
I am a person who didn’t know the right label to place on my way of thinking for most of my life. Terms like ADHD and Autism weren’t common knowledge in my younger years, and the available support now wasn’t really an option then. I look back at the things that I struggled with as a younger person, and while I am grateful for modern-day support for young people, I am also thankful for my experience of having found little tricks and hacks to make life easier before those things came about.
I’ve always believed that the Disney Parks are a great destination for guests who visit with additional needs, even before my mid-life realization that I was one of them. Whether it be a physical disability or invisible difficulty, Disney does a great job at catering to the needs of guests. I wanted to take a moment to share a more specific look at guests visiting with autism and a few little hacks I have learned from my own experience as an ASD family to make things a little easier. As the DAS Pass is becoming harder and harder to get, I thought it might be a good time to review a few tips to make your time in the parks a little smoother.
Reduce the Impact of Noise Sensitivity
Even though I love some loud music (when it’s the right artist), rackety ambient noise, especially in the middle of crowd conversations, can be incredibly triggering for people with noise sensitivity. As silly as it might sound, some types of noises make everything in my body feel like something is wrong (cue that pesky dark passenger, anxiety). Though I’ve learned how to refocus my thinking to a different sensation that I can feel (sometimes I will re-tie my ponytail or put pressure on my hands to bring my thoughts back to center; anything that I can feel to draw my attention from fixating on the sound), there are some other ways to deal with this with teens and younger children that might be helpful. I swear by a brand of earplugs called Loops, which make a version of these cool-looking lifesavers called Switch that allow you to scale the volume to suit your environment and still hear your friends and family speaking around you. If you are in Australia, look here. They look like earbuds, which helps if you are self-conscious but can make a massive difference to how you feel in the environment.
Keep Fingers Busy With a Subtle Fidget
If you are anything like me, you might feel a lot of energy in your hands. Whether I am really excited, anxious, or even bored, keeping my hands busy can make everything feel a bit better. I’ve developed some pretty strange habits over the years, like tapping my fingertips together on one hand in a specific rhythm or pattern, and I never really knew why I did it. Now that I understand a lot more about sensory regulation, I’ve come across a whole new world of products out there to provide that fidget experience that doesn’t have to be big, bulky, or obvious unless you want them to be. Spinning rings are a great one for older kids, teens, and adults, while something smaller, like a fidget cube, can be a great small tool for younger ones.
Photo by Joel Sutherland on Unsplash
Sunglasses for Light Sensitivity
This one might sound unnecessary for anyone who hasn’t experienced it, but bear with me for a moment while I explain. It’s taken me many years to realize that I have a light sensitivity that can affect how my entire body feels without me even knowing it. Partly because of how my brain works, and no doubt partly because I have issues with my eyes in general; coming out of dark attractions and into the glaring sunlight can have me feeling lightheaded, anxious, and even sick to my stomach at times. That change from one extreme to the other can be jarring and sometimes manifest in ways that don’t feel like they are related to your eyes and, therefore, hard to resolve. Try putting on your sunglasses just before you emerge from the dramatic lighting of an attraction back into the outside world. I find that this can have a hugely positive impact on how I feel moving between different spaces and stops me from getting that unidentifiable sluggish feeling that I’ve discovered is due to issues with fast changes in light exposure.
Take Time Out From the Chaos
No matter how you approach the Disney Parks, most of us can agree that they can be rather overwhelming. With weighted emotions and extreme sensory engagement, many of us can benefit from a little break every now and again. Plan to take a few time-outs during your day, and don’t worry; it doesn’t mean you need to leave the park and return to your resort. There are ways for you to be one step removed from the chaos without leaving the parks. Whether you want to take in the ambiance of a table service dining experience like Coral Reef (I’ve seen the slightly darker, calmer atmosphere for this restaurant work wonders on overwhelmed children) or find a quiet spot to eat a churro and catch a breeze, taking a moment for yourself can work wonders on your ability to cope. Don’t make the mistake of waiting until it all feels too much for someone in your group to bow out. Take little steps out of the action more frequently, keeping everyone calm and more relaxed throughout the day.
Stay Flexible With Unpredictability
Emotional flexibility is not my strong suit, and one of the reasons I mention it so frequently here on the DIS is that I have to work quite hard to make peace with it. I believe that flexible thinking is the greatest tool in transforming any travel experience into the best possible version of itself. With all of the uncertainty that can come with Disney, like temporary ride closures, weather events, extended wait times, and technical difficulties, your ability to stay grounded in a turn of events will help you find the most positive way forward. When making your plans with your family or friends, keep that flexible language prevalent in discussions. Rather than a solid plan of what you will do and the order you will do it in, keep things light, with a few different options at each turn. That way, if things don’t go to plan, it’s less likely to have an impact of impending doom and easier to pivot (“pivot!” IYKYK) in another direction.
Of course, everyone experiences their environment differently, so some or all of these might not be useful when you are on your Disney vacation. However, I’ve found that by sharing our experiences, problems, and solutions, we have a better chance to help each other navigate our way to the best Disney adventure possible. If you have any tips that might be helpful, add them to the comments below, and if you’ve tried anything on my list above, let me know if it made a difference.
Next up, my ADHD friends, we are going to chat about how to make life a little bit easier for your next trip to Disney.
Feature Image: Photo by Brian McGowan on Unsplash