5 Tips For Creating a Successful Disney World Vacation for Kids with ADHD ~

Read Time:3 Minute, 23 Second

Disney is one of those magical vacations and for some, it’s a once in a lifetime trip! More than likely you want your family to have the best time while making some wonderful memories. Sounds easy enough, right? Parents who have children with ADHD want the best times for their kids too but it may sound more like a challenge! My 7 year old son has ADHD and I wanted the same thing for him and for our family! I want you moms and dads, worried about bringing your child with ADHD, to feel like you can have enjoyable vacations just like us! That’s why I want to share 5 tips and tricks that have helped us have some fantastic Disney vacations with our child who has ADHD:

1.) To me, this is the most important tip: keep well-fed, rested, and hydrated! How can anyone, especially a child with ADHD, have fun when they’re hungry, exhausted, and dehydrated? Most adults can’t even have fun like that! So make sure your child gets the appropriate amount of rest they need (or can get), bring snacks, and bring a water bottle to stay on top of hydration. Bring, or let your child pick out, their favorite water bottle and fill them up with free ice water from quick service locations!

2.) Set timers if your child is on medication and make sure medicine is with you if you go to the parks! We get so excited about doing so much at Disney, like my son wanting us to ride Splash Mountain 5 times in a row, that we easily forget time is passing. That’s why I recommend setting a timer so you won’t miss those important medication times.

3.) Take breaks! My son needs a moment, a couple of times during our park day, to just run around, do spins, and jump around. We usually take this break right before we sit down to eat and it allows him to get that pent up energy out. This also allows him to focus on what will happen next (we even hand him a park map so he can see exactly what’s happening). So take a minute to just let your child be a child! Stop at the splash areas, go to your resort pool, or find an area where your child can let their energy out.

4.) Structure is very important for kids with ADHD, as you probably know, so have your plans in place for how your days will be in Disney. If you know your child does MUCH better with bedtime at 8, make sure you are back in your resort, before 8, so your child can be in bed by 8! If your child knows lunch time is at 12:30, make sure you’re sitting down to eat by 12:30! Those of you with kids who are able to read, print out a schedule of what your day is going to look like so there are no surprises. If your child is not able to read yet, make a schedule for your child with pictures so they can see what will happen. You may not can keep your schedule from home at Disney but you can create a schedule in Disney that resembles the one at home!

5.) Utilize your fastpasses! We all know when your child struggles with ADHD, the last thing you want to be doing is waiting in line 20 minutes for a ride. Find out which rides your child would like to do and use your fastpasses for those rides so you can cut down on wait times.

Stay tuned for another article on 5 more tips for making a WDW trip successful for kids with ADHD.

My passion is helping families, especially moms, in creating vacations that will eliminate the stresses of planning but increase the fun and time spent with families! If you need assistance with planning your next family vacation, send a message to [email protected].