© 2021 Mouse Travel Matters Read our Privacy Policy. The same goes for over-scheduling. The Jurassic World VelociCoaster Coming to Islands of Adventure in Summer 2021! 1. If you or someone in your party has anxiety to the level that it can totally derail the trip, there is always the option of the Disability Access Service Pass. While for many Walt Disney World is a place of magic and wonder, for those living with anxiety disorders, it can be a massive source of fear, worry, or panic. Best Shoes for Disney World & Theme Parks Men, Women & Kids. The quirks in their personality may be what makes them so endearing to us, … Welcome to the community. The afternoons can get very crowded so unless you have a plan to tackle the anxiety, or lay low while the crowds reach their peak, it may be best to leave the parks in the afternoon and come back after dinner time. amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "mousetravelmatters-20"; Knowing what is next on the list is easier than memorizing every parade route, show timing, and restaurant reservation. So while you won’t get into the rides before anyone else, you will be among the first to ride and avoiding the long lines and crowds making their way to the attraction. Lastly, take cues from your child. This videos talks about depression and anxiety.For personalized recordings, counseling or advice please contact MindSet at:http://www.mindsetthoughts.com/ From princesses like Belle and Jasmine to Alice and Mary Poppins, meeting these characters first is less intimidating than the larger than life masked characters such as Mickey, Donald, or Goofy! Making a list to stay organized is a great way to stave off an anxiety attack. Thinking about winging it is extremely exhausting and anxious, but actually doing it is a lot more freeing than you would imagine. He is a very accomplished writer, yet has horrible social anxiety and terrible self esteem. amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; Character: Charlie Kaufman This movie is about a screenplay writer played by Nicholas Cage. Anna is the perfect fairytale character; unflappable, she is the forever optimist. It is a great park for seeing characters, many of which are seen while wandering World Showcase. I don’t handle change well and therefore I keep things simple and foolproof. Anything related to my relationships, bills, school, you name it: my stomach would drop … They are hard ticket events and therefore only a select few are allowed in. A wish list is similar to a must-do list, but there is much less pressure on a “wishlist”. Regardless of the long lines, the heat or the sore feet, then at least we were at Disney. amzn_assoc_linkid = "234eedebc18a472760f3aa897a3ba0b1"; Have your fast passes scheduled, make dining reservations and pencil in those shows and parades… and that’s it. Mostly, the distance from the resort to the parks can be a bit of a time-waster. Know which attractions gather the most crowds and make fast passes for those. Knowing what I know now, I have been able to come up with a handful of tips for managing Anxiety at Disney. Visit disneytraveltradeinfo.com for important details. I had never ridden Space Mountain before and the ride triggered me so bad but I couldn’t figure out why. I can’t handle 1-hour lines for a 5-minute ride, so I make appropriate FastPass selections or avoid those attractions, and I definitely can’t handle being late to anything or watching my plans fall apart. Many seemingly innocent cartoon characters should count their lucky stars that they live in an animated, fictional universe. The more you know, the more you can overcome a situation and make a plan B on the spot. For younger children, characters can seem larger than life and their size is intimidating. Poor Else, when you have the powers to freeze the whole world it is no wonder you start to feel anxiety about life and certain places and situations. Crowds are overwhelming and Disney is just one giant crowd. I am about to cry because the last time i went to Disneyland when i was 24, I had a full on breakdown and felt so guilty for it. There is also the walk between the main bus stop/parking lot and your hotel room. If I needed directions around Magic Kingdom or wanted to know when a certain … “I want to do these top things if we have time” is a lot easier to handle than “I must do this or else our trip is a failure”. Knowing as much as possible about how Disney works, what types of rides to avoid, where everything is and where to get help if needed, is a sure-fire way to calm those anxiety nerves. How to Pack the Perfect Disney Park Bag Ever! While this is a little time consuming, resort hopping or shopping at Disney Springs may be another option. We love to spend our first day at Epcot. Jul 24, 2014 Disney. Sign up for our Newsletter for tips to save time and money on your next trip, plus links to our latest blog posts and more. “Let’s step over here and give mommy a minute to breathe”. Here’s what they shared with us: 1. "I decided to review all the films and shorts by Disney [through the year 2005], trying to find more examples of sleep disorders in the characters." Don’t hesitate to use them, either. Everything else is the icing on the cake. for information on how we protect your personal information while browsing this site.MouseTravelMatters.com is an unofficial site and is not in any way affiliated with The Walt Disney Company. Our middle daughter is that child in our house. « Disney Store Limited Edition Celebration Keys, Pre-park opening breakfast reservations », Full List of Disability Access for Disney World Attractions, Disney Hat – Disney Castle High Ponytail Baseball Cap, Disney with a Disability Archives – Mouse Travel Matters, Walt Disney World Archives – Mouse Travel Matters, What To Do On Your Disney World Arrival Day. Many of our best loved cartoon characters actually display many traits that could be considered as mental health disorders. 4. This was a huge problem on our honeymoon when the plane was 2 hours late to leave the departing airport so we missed the parade at Animal Kingdom (some 10 years ago). Even if pills aren’t needed on a daily basis, it’s never known when “as needed” is going to apply. Ever notice how Belle never eats a full meal when other people are around? This reduced her anxiety and helped her feel more comfortable with the Disney character encounters. That is why we asked people in our mental health community who live with anxiety … Use Dining to Minimize Anxiety​ at Disney. Oh, babe! For official information about the Walt Disney Resort, visit Disney.com. When my anxiety was at its worst, fear would course through my body at the tiniest provocation. Making these reservations can be a little hard to get but they are well worth it. All i knew was that the drop on Pirates immediately after made it worse, and i ended up leaving my companion to ride Splash Mountain alone while i went over to the Winnie the Pooh ride to decompress. amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; Thank you so much for posting this and making me feel less alone. Disney artwork, logos, attraction descriptions and properties: ©Disney  •  Disney Cruise Line® Ship Registry: The Bahamas  •  Me and The Mouse Travel, LLC is registered with the state of Florida as a Seller of Travel. While our breakfast with Mickey and friends turned into a bit of a debacle, the princess dinner and pirate fireworks voyage scheduled toward the end of our trip was much more successful! Similar to knowing your triggers, know what you can and can not do in a single day and work around them. Every attraction in Disney World can accommodate the needs of disabled guests; you can hop on over to our Full List of Disability Access for Disney World Attractions to get the scoop on each individual ride. I like that they are air-conditioned, as the heat tends to impede my concentration, and puts the others in the family in a bit of a bad mood. Doing this gives our kids positive examples of what to expect with character interactions along with a size comparison. The best way to handle Disney with Anxiety is to identify the triggers. amzn_assoc_title = ""; To avoid this scenario, we schedule our character meals for later in the trip. Tagged: activities, Blog, Disney Characters, Family, Orlando, Planning, Tips, Tricks, trip, Vacation, Walt Disney World. Fear was created right after Sadness was born in Riley's mind. There is an entire generation of people who only associate the Alice in Wonderland franchise with the terrible Johnny Depp movies, but Disney has actually owned the franchise since … Our middle child went from being too scared to even stand by her favorite characters, to giving them hugs within just a couple of days of working with her. 1. If they lived among us and were judged the way you and I are, they would be in major trouble. Have little ones? They only need to know what you can and can’t do so that they can accommodate you accordingly. 16 Fictional Characters Who Actually Portray Mental Illness Accurately ... "As a person with anxiety, I always felt like a bomb waiting to go off, and I shut myself away to try to protect the … A DAS pass would constitute “double-dipping”. amzn_assoc_region = "US"; The narrator in The Yellow Wallpaper suffers from xanthophobia (fear of the color yellow) with a smattering of koinoniphobia (fear of rooms) Sure, the poor narrator was phobia-free at the … amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; There are various park-specific specials that come on TV and Netflix. There are a handful of events throughout the week, such as Early Morning Magic and Disney After Hours that have limited entrance. For me, I get anxious when I am not in control, when things don’t go as planned (meaning, total loss of control over the situation) and loud noises are overwhelming, especially when it is consistently loud (as are most theme parks). He knows what I need and how to help me overcome my minor anxiety struggle before it turns into a full-blown anxiety attack. When Riley first encountered a plug, Fear came into being so that Riley learned to avoid the risk of tripping. amzn_assoc_asins = "061527451X,B00DM0X020,B079K6LM44,B01MD0IOZE"; Filed Under: Planning Tagged With: Disney with a Disability Archives – Mouse Travel Matters, Walt Disney World Archives – Mouse Travel Matters. Registration No. Especially when I travel with the kids, but even during our latest trip, I always told myself “Whatever happens, we’re in Disney”. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.Thank you for subscribing! Fast rides, sudden dips, and rollercoasters give me the sense of losing control, the same with heights or simulated heights and speed. like when Ariel turned into a … Virgin Voyages – Set Sail On An Adult Adventure. https://screenrant.com/tv-characters-accurately-portray-mental-illness 10 Disney Characters with Obvious Mental Disorders - YouTube Starting a few weeks before our trip, we begin our countdown by watching videos at home showing the characters interacting with other guests. According to the U.S.A law, they aren’t allowed to ask for proof of disability or even require that you disclose your specific disability. Baby Care centers aren’t just for babies. The card will allow you to go to an attraction and get a return time (similar to the way a FastPass+ would work). While walking 10 minutes isn’t that big a deal on most days, it can be at 3 am when you are trying to have breakfast and get to Galaxy’s Edge before the lines are too long for opening day. There are also planning videos provided by Disney with examples of different character experiences available at the parks. This works in conjunction with a FastPass+, which can be used to pre-schedule times to visit an attraction to help minimize your wait. NOTE: Images without Face Coverings and/or Physical Distancing: Images do not represent current guidelines or requirements such as face coverings. It will cost you a pretty penny, but it will be quiet. You can use this at every Disney resort, including … Pack all anxiety medications as prescribed. I don’t always recommend a character meal, simply because you are stuck in the restaurant for 1.5 hours minimum while you wait for the characters to make their rounds. The next tip we learned the hard way. Along with sleep expert Dr. Carlos H. Schenck and Disney … And most of the time, it’s just giving me space to take a few deep breaths without having to think of “the plan” or take care of the kids. Sometimes, my husband or I will wait off to the side with our middle daughter while the other takes the rest of the children to visit with the characters. If your family is like ours you might have at least one child with major anxiety, especially when it comes to characters. Self-isolating, immobilized by the weight of personal expectations, and largely unable to experience joy, Elsa is the Anxious Girl’s heroine. Go During the Slower Times of Year (If Possible). Make a list of the Disney characters they feel comfortable meeting and seek those out early on for your trip. Traveling to Disney with your boys? All of these can either trigger an Anxiety attack or elevate my levels to a point where I start being “less fun”. When you return, you won’t stand in the regular queue, so the time you are confined among a greater crowd is minimal. If the gift shop is too crowded or the line to pick up Mobile Order is too full, send someone else to pick everything up on your behalf. What Disney World Attractions Offer Disability Access or Accept the DAS? Having a seat and relaxing during the busiest time of the day is a great way to take a breathe and recharge. … It’s just that simple. Even if you are planning on going during low crowd months, or during the week when the crowds are at their least, there is always a way to get the parks even quieter. While you wait, you can usually find a secluded spot away from most of the crowds. This is the system that Disney uses to help people with both physical and emotional difficulties to enjoy the parks successfully. Disney Characters With Mental Disorders #2. Not only are you not wasting precious park time at a sit-down meal, but you are getting that much further into the parks before anything even opens. If you have a child with anxiety … Tɾʌƨɦ. Art of Animation, for example, has its standard rooms on the opposite side of the resort. Visiting Disney for the first time since being diagnosed with Anxiety, I was better able to understand how I was feeling about the parks and why they made me so edgy. TI61341, Fun Ways to Count Down to your Disney Vacation, My Top 5 “My Disney Experience App” Features, Resort Spotlight – Disney’s Riviera Resort. Now that we have planned and planned, there is still the trick of actually visiting the parks. Once your meal is finished, you are allowed to queue and wait for the official opening. Traveling to Disney World with anxiety can be difficult, but one of the easiest ways to overcome it at Disney resorts is to just use online check-in! By Charles Manning. Seeing Santa or the Easter bunny is a nightmare for her so naturally when we make trips to Disney, there are concerns. https://mousetravelmatters.com/planning/how-to-visit-disney-world-with-anxiety The social anxiety was and still is a problem for me, but I found that when I went to Disney World that my fear went away. They will be difficult to get and probably not at the best times during the day but at least you won’t be waiting 3+ hours in line. Movies, whether it be a character or a circumstance in the plot we relate to, might somehow help us feel less alone in the midst of anxiety. Plan on visiting during lower crowd times and you will have that much less to worry about. amzn_assoc_search_bar = "false"; Our first day on Disney property is usually spent at a park where we can character-watch from a distance. Have your wish list and try to go with the flow. Sebastian from The Little Mermaid- Anxiety Disorder Sebastian usually responds to certain situations with fear, panic, etc. Anxiety-Producing Triggers at Walt Disney World. By having a simple table service restaurant, you are able to leave when you are finished and ready to continue touring. https://screenrant.com/most-crazy-disney-movie-characters-video Being on edge for the rest of the day or having little to no patience is another example of how my anxiety manifests itself. She will often wave to them and eventually become more comfortable with encounters as well. Delegate Disney Planning Tasks to Other People. Character Anxiety If your family is like ours you might have at least one child with major anxiety, especially when it comes to characters. Each resort has its pros and cons. He has a twin brother who … 3. We have found through trial and error a few tips and tricks to make meeting characters less stressful and more enjoyable for everyone. It was embarrassing to be crying in the middle of Frontierland as I tried to get a handle on myself and not ruin the day. Copyright © 2021 Mouse Travel Matters on the Foodie Pro Theme. Best Water Bottles for Disney World & Theme Parks, Tips for Handling Disney Anxiety Through Planning, What disabilities qualify for DAS at Disney World. Starting your first day in Disney with a character breakfast might seem like a magical way to begin your Disney experience but when you have a child who is unsure of the characters, it may end in DISASTER! That being said, those that only require mobility assistance do not qualify for DAS because accommodations have already been made for wheelchairs and scooters. Don’t schedule a character meal for the first day. They are a quiet space where you can refuel in peace, take a minute to calm down and regroup as a family. amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; https://thedisneyjourney.com/blog/handling-anxiety-at-disney-world Table Service meals are more than just a chance to eat. As a Type A myself, I generally can’t trust anyone to do anything for me but there is a point where I have to let it go and allow my family to help me out where they can. I made sure he knew exactly what my problems were and made sure he knew when I was struggling. These characters … She also suffers from a little bit of paranoia, but I will stick to one disorder per character for this post. Managing With a Fear of Disney Characters at Disney World Throughout the parks, in some dining locations, and even in some unexpected locations throughout Disney World, Disney has … To better understand how people with anxiety relate to their favorite characters, we asked members of our Mighty community to share one fictional character they identify with. 2. Ariel Ariel is an independent young mermaid who spends her days with Flounder and Sebastian, singing and dreaming … I now know that I can’t make plans on arrival day. Hubby is new to this “anxiety thing” so communicating my triggers and my needs was key to having someone on my side. They may need to hold your hand during encounters or want you to stand between them and Mickey Mouse which can all make for a less stressful experience. There are a handful of breakfast reservations within the parks that open before the parks do. Check out The Ultimate Guide to WDW for Boy Moms. Disney can’t say who can and can’t qualify as a disability. Imagine the difference between 30k people and 5k in the same park. Here is where you can find all the Disney Junior Characters at Disney World; Know the Triggers. (FYI, we bought pastries the night before and ate them in the Lyft). This is so important. Actually, my exact words are usually “I’m struggling”, while we are in the middle of crowds or our plane was late to take off. Another thing I love about seeing characters at Epcot is the large number of “face characters” which means, “real people”. 11 Disney Characters With Major Food Issues.