want possible!

My Disney Experience

I also highly suggest downloading the MyDisneyExperience App on your computer and phone to help keep track of your plans, reservations, and FASTPASSES! Your Disney Vacation Planner will be able to help you with this and book them for you along with dining reservations or you can choose to do these two tasks yourself. You can also find crowd mapping online when booking your vacation to find what months and days have fewer crowds, keep in mind these are projections but in my experience pretty accurate! Less popular times mean shorter lines and fewer crowds!

Getting Started at Guest Relations At Any Of the Parks

Now you arrive at your resort, hotel, etc and it is time to head to the parks! This is my favorite part because you have a “secret weapon” now! I mentioned the Disability Access Services Pass or DAS before. After your family makes its way through the turn style at the front of your first park on your first day you will find Guest Services/Guest Relations. This is where the real “magic” happens! You will visit Guest Services and ask for the Disability Access Service Pass for your child with special needs. A Cast Member will take your personal information, a photo of your child and scan one of your Magic Bands or Park Tickets to give you access to this service. I suggest using your own personal band/ticket, my son liked to stay back in his stroller while I would approach the Cast Member at the FASTPASS entrance of the ride we wanted a return time for, this is where you will go to receive your return time. Magic Bands can also be too much for some kiddos to wear so this is also helpful. I also suggest using your fingerprint at the entrance if possible to link to your child’s Magic Band or Park Ticket. This task can be overwhelming for children in line.

Here is a list of the locations at each park where you will find Guest Services. All accommodations and information throughout the park will be met at guest services so this is a great place to access.

Magic Kingdom: Inside City Hall, to your left
Animal Kingdom: To your left near the entrance
Hollywood Studios: To your left right near the entrance
Epcot: just past the entrance to Space Ship Earth on the left

“The DAS pass is intended for guests who’s disability prevents them from waiting in a conventional queue environment” as per Disney’s website. This pass allows you to schedule a return time for a ride. These times depend on the wait time the ride displays at the entrance. Your DAS return time is valid until park close but keep in mind you can only have ONE active DAS at a time so the sooner you use it the sooner you can get another. This pass is only intended for guests with cognitive disabilities such as Autism, Sensory Disorders, etc. If you are not sure if you qualify you can call ahead and inquire or visit guest services and ask when you arrive at the park. This is not intended for guests in a wheelchair that have only a mobility disability. These guests will use the wheelchair entrances and will have other accommodations made for them. If your child requires a wheelchair and also has a cognitive disability you can certainly use a DAS and the wheelchair entrances at the rides and shows. This is also true for families using “stroller as a wheelchair” tags too. This tag is available for those guests that do not require a wheelchair for mobility but used as a “safe haven” You will also receive this tag at Guest services by request and it is can be used along with your DAS. This allows you to use your strollers through the queues and restaurants which can be so helpful for children that need that “break spot” and “safe haven”. This also gives you access to the wheelchair seating at shows, parades, and fireworks (the Magic Kingdom does not have a wheelchair-designated area for fireworks), very helpful at Hollywood Studios because their stroller parking is a very long distance from their firework viewing area for their Fantasmic show. A DAS can also be used alongside your FASTPASS so you can think of it as a 4th bonus FASTPASS! You will need to visit each rides FASTPASS entrance to obtain your DAS return time though, they can not be scheduled in advance like FASTPASSES so keep that in mind. The DAS is good for the length of your ticket days purchased and you only need to obtain the initial DAS Pass at your first park on your first day and the “stroller as a wheelchair” tag is also good for the length of your stay. If you are an annual passholder you can get the DAS for up to 60 days. Using all three of these has made it possible for us to ride every ride we planned on without overwhelming everyone! With lots of planning and using your FASTPASSES and your Disability Access Service Pass correctly, you will see just how amazing Disney can be, even navigating with a disability/different ability.

Extra Magic Hours

Guest staying at a Disney Resort are offered Extra Magic Hours as a perk. These are an hour or hours the park is open to only resort guests. Each park has a different day and Extra Magic Hours can be offered in the morning or at night. These are great times to take advantage of smaller crowds and shorter lines. Your DAS will not work during this time but Cast Members are very accommodating if the lines do get too long, just ask! These days are great times to return to your resort or hotel and rest and revisit the park when the crowd slows down.

Breaks in the Parks

You and your family are enjoying your day and making it through each ride’s queue and experiencing all the “magic” Disney has to offer but it is time for a break! Many families will head back to the resort/hotel etc. We choose to stay at the park and take advantage of their many picnic areas, or secluded areas. Check out the maps of your parks to find somewhere to unwind, have a snack, and relax. Cast Members are usually always happy to help you navigate to these areas as well.

Just remember when planning your Disney vacation to have realistic expectations of your family and their needs. You are seeing ” The World” differently than most families and accommodating that will make your trip a success. These tips, tricks, and info will hopefully help you to make Disney the “Happiest Place on Earth” for your family and make it one for your favorite vacation destinations too!

**Kayla DeSnyder** is a mother, wife, Pastry Chef, life long student, and Disney FAN! Her one and only beautiful son is 6 years old and on the Autism Spectrum

Author, Mom, Founder, and President of The Cherab Foundation
Lisa Geng is an accomplished author, mother, founder, and president of the CHERAB Foundation. She is a patented inventor and creator in the fashion, toy, and film industries. After the early diagnosis of her two young children with severe apraxia, hypotonia, sensory processing disorder, ADHD, and CAPD, she dedicated her life to nonprofit work and pilot studies. Lisa is the co-author of the highly acclaimed book “The Late Talker” (St Martin’s Press 2003). She has hosted numerous conferences, including one overseen by a medical director from the NIH for her protocol using fish oils as a therapeutic intervention. Lisa currently holds four patents and patents pending on a nutritional composition. She is a co-author of a study that used her proprietary nutritional composition published in a National Institute of Health-based, peer-reviewed medical journal.

Additionally, Lisa has been serving as an AAN Immunization Panel parent advocate since 2015 and is a member of CUE through Cochrane US. Currently working on her second book, “The Late Talker Grows Up,” she also serves as an executive producer of “Late Talkers Silent Voices.” Lisa Geng lives on the Treasure Coast of Florida.

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