How we Plan to Accommodate Sensory Sensitivities on our Upcoming Vacation

or….

One of my kids is a sensory kid. There are some things they are considered sensory-seeking for (proprioception and vestibular are the big ones, roller coasters are a favorite) but for sound, this kid is super avoidant. If they get overstimulated it can, and has in the past, led to meltdowns of epic proportions. Fireworks? Parades? Shows? I love them, but this kid just can’t handle the noise, and that’s okay. They aren’t the only one in the family either, my wife needs to block out excess noise too, and wears Loop earbuds all the time.

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The Hollywood Studios Meltdown

There was one trip, years ago, where we had their sibling doing the Jedi Training that used to be available at Hollywood Studios. On this trip, we weren’t nearly as experienced at managing the sensory sensitivities, they were still really little. We ended up with a two-year-old throwing themself on the ground, headbutting, biting, hitting things, and screaming because they weren’t able to cope with everything happening around us.

My wife took them into a nearby quick service restaurant that was somehow empty, got them a drink and let them spin around and burn off some energy. I met them with the Jedi sibling once the training was finished, and we took a break for some lunch. The break saved that day of the trip, and we were able to move on to ride Star Tours, which both kids loved.

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Plans for the Upcoming Trip

We’ve got seven more years of experience under our belts this time. At this point, the biting and headbutting haven’t been an issue for years, but they still really, really struggle with noise and still will pound on surfaces or start yelling or crying if it gets to be too much.

Here’s our game plan for avoiding a repeat of the Hollywood Studios meltdown:

1. BLOCKERS – This is our name for noise-cancelling earmuffs. At home, we keep these on top of the fridge and in the car and diaper bag. At Disney World, we’re keeping a few pairs in our park bags. My wife will, of course, have her Loops, too, but the headphone style are what the kids use. The kids are allowed to get them out at any point, and there’s even been talk of them sticking it out for the fireworks if they can bring the volume down with their blockers.
2. BACKUP PLANS – If the fireworks and parades are too much, even with the blockers, we have a plan. My wife isn’t a fireworks or parades person, and I love them. So if we run into a situation where a kid needs to get away from the noise and the crowd, my wife has no problem taking them into a quick service restaurant or a store a little further from the action.
3. BREAKS – A mid-day break is a must for our family for so many reasons. Sensory issues aside, heat is a trigger for my dysautonomia and I sunburn easily in the middle of the day. For this reason, we make a point to either head back to the hotel for a nap (or possibly to swim, the middle kid is specifically requesting pool time this trip – I may need to figure out a swimsuit with more arm coverage for myself) or to schedule a mid-day table service dining reservation.
4. DISABILITY ACCESS SERVICE – Both my wife and I have qualifying issues for the DAS, and we’ve used the service since 2015. Instead of waiting in super long, loud queues, we have the option to wait out the queue in a less crowded area. (For us, it’s typically going to be somewhere near a restroom). This also gives my kid more time to engage in more proprioceptive or vestibular stims to self-regulate, in a space where they’re less likely to crash into another person.