Guest assistance questions...no clue where to start

[Kristamouse]

We leave on the 25th with our 6 children ages 13 to 2. We are AP holders and have many, many trips under belts. Over the last few months I have become more and more
Nervous about our 7year old. He is going though diagnosis with our Pediatrician and some Other Doc’s currently. He is exhibiting symptoms of anxiety and will likely have that diagnosis soon.
For our last trips in January and May he was for the most part ok and if he needed a break he told us and we found a place for him to chill or we headed back to the condo.
He is already getting anxious about The FOP line, exiting the parks after the night time show/fireworks and is also very worried about getting separated from the family. The crowds seem to be what his concerns are focused on. I am getting more Nervous because this topic is brought up, hourly. We are Working though senario’s and giving him assurance and tools to help.
If we choose to go to Guest Services what type of help is offered?
I have no clue about any of the procedures or services and my recent search on the Disney website gave me an annoying error message.
I figured someone on here would know an answer better than Disney anyway
Thank you in advance

 

[becca_]

I know there is a disability pass. I'm not 100% sure how it works but I do know that @Matty30 has used it for his daughter - maybe he could give you some insight!

 

[NelleBelle]

Have you tried calling Disney? I hate searching their website when I might as well bite the bullet and just call them. Hope you find the answers you need for a good trip. I, too, have an anxious kid, who's now a teen. He had/has anxiety so badly that he started having migraine headaches when he was in kindergarten. At 13, he's just now been able to ride everything at WDW but still gets very nervous, despite having ridden everything since he was young. He's most proud that he mastered some of the more wild roller coasters at Universal last year.

 

[DisneyJoe]

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/en_GB/faq/guests-with-disabilities/

 

[Hakunamatata]

Highly recomend, if you have not already, working on coping skills, even prior to a formal diagnosis. My daughter has anxiety disorder, although it is not triggered by crowds, the coping process would be the same. You may want to go to the local mall on a weekend and relate that to what he may experience at WDW. Work out a plan on how to cope and practice that.

 

[Kristamouse]

We are working closely with our school psychologist on ways that he feels comfortable coping.
Late last night I was able to google lots of WDW specific information and anxiety. I am on the fence if the GAC Pass will help because I think it is the amount of people in a place. We are thinking he can leave the situation with one of us and our 2yo. I have a stroller board he can ride on and he likes the feeling of putting his head down on the stroller while we exit a busy area. He will not ride in a stroller because he is tall, not a baby and would be mortified. The glider board, has been very useful in keeping him calm and feeling in control of the situation.
Thank you all

 

[ThistleMae]

Like another poster said, go to guest services, there is a disability pass of some kind you can get because I've read about it. But...I don't think it's totally going to help with exiting the rides/shows or navigating through the parks. Not sure, but calling may be the best idea.

 

[Matt and Kelly]

We get the pass. It works like a fast pass. You go up to the fast pass entrance to a ride and they will scan your band and give you a time to come back at. Then you just enter through the fast pass line when it's your time to return. Once you go on the ride you can go to another ride to get another time. we always pick ours up at magic kingdom in city hall. They are not allowed to ask you what your child has in order to get one but you kind of will need to explain as to why your child can't wait in line. When we use to bring a stroller they would also give us a handicap sticker so we could actually take the stroller with us through the line. Feel free to message me if you have any questions.

 

[jencor]

My wife is handicapped and we get a DAS pass every time. It has definitely changed over the years, but could help you. If you call them about it, they will not commit that you can get one, but tell you that in the first park you go to, stop by guest services and ask them. They will make the decision at guest services. It is good for up to 6 people, but on our last trip we had 7 and then just made it for up to 7. Each person in the party will need to be there as they will scan the magic bands of everyone. Once you do it the first time, it is good for the rest of your trip. They have always been excellent to work with. I have found that Magic Kingdom took the longest time to get the process done cause their line is always longer and for us inconvenient cause it has steps that the wheel chair cannot get up and we go to the side and seem to of been overlooked often off to the side. Good luck in having a great trip.

 

[LAKid53]

Does he have a "security blanket" - a favorite toy or article of clothing you can bring that will help him cope with the crowds and noise of the parks? The DAS may help some. I'd also take advantage of the parent swap at rides so one of you can always be with him as it sounds like part of his anxiety is being separated from his parents in a crowded mess like a Disney park. Maybe look at an inexpensive set of walkie talkies so that, god forbid, he does lose sight of you exiting the park, he can talk to you until you are reunited.

If he has a problem with FoP, I'd suggest he not ride. Even the FP+ line may be daunting for him. You can always sit with him and his 2 year old sibling in the covered outside area of Satu Canteen while the rest of your family rides. The outside area isn't the crowded noisy zoo inside can be. A nice place to relax and enjoy a beverage and a treat.

 

[J_Carioca]

Have you tried calling Disney? I hate searching their website when I might as well bite the bullet and just call them. Hope you find the answers you need for a good trip. I, too, have an anxious kid, who's now a teen. He had/has anxiety so badly that he started having migraine headaches when he was in kindergarten. At 13, he's just now been able to ride everything at WDW but still gets very nervous, despite having ridden everything since he was young. He's most proud that he mastered some of the more wild roller coasters at Universal last year.

Not Disney related, but I thought your comment about migraines was interesting. It may be that the migraine caused the anxiety, not the other way round. Migraine is now understood not as a headache that you "get" but a lifelong condition that you "have". It's a neurological condition that can cause a ton of symptoms well beyond headache, including feelings of anxiety. When you regularly have episodes that cause extreme pain and/or scary neurological symptoms, it's easy to understand how anxiety can develop, and can last beyond the specific episodes of migraine. But understanding how it all works can help with the anxiety.

Anyway, glad your child can ride the wild rides and have fun! I can't ride BTMR anymore; the bumpiness always triggers a migraine episode for me !

 

[NelleBelle]

Not Disney related, but I thought your comment about migraines was interesting. It may be that the migraine caused the anxiety, not the other way round. Migraine is now understood not as a headache that you "get" but a lifelong condition that you "have". It's a neurological condition that can cause a ton of symptoms well beyond headache, including feelings of anxiety. When you regularly have episodes that cause extreme pain and/or scary neurological symptoms, it's easy to understand how anxiety can develop, and can last beyond the specific episodes of migraine. But understanding how it all works can help with the anxiety.

Anyway, glad your child can ride the wild rides and have fun! I can't ride BTMR anymore; the bumpiness always triggers a migraine episode for me !

Ha! I get the BTTMRR--WDW SM gives me a migraine, unfortunately. We love the DLR SM--why can't they all be equal??!!!

My son has always had issues with anxiety, even as a toddler. When we finally figured out from his kindergarten teacher that he was having difficulty transitioning from activity to activity (he was so worried that he wouldn't know what to do, he had a "girlfriend" that would help calm him down). His headaches actually started likely as a hereditary thing from DH and myself, but also from his anxiety that he was never going to be picked up from school. To this day (he's almost 14), he still gets very nervous if his school is having dress-down day and the kids don't have to wear their uniforms--he'll ask me like 50 times if I'm absolutely sure he doesn't have to wear his uniform because he's so worried about getting in trouble about not wearing the uniform. We were lucky and found an excellent pediatric neurologist who recognized what he was having and got him on a good medication regime early. He then had about a 2-year break where he didn't need medication because the headaches weren't coming as frequently. But now with hormone changes, the headaches are back .

Anxiety in kids totally sucks and I can totally sympathize with the OP and her DS and the large crowds. I like the idea of the walkie-talkies a PP had.