Disney cruise with autistic child? Any experiences?

[lauraleigh9mm]

We took advantage of the huge MR sale as our son loves everything Disney and we have always wanted to take him on a cruise. Has anyone taken their autistic child on Disney? For the record he is severly autistic.

[Friscorays]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1168655&highlight=autistic

[toodycat]

My son is not severely autistic, but he is on the spectrum and he loves Disney cruises. I think he likes enjoys the vestibular stimulation of the rocking of the boat, for one thing. I don't know how old your son is, but our son has found activities onboard to occupy him at every age. (He started cruising with Disney when he was 6 and is now 16.) Disney crew members have been wonderful to work with. Some even remembered him from previous cruises! I think if you make them aware of his diagnosis, they will accommodate you in every way possible. Does your child need a one-on-one aide? Is he or she toilet trained? You might want to look online for the guidelines to the kids' program in advance to see what they can and can't do for developmentally disabled kids.

 

Some of the activities onboard can be noisy, so if your son has sensory issues, you may want to bring some earplugs or headphones. The shows are beautiful and the pirate party is magnificent, though the noise and crowds on deck can be a little tough to handle for someone on the spectrum.

 

We love Disney and I would definitely recommend it for families with ASD kids.