Flying the Family to Disney with Disabilities – need to knows
**WE ARE NOT DISNEY PLANNERS. WE ARE NORMAL PARENTS THAT PLANNED OUR FIRST TRIP FOR OUR FAMILY AROUND OUR OLDEST SON’S AUTISTIC NEEDS.
We planned our trip in 20 days, did not stay on resort (since we were pairing up with my husbands work trip). This was our first time going as the planners (not the kids) and our kids’ first time. This is just our experience and what we learned-especially navigating the special needs accommodations to our son’s needs.
If you are trying to plan what AGES to bring to Disney here are some notes
- Disney pricing is 3-9 kids and 10+
- If you have kids under 2 they are free (on reservation meals and park tickets)
- If you have kids over 9 you pay adult prices
We were in the sweet spot! 3 kids 3-9!
Plan of Action-Order
- Make a packing list
- Book flight
- contact TSA cares with flight info
- contact airline with flight info for accommodations
- Transportation from airport/around destination
- Book Lodging
- Purchase Park Tickets
- Make Park Reservations (before Jan 2024, reservations may not be needed for tickets after)
- DAS (need tickets and reservations) register (2-30 days before trip)
- Pack & Prep
Packing
HIGHLY recommend getting suitcases that are hard side and the wheels do 360. We only had the 2 adults and 1 had to push the wagon so we could only have 2 suitcases. The whole family of 5 in 2 suitcases.
Car Seats/Boosters
- If not using public transportations/shuttles you’ll need seats
- Can use on plane if indicated
- Can check for free (most airlines) or gate check
Strollers/Wagons
- If traveling with with you can check or gate check often free
Vacuum Bags:
- By Person
- Unders
- Swim
- PJs
- Florida Clothes
- By Event/Park
- Park Shirts
- Individual bottoms
- Ears
On Return
- Clean go back in the drawers
- Dirty go in the wash
Shoes:
- Airport
- Disney Park
- Tennis Shoes that fit well
- Nolan and Adults KIZIK
- Pool/Destination
- Sandals
Packing Cubes:
- Electronics/Cords
- Monitor (we have 2 bedroom suite & need to monitor Nolan)
- Charging Tower
- Charging Cords
- Sound Machine
- Park & Pool (bonus if its mesh to bring right to the pool/beach and allow to dry/shake sand out)
- Fans
- Blister patches
- Poncho family pack
- pool/beach toys
- goggles
- sunscreen
Carry Ons
- Keep Going First Aid (code zookeeper to save 10%
- Meds
- change of clothes
- technology (kindles, laptops, tablets)
- Chargers
- EMPTY water bottles (clipped on with climber clips)
- snacks & snackle box
- toys/homework
- Nolan MinkyCouture
- Nolan Neck Pillow
“Park” shirts & Ears
Shop our Packing
Tech Prep
- Fully charge all devices
- AirTags- purchase
- Purchase
- Activate
- Name
- Place discreetly
- Download content- Plan to be WIFI free
- **specific to device–you need to download to device not account.
- Kindle books
- Disney+
- Netflix
- AppleTV
Prepping for Flying
Social Stories & AAC device pre programmed
- Create/find & read social stories to prepare them for the differences of flight
- Our local airport held an event “wings for autism” look if one is available before you fly
- Program any needed words and model use of words in AAC to help them prepare
Contact TSA CARES and fill out the online form or call 1-855-787-2227
Things to request/notify:
- Traveling with a child with special needs
- request an agent to help you through security
- notify flying with medical liquids larger that 3.4 oz
- notify may have trouble understanding/following directions
- medical devices you may be flying with
Pick seats
- We choose seats to keep the family together.
- We put us all the way in the back to have nobody bothered by his rocking against the seat
- We put one of us in front of him so if he kicks or drums its on one of us.
Contact Airline
- Request early boarding (take more time)
- notify traveling with special needs child (may act differently)
- notify traveling with a mobility device and it must be gate checked
Prepare bags for security
- If you are using bags previously used for other things clean out completely
- Liquids
- liquids need to be 3.4 oz or smaller (exceptions for baby formula, medicine-but may be included in more scans) and in a quart sized bag.
- be prepared to pull this quart bag out and put in bin (may vary by airport)
- Sharps
- no weapons, sharps
- disposable razors/blades embedded are ok
- Technology
- be prepared to pull technology larger than a cell phone and put in bin (may vary by airport)
- Food
- be prepared to pull food bag and put in bin (may vary by airport)
Personal items
- We make the rule the kids have to carry their own.
- Included in MOST tickets is a personal item. This can be a backpack for our kids.
- tablet (may need to take out)
- books/activities
- Diaper bags & breast pump bags ARE different.
- Adults carry all meds, liquids, & food until through security so they are not responsible, we will put in their bags once through security.
Learned:
- TSA Cares was not at our first airport (not sure if that was our error or theirs but it was a tiny airport and it worked out).
- It was a little chaotic getting all the things through but manageable
- TSA Cares met us on our return flight.
- we got a phone call hours before our flight letting us know to call when we got there
- we called and were met by 3 agents
- we got our own line
- they asked about HIS comfort and gave us options for what would work better for him
- Have all the technology larger than a phone (kindles, tablets, laptops) in a pile out of bags when approaching security. I literally was carrying 2 kindles, 3 tablets, and a laptop. Place those in bins (yay no digging). Once through security, put in the people’s bags.
- Have all food in a bag together, and its disclose food
- Have all liquids together (we opted for NONE besides medication)
- Medication is exempt from 3.4oz rule (over the counter and prescription) but is up for more screening
- Icepacks are permitted for medication & breastmilk but the hard freeze solid ones are up for less screening and are suggested.
- Have Snack & Sensory packed. Use it to your advantage.
Prepping for Disney
Social Stories & Update AAC device
- Create/find & read social stories to prepare them for the differences of flight
- Our local airport held an event “wings for autism” look if one is available before you fly
- Program any needed words and model use of words in AAC to help them prepare
Plan how they will get around
- We logged 9 miles in 12.5 hours in Magic Kingdom and 6 miles in 8 hours in Animal Kingdom. Walking ___may not be an option.
- Stroller rentals at the park or in Orlando to bring you in NO WAGONS/WAGON STROLLERS ALLOWED.
- PUSH wagons MAY be exempt IF medically necessary NOT convenient. Need to get pass at guest relations. (PULL WAGONS WILL NEVER BE ALLOWED)
Look into DAS
- Disability Access Service = DAS
- “Program offered at Walt Disney World theme parks to assist Guests who have difficulty tolerating extended waits in a conventional queue environment due to a disability.” -Disney World DAS page
- You still need to wait the time, you just have to wait throughout the park vs in the physical line. You have from report time UNTIL PARK CLOSE to use it- so if you have a struggle don’t panic you can use it when struggle is over.
- You cannot stack, you can only have one at a time.
- When your report time comes, you go to lightening lane (you still have to wait in that line so gauge that when selecting)
- DAS qualifier MUST BE PRESENT (they photo check) and you scan them in first to be sure.
- We ONLY did activities we could do as a whole family so we did not need Geenie+ in addition. If you have intentions of “splitting” and having some people go with the DAS person (they do require an adult) and the rest of the family attend other things, they should consider a Geenie+
Contact DAS 2-30 days before (can be done at customer relations too but it is nice ahead of time)
- Purchase Tickets first
- Park Reservations (before Jan 2024, reservations may not be needed for tickets after)
- Contact DAS, register for DAS. THE PERSON REQUESTING DAS NEEDS TO BE PRESENT WITH AN ADULT TO REGISTER TO VIDEO CHAT
Plan your day
- DAS pre-booked activities (2 per day). Who will participate in these (the DAS pass person MUST be present, this is who is coming with).
- Plan BREAK locations:
- Plan an order you want to travel/ride/do USE THE APP “PLAN MY DAY” AS A GUIDE
- Plan events that are in the parks that DON’T require reservations such as rope drops, shows, parades, fireworks. Take time to plan where to sit and get there early (we watched a lot of tiktoks/reels to pick our locations)
- Plan SIT DOWN MEALS with RESERVATIONS (most book out 60 days before, but check for cancellations often)
- Plan walk up food locations you would like (and order on the app and pick up while the other finds seats)
- Plan signatures
- getting character signatures may be important to you, have a plan of what to sign and with what. We chose frame and CLICKABLE permanent markers were suggested (no cap to lose, characters can hold, and write well)
- Genie+, Lightening Lanes, DAS–learn about, plan around, strategize how to use
Learned
How to get in:
- Arrive (park/get dropped off)
- Magic Kingdom there is a transportation center, then take monorail/ferry to park. We did handicap door for wagon and had no problems.
- WONDERFOLD WAGON permissions were at guest relations prior to security (security told us incorrect and we accidentally got all the way in to magic kingdom and in town hall)
- Security
- 1 person go with stroller and other adult take kids out if they can walk (all 3 of ours could)
- Hold fans, sunglasses cases, umbrellas, phones out in front of you (not in bags) as a walker — I was flagged for a neck fan and had to be scanned
- Stroller pockets/bags will be inspected
- Tickets
- Scan ticket (in wallet, magic band, card)
- fingerprint (adults can do kids fingerprints)
- You are in!
Safety- Sensory
- Nolan wore his Alert Pouch
- Inside was our phone numbers written on a notecard
- AirTag
- Headphones (we actually used little hair rubber bands to attach headband ears to allow him to be included)
- Chewlery
- iPad with AAC program & comfort shows –Goofy loved seeing himself!
- Comfort toys (sophie the giraffe, water balloon filler ends)
- And the real MVP on the plane and the park: Vibrating neck pillow.
- Lay out clothes/PJs
- Lay out clothes/ears for them to find.
- When they take off their PJs, trade them for the clothes.
- Leave PJs laid out for your return
Must Haves
- The App was ESSENTIAL
- planned our day/order of events
- Scheduled all DAS
- Not activated until in the park
- Once in: click 3 lines at bottom, DAS (bottom left), pick event and who is going. Schedule
- Once you scan into the attraction & use DAS, scan into the next so you are already “waiting”
- walking directions helped us TONS
- search wait times, bathrooms, food, etc. to plan next stop
- If you do not have magic bands or physical cards, save tickets to your wallet on your phone.
- If scanning in a DAS you need to do the DAS person first, if it glitches and jumps to first ticket, hold finger on DAS ticket holder when scanning.
- I debated on a backpack purse since we had the wagon/stroller but decided on bringing it and I was glad. It was nice to bring something tiny through the lines with the “emergency soda”, sensory items, & wallets while the rest stayed in the wagon/stroller.
- Memory Maker Photos
- We LOVE photos and we took them all with the photographers and in the meet and greets and decided to purchase later. I would rather scan and decide than miss.
- When scanning wallet on phone for photographer or meet and greets (each mirror!) you dont need top open wallet just put phone up to
- Chargers (come with a full charge)
- Since are phones are pretty much essential, you want to have the charge you need.
- You don’t want to be the girl in the bathroom plugged in (I saw many)
- Safe foods
- You CAN bring food/drink in a small soft cooler. We brought some sandwiches and a snackle box with goldfish, pretzels, some candy. Diet Pepsi in a bottle is also one of our go to resources for Nolan and brought 2 of those
- Water Bottles
- we brought the Disney Simple Modern ones. Filled with ice & water in our room and refilled at restaurants with fountain drinks or a water fountain-bubbler as us Wisconsinites call it (most were not very tall so we could fill half the bottle at a time.)
- Be prepared for everything
- I loved the zippered hard pencil cases from Target (out of stock right now -watch back to school) with a label
- rain (ponchos)
- It rained every day leading up to the trip and we didnt want to pay park prices–but ended up not needing them
- shine (sunglasses & sunscreen)
- Sunscreened while waiting in photo line at rope drop and then in parade line.
- sick (pain meds, nondrowsy dramamine, tums, inhaler, mint)
- rain (ponchos)
- first aid (blister packs, bandaids, stinger set) –> Keep Going First Aid (code zookeeper to save 10%
- Stella got stung by something and I was able to help quick
- Stella warned me her tennis shoes felt tight so I packed her JoyBees and she DID need them.
- Fans were nice but only the hands free ones (neck or attache to stroller) Kids holding/fighting over fans was no fun and we ditched on day 2
- Have DAS or Geenie+ if you want to get the most out of your day
- Do the Character Visits
- the Kids LOVED getting the signatures
- Mickey was AMAZING with Nolan and could see how grateful we were to his kindness. The hugs I got were non verbal communication that Mickey is so happy we got to bring him here. He even signed “I love you” and “friend” A different Mickey had no problem holding his hands and jumping with him.
- Rapunzel asked Stella if she had a dream and she said, “Yes, but it already came true–seeing the castle and the princesses” Parent trip made.
- Do the Character Lunch
- Reservations start 60 days ahead but you can keep checking for cancellations.
- We found this one 6 days before.
- SUPER expensive but you are paying for the experience, time with the characters, and then maybe a little food at the end.
- Take Sensory Breaks (for everyone)
- Grass Hub (Magic Kingdom)
- Baby Center (Magic Kingdom)
- Infrequently used trails (Animal Kingdom) (this one was where Tough to be a bug exits)
- Dino Dig (Animal Kingdom)
- Do the parades and little shows at the castle
- Many rides are no height restriction. They are slower and “safer” Try the rides.
- Airport, Disney, Hotel–Do what you need to do to help your child. Sensory overwhelm, sensory seeking, etc is a real need and it is more important than other’s opinions.
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