Hi, Friend! Welcome to planDisney!
One of my favorite things about Disney Cruise Line is how each guest’s vacation experience feels personalized. Of course, general ship moments could be happening for everyone on board, such as Deck Parties, Fireworks at Sea, and Rotational Dining, etc. But tucked within those general ship experiences is attention to personalized details. For some guests, this includes allergy and dietary accommodations or accommodations for loved ones with autism spectrum disorder. I would love to share more about this to help you decide on which ship and stateroom to choose for your children.
While there isn’t one Disney Cruise Line ship that’s more autistic friendly than another, Disney is always Disneying and doing what it does best: caring for guests’ individual needs. Across the entire Disney Cruise Line fleet, there are
guidelines for guests with autism spectrum disorder to help make their cruise experience as magical as possible. This might be shorter wait times before the shows at the Walt Disney Theater, seating accommodations, help identifying lower crowds in the
Youth Clubs, movies that could be better sensory-friendly options, etc.
I’ve personally witnessed shorter wait times accommodated for guests with autism, and my friend
Dustin even watched the sweetest personal interaction between Rapunzel and a guest unable to wait in long lines while on board the Disney Dream. These moments are individual to each guest’s personal needs and should be communicated to
Disney Cruise Line Special Services. They will note any accommodations that should be made for your children, as well as any personal requests you might have. I also recommend checking in at the Guest Services Desk once on board your cruise to further inquire about any accommodations you might need.
I’ve personally seen children with autism have amazing vacations across all the Disney Cruise Line ships. However, knowing that, generally, guests with autism might not do well in lines and/or in spaces with loud noises, the first two that jump to my mind are the
Disney Magic and the
Disney Wonder. As they are the smallest ships in the fleet, this automatically equals fewer crowds, especially in Youth Clubs and during Character Experiences. Plus, they each offer one immersive Main Dining restaurant, as opposed to two on many of the larger ships, which equals fewer loud noises during dinner.
Stateroom choices are individual and, thus, can accommodate each family’s personal needs. I’ve heard guests with autistic children say they prefer Oceanview staterooms, as they don’t offer a balcony door to the outside, such as in a Verandah stateroom, nor a “Magic Porthole” with animations, such as in an Inside stateroom. Whichever you choose, you can’t go wrong, because personal accommodations should be communicated to the Special Services Team, as well as to your Stateroom Host once on board.
Friend, I hope that I was able to help you choose the right magical Disney cruise experience for your family. I wish you all the most beautiful memories on board! Please sail back to planDisney if you have any more questions.
You’ve Got a Friend in Me,
Rana