Just back-feedback on current DAS

[GraceLuvsWDW]

We just returned from 6 day trip. We enjoyed FP+ and magic bands usability. We did get a DAS and used it 1-2 times per day. Crowds were much higher than anticipated and MK was very crowded. My dd12 had a panic attack in MK near Columbia Harbor House on Sat about midday. We found a quiet spot behind CHH but it was near a CM entrance/exit so was less than ideal. I could not get my dd to move from that location however, as she was in full blown panic attack. Several people gawked and stared. (I realize this is natural human instinct and perhaps they just wanted to know what was going on).

The only CM's nearby were young CP CMs (manning the strollers) and they did not offer to help or know what to do (I am guessing-they did not speak to me but might have worried they might make it worse). They just watched us. I tried to stand in front of area where my daughter was to sort of cage her in a safe area, all she really needed was quiet space and time but I was finding it difficult to provide that for her. She was crying and on the ground. I contemplated finding a CM to get me a wheelchair but did not want to leave my dd.

I finally was able to get her to stand (after about 30 minutes) and helped her slowly get to First Aid by Crystal Palace. They were wonderful with my dd. They gave us a dark, cool, quiet area with a bed for her to lie down in. We stayed there for 1 hour.

After that my dd was quite hesitant and afraid to do much so we headed back to the hotel. We only had about 4 hours in parks on Sunday. Which was fine.

I did think the current DAS system has some issues when it comes to shows. Our previous GAC allowed us to sit in back row handicap area. This is always very important for my dd who needs area away from crowd if possible and a place we can escape if needed.

I asked in every show but told we were not able to do that. They told me those seats were only available to mobility impaired people. We were not given any alternative other than general seating. This was quite an issue in a few shows-especially Philharmagic. So I think that needs to be addressed in some way-that kids with Autism can have back row access or next to back row access if possible. In most cases there were several seats available in back row.

I also think the DAS system lacks an ability to communicate with CMs about hidden issues and forces you to verbally explain in a non private manner issues and that can be upsetting to a child having issues.

I think in the future I might have a card on me that explains "my child has high functioning autism and extreme anxiety." If I were able to give that to a CM perhaps they would have helped us more. I'm not sure. In the past I have just shown the GAC and they have responded knowingly, but this could also just be a case of more young CP CM's that are not as knowing and responsive as in the past.

Our hearing protectors were not a lot of help in really loud areas. I don't know how to fix that for next trip-might need to do some research-but a lot of the issue for my dd is visual chaos as well as auditory chaos so I think we might need to strategize a bit. I thought crowds would be so low there wouldn't be many issues but it was far more crowded than I planned.

This was our first trip in 2 years.

 

[lanejudy]

I'm glad you enjoyed your trip despite a couple of rough points. Sorry the DAS didn't work as well for you -- did you try asking to sit near the exit or possibly in the back "2 or 3 rows" rather than simply asking for the H/A seats? I guess I can understand why they didn't want to give away the only seats in the theater that someone in a mobility device can use, but I know others have requested seating near the back or near an exit to enable a quick/quiet exit if necessary. Sorry the CMs you encountered were not helpful with that need. The first visit with a new system (and there have been several in the past 2 years!) brings about some adjustments in touring habits, hopefully your next visit will be smoother.

 

[DisneyOma]

We just returned from 6 day trip. We enjoyed FP+ and magic bands usability. We did get a DAS and used it 1-2 times per day. Crowds were much higher than anticipated and MK was very crowded. My dd12 had a panic attack in MK near Columbia Harbor House on Sat about midday. We found a quiet spot behind CHH but it was near a CM entrance/exit so was less than ideal. I could not get my dd to move from that location however, as she was in full blown panic attack. Several people gawked and stared. (I realize this is natural human instinct and perhaps they just wanted to know what was going on).

The only CM's nearby were young CP CMs (manning the strollers) and they did not offer to help or know what to do (I am guessing-they did not speak to me but might have worried they might make it worse). They just watched us. I tried to stand in front of area where my daughter was to sort of cage her in a safe area, all she really needed was quiet space and time but I was finding it difficult to provide that for her. She was crying and on the ground. I contemplated finding a CM to get me a wheelchair but did not want to leave my dd.

I finally was able to get her to stand (after about 30 minutes) and helped her slowly get to First Aid by Crystal Palace. They were wonderful with my dd. They gave us a dark, cool, quiet area with a bed for her to lie down in. We stayed there for 1 hour.

After that my dd was quite hesitant and afraid to do much so we headed back to the hotel. We only had about 4 hours in parks on Sunday. Which was fine.

I did think the current DAS system has some issues when it comes to shows. Our previous GAC allowed us to sit in back row handicap area. This is always very important for my dd who needs area away from crowd if possible and a place we can escape if needed.

I asked in every show but told we were not able to do that. They told me those seats were only available to mobility impaired people. We were not given any alternative other than general seating. This was quite an issue in a few shows-especially Philharmagic. So I think that needs to be addressed in some way-that kids with Autism can have back row access or next to back row access if possible. In most cases there were several seats available in back row.

I also think the DAS system lacks an ability to communicate with CMs about hidden issues and forces you to verbally explain in a non private manner issues and that can be upsetting to a child having issues.

I think in the future I might have a card on me that explains "my child has high functioning autism and extreme anxiety." If I were able to give that to a CM perhaps they would have helped us more. I'm not sure. In the past I have just shown the GAC and they have responded knowingly, but this could also just be a case of more young CP CM's that are not as knowing and responsive as in the past.

Our hearing protectors were not a lot of help in really loud areas. I don't know how to fix that for next trip-might need to do some research-but a lot of the issue for my dd is visual chaos as well as auditory chaos so I think we might need to strategize a bit. I thought crowds would be so low there wouldn't be many issues but it was far more crowded than I planned.

This was our first trip in 2 years.

I'm a bit confused - you stated your child needed a quiet space and time, so I'm not sure what you needed the CMs to do? They don't have the authority to let you backstage, and probably saw you blocking access to your daughter and figured you wanted them to stay away?

Also, to help you out next time you need a DAS, you can have them pull up the file they already have on your daughter. No need to give them a diagnosis, as that doesn't really help them (they are not doctors) and just focus on what the disabilites make hard for your daughter in queues. As for showing them your DAS, it's on your band, or on your card, and it gives you a return time for an attraction that has FP+.

 

[GraceLuvsWDW]

I'm not saying they should take us backstage. I don't even know what they could've done. Find us a calmer/quieter place? In the past I have shown the GAC and had CMs help me get her to a bathroom. Maybe where we were was the only available location, I don't know. I am not saying it's Disney's responsibility to do anything specifically, it just would've been nice to not feel alone and alienated and without options at that particular time. It didn't spoil the trip. We're fairly new to "panic attacks" and I have never found a "good" way to deal with them. But Disney has always been a safe place to vacation, when noting else is an option. I'd just like to think it still is.

I did try to maneuver to the back rows, but they were very adamant about "fill in all available seating" as they usually are and if we weren't first to an attraction to jockey for that spot in back corner, we were not given any option except to fill in with the crowd. So there was no way to buffer my daughter or get her to an exit friendly location in the back.

 

[Gracie09]

I'm not saying they should take us backstage. I don't even know what they could've done. Find us a calmer/quieter place? In the past I have shown the GAC and had CMs help me get her to a bathroom. Maybe where we were was the only available location, I don't know. I am not saying it's Disney's responsibility to do anything specifically, it just would've been nice to not feel alone and alienated and without options at that particular time. It didn't spoil the trip. We're fairly new to "panic attacks" and I have never found a "good" way to deal with them. But Disney has always been a safe place to vacation, when noting else is an option. I'd just like to think it still is.

I did try to maneuver to the back rows, but they were very adamant about "fill in all available seating" as they usually are and if we weren't first to an attraction to jockey for that spot in back corner, we were not given any option except to fill in with the crowd. So there was no way to buffer my daughter or get her to an exit friendly location in the back.

I guess I also don't know what you wanted the CM to do if you didn't ask for assistance? I assume in the past you had to ask for assistance while you were showing the gac.

 

[DisneyOma]

I didn't think CMs were allowed to assist in that way - that's a huge liability on them. I'm also confused to what exactly you were experiencing this time, or what was going on in the past, as you stated they helped you before, but you are new to these panic attacks of your daughter's?

I really believe that you should not travel expecting others to help you out when your daughter has an attack. And I mean that in the kindest way - yes, you should of course travel with your daughter, but there really should be a plan where you are not left alone with her if she is beyond your ability to handle her? Another family member that she trusts should be there to. I think that would really help your daughter out - she must also sense your inability to 'fix' the situation on your own, and that may heighten her response, or extend the duration of it? And what if the strangers you are counting on to help actually make your daughter's stress worse?

This is all coming from what I witness at work, BTW. I can't share too much, but I've seen a lot of what I have described and know what can work and what might not.

 

[HopperFan]

DS has similar issues (on top of many more issues), panic attacks for years ... even at Disney.

Not sure what stamps you had on your GAC but ours never helped us for seating or any kind of assistance with CMs during a panic moment. All I can imagine the GAC did was visually alert the CM that it was a medical issue rather than a behavior issue. Having the DAS on the MagicBand is a catch 22. Gives some folks the privacy they want but at same time there is no visible signal to CMs now.

CMs are not permitted to physically assist you and surprised if any did. They can't take you backstage so there would be no place to offer you. Most can not leave their work areas. At best they can offer to get you medical assistance. For future trips I would have all your what ifs in place so you can manage on your own. I travel for weeks every year to WDW with my DS alone (and he's an adult now) and all day, every day I am aware of triggers, surroundings, proximity to rest spots etc. At times I think I am more stressed than he is.

At shows, with the crowds now, they need to keep the mobility seating available. If we are not there earlier enough to get in the doors first to go to the far side on an empty row, we step back and let others enter first. This puts us on the ends seats closer to the entrance. Just not being boxed helps avoid issues. This really only affects a few shows, at others we are able to control our location better.

For years we used earplugs plus the heavy headphones. We scaled back to ear plugs plus small headphones attached to his iPod to drown out noise, even got to no ear plugs and now back to earplugs again. I find the mold-able silicone work well to keeping out noise.

Crowds are ever increasing so you will have a hard time find slow weeks. Try rope drop in morning then break in mid day when crowds are the worst. Going after dark helps to cut down on the visual clutter for DS. We rest or nap so we can go back in evening and stay until closing. And always looking to buffer his space. At parades we find a trashcan and he sits next to it, me on other side and I sit backpack behind him. We try to eat a sit down each lunch so that he has a longer, more relaxed meal to reboot before we head out again.

You said you were new to the panic attacks .... I've dealt with them for about 17 years. Never easy, and I still get anxious but you will become more able to predict, avoid triggers and better equipped emotionally to deal with them. Takes lots of planning and strategy but that's our life now.

 

[nikkislaght]

I understand what you mean about feeling alone and maybe just wanted someone to say are you ok . ?
my son has HFA and an Anxiety disorder and it can be overwhelming even if you have gone through it heaps of time.. My son also has SPD and I find that when he wears hats and sunglasses that helps with the visual noise.... he will sometimes double up and wear a hoodie with a hat . that he can pull down... he also likes to wear baggy T's so that he can sort of hide in them.... he is the kid that you will see waddling with his T shirt over his knees or flapping down the middle of Main st until his body adjust to being at DIsneyland... crazy kid.. before we leave the hotel for the day we make sure his sensory diet has been put into place and over the day I will do some stuff with him... that and high protein diet gets him through.. also taking him over to Tom Sawyer Island to let him run like the crazy man that he is .. leads to a successful day at the parks...
glad to hear your trip wasnt all bad..

 

[CoriM48]

As a mother who has panic attacks and has a son who has debilitating panic attacks, the only thing I can offer you that you didn't already do (go at what you thought was low crowd time, attempt to give her time and privacy to work through it, etc) was to rent a stroller. I don't know how old your daughter is, but we rent a special needs stroller for my huge 8 year old. He uses the stroller canopy to pull completely around him with his ear phones when things get too overwhelming at Disney. (We don't own a stroller, this is strictly a Disney thing.)

We ran into the same issue you did at Mickey's Philharmagic. He was screaming and no one showed us out, so we ended up running through a cast exit and getting lost in a back hallway with giant boxes labeled "explosives" (I'm assuming the fireworks). It was probably the worse thing that has ever happened to us at Disney because my son just absolutely traumatized at that point. We don't do that attraction anymore, but for shows, we always aim for as close to the exit as we can and make sure we know exactly where it is before the lights go down. For things like FotLK, we do speak to CMs and they show us where we can sit in order to leave if we need to (it's not the accessible seating, though).

My heart broke when you wrote about feeling alone because I know that feeling so well. The CMs were likely waiting for some sort of sign for you that you needed them; I think their training tells them that if a parent looks like they have it under control, they will not intervene. If you run into that situation again, maybe just holler to a passing person to please go ask a CM to come over so you don't have to leave your daughter. People likely want to help, but also don't want to intrude.

 

[redberyl]

I dont have severe anxiety, but I do get claustrophobic trapped in the middle of a crowd. When i do shows i hang back so im last to enter and can get a seat at the end of a row. Also, maybe the cms can get you an end seat if they cant give the back row?

 

[ttintagel]

I understand what you mean about feeling alone and maybe just wanted someone to say are you ok . ?

This is what I was thinking. When I fell at a Disney resort, the nearest CM (a cleaner) was immediately at my side asking if I needed help, if I was OK, did I need her to call anybody, etc. Even if there's nothing a CM can *physically* do, I would at the very least expect them to notice something was up, show concern, and find out if whatever assistance they *could* give was needed - even if it turned out to be nothing more than directions to First Aid.

 

[cmwade77]

For future reference and for those that might not know, Columbia Harbor House has an area upstairs that is set aside for disabled (there is a hidden elevator) that usually has very few people in it. I am not sure if it would help the OP, but it's worth knowing about at any rate.

 

[DisneyOma]

For future reference and for those that might not know, Columbia Harbor House has an area upstairs that is set aside for disabled (there is a hidden elevator) that usually has very few people in it. I am not sure if it would help the OP, but it's worth knowing about at any rate.

When we were there in August, the designated area for accessible access was a roped off section downstairs, and the area upstairs was rearranged and had no special designation.

 

[stitchlovestink]

It was the same in both July and September. In July they had a CM monitoring the area. In September is was more of a free for all, and the area was invaded by many who admittedly could not find seating elsewhere.

 

[HopperFan]

When we were there in August, the designated area for accessible access was a roped off section downstairs, and the area upstairs was rearranged and had no special designation.

Yes seems to have been this way for most of my trips. It makes sense to have the area on the first floor for the mobility. We are able to go up the stairs and we often can find a quiet corner to eat or just take a break.

But in the event of a panic attack I would never get DS inside let alone negotiate him to a quiet spot.

 

[ErinTwinmom]

So depending on how your daughter would feel about it my suggestion for next time would be to go get your das for her and then go rent her a wheelchair. I have twins with autism and some severe sensory issues and I know some people with panic disorders have similar sensory issues. The wheelchair can help in several ways. It is a safe place and its walls help keep strangers from bumping or touching you. Because Disney World has done a great job of making the lines wheelchair accessible you will have no trouble taking the wheelchair through regular lines whether or not she is sitting in it, if anyone does ask say she could need it at anytime. This gives her a place to self calm, you the ability if things go wrong to push her out and the ability to carry more calming items. See when you take a wheelchair through a ride line you take it all the way to the ride, transfer on and then a cm takes your chair to meet you where you disembark so attaching a backpack to your wheelchair keeps the things you need safe and so much more accessible than a locker. Most importantly for you it would allow you the seating you need for shows.

 

[DRS_Are_Best]

I think in the future I might have a card on me that explains "my child has high functioning autism and extreme anxiety." If I were able to give that to a CM perhaps they would have helped us more. I'm not sure. In the past I have just shown the GAC and they have responded knowingly, but this could also just be a case of more young CP CM's that are not as knowing and responsive as in the past.

Thank you so much for this suggestion! We are preparing for our first trip to WDW in 6 years with my kids, including 8 year old twins with Autism, and are trying to figure out how to deal with some of DS's anxiety issues. We aren't concerned with the lines and so we aren't sure about getting DAS accommodations, but dealing with shows and crowds are concerning. We're not anticipating crowds on our week in the World, but there is never a guarantee.

I will definitely be putting together a card that I can have should DS have a moment where he needs some space. Just a quick and easy explanation of what's going on for anyone who has any ability to understand what's happening and a "Don't Look At Me Like That!" for those who don't.

Thank you for sharing this!!!!!
Ilene