Going to Disney w/ Special Needs toddler

[Anonymous]

Has anyone heard about a "special" pass that you can get if you have a child with special needs
that will allow you to not have to wait in line? We are going in a few weeks and I was trying to find some more info
about this. Thanks for any info you might have!

[Anonymous]

We were just there and there is this special pass. You should contact Disney, but I believe you need a note from a doctor and they will automatically give you a special pass that allows you to skip right to the front of the line. When you get to the park, you go to Will Call and show then the note and they give you this piece of paper to use in the park. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

My brother and SIL had this for one of their kids when we went with them last year. I don't remember what they had for documentation, but they just went to guest services the first time we entered the park (this was Disneyland, not sure where it would be in FL) and got the pass.

I would call and get specifics before your trip.

[Anonymous]

OP here.....Thanks! I will call them and see. I have heard about people getting these types of passes.
But, there is no mention of it on the Disney website or in any of the books I have.

[Anonymous]

Pick your activities carefully. I've seen the place way too over-stimulating for most toddlers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pick your activities carefully. I've seen the place way too over-stimulating for most toddlers.

And this answer's the OP's post how?

I think most parents here can tell when their kids need a break. Geez.

[Anonymous]

We took our 3 year old daughter to Disney last year and went to the guest services counter at the enterance of the park. We let them know of our daughter's special needs and were given a sticker to put on her stroller. We entered through the handicapped enterance for both the rides and the shows. We were told they usually required a letter from a doctor specifying special needs but we did not have a letter and were able to get a sticker. We never waited in line and were allowed to roll up our daughter in her stroller on larger rides such as It's a Small world. I would suggest getting to the shows early, since when the shows are full, the general public will sit in the "specially disignated" seats and depending on when you arrive, it could be tough to get people to relocate. Hope you have a wonderful time!

[Anonymous]

My sister and brother-in-law just went over Spring Break (VERY crowded time!) with their two children using the "pass" as my nephew has autism. They could not have raved more about how helpful this was and how they were treated. Not only did they not wait in lines, my sister said that she felt that the staff was particularly helpful/welcoming as they entered the lines, met with characters, etc.... My nephew gets overstimulated easily as evidenced by noises, jumping, hand flapping... My sister shared how impressed she was that this didn't seem to phase the staff that they came in contact with. They actually went two years ago for the first time and planned this second trip because the first one was such a positive experience.

Have fun!

[Anonymous]

OP...Thanks so much everyone! I am getting a letter from out doctor to bring with me....just in case. I will
let you know how it goes when we get back......going in a few weeks!

[Anonymous]

I'm a little late to this, but wanted to chime in. My sister-in-law lives in Orlando and has an almost 5yo with severe autism. They go to Disney ALL the time and have the pass. It does require the doctor's note (although I could see them making an exception for a one-time visitor, but of course, better to get one). The pass allow her son and three others (any three, although I'm sure they'd expect at least one adult) to skip the lines. I think it's limited to 4 because they are a family of four, but, like I said, any three can go with him, not just the immediate family members. My SIL renewed it while we were with her, and it seemed very easy.

Sorry I can't provide more info, but mostly, I just wanted to encourage you to get the pass and have a great time. Disney is really great for it's guests with special needs!

[Anonymous]

HI, OP here.....we just got back from our week at Disney. It was very hot, very humid and very crowded! We did have fun, however,
in retrospect it wasn't an ideal time of year to go and our son (almost 4) was a bit too young to really enjoy it all. He is also very smaill
(only 35 inches) so he wasn't able to go on many of the rides. I did bring a letter from our Dr with us.......BUT, we decided to try it out without
the special pass and it really wasn't too bad. There were a few times (maybe 2 or 3)that we had to wait about 10 min for a ride....but, my son was able to tolerate it so
we went without the pass. The key was going early in the day....right when the parks opened.....nothing was too crowded for the first hour or so
so we would blitz thru a whole bunch of rides right when we arrived.