Planning a holiday when you have a neurodiverse child is never easy. You worry whether there will be the right food, what activities they will be able to do, how they will cope on the transport and how you can make it a memorable one. We’d already been to Disneyland Paris in 2023 so we knew certain things that worked with Oscar last time but as a neurodiverse child grows up, sometimes different triggers can cause anxiety and affect how they see things.

London

On the first Monday of the summer holidays, we travelled to London on the train so we could have a day out before staying in a Premier Inn in Farringdon, one stop to St Pancras and the Eurostar. Farringdon has great transport links. We used the Elizabeth line from Farringdon to Canary Wharf and then the DLR to Cutty Sark and Maritime Greenwich. The transport worked well and Oscar enjoyed being at the front so he could pretend to drive the train on the DLR. When we got off at Cutty Sark we walked to the Maritime Museum and spent a good couple of hours there. We bought food from the cafe in the museum but next time I think we would probably go to Costa. Museum cafes can often be very expensive especially for a family of 4 and the flavours of the sandwiches are not necessarily child-friendly. There was a good interactive play area in the museum and a great outdoor play area. Then we walked up the hill to the observatory and stood on the Greenwich Mean Time line and had an ice cream.

We then headed back to the Premier Inn for dinner. Premier Inns often have a kids eat free deal and are family friendly. The room was a bit cramped with a double and two singles but we had reasonable sleep in preparation for our exciting holiday to Disneyland.

Travelling to Disney

After breakfast we had a short walk to Farringdon Station to get the tube one stop to St Pancras. Passport checks and security checks went very smoothly and we were soon in the gates area to await the Eurostar departure. The Eurostar to Lille leg was punctual. When we got to Lille we caught another train to the Disneyland station. You used to be able to get direct to Disneyland from St Pancras but now you have to change at Lille or Gare du Nord in Paris. A great tip for when you book your Disney break is to add on Disney Express so when you arrive at the Disneyland station your cases can be transferred to your hotel and you can go straight to the park. We were so excited to explore the park again. We weren’t going to go on any rides as we would get Oscar’s priority pass once we checked in at our hotel but we just wanted to soak up the magic, which is everywhere! As it was hot the 3.30 parade was cancelled but we headed straight to the castle to see the animatronic dragon that hides in a cavern under it. Then we headed back to our hotel.

Newport Bay Club

We had booked Newport Bay Club hotel for 4 nights. The location is ideal as it is situated only 15 minutes walk from the park. You walk through the Disney village where they have recently renovated parts of it to include a bigger LEGO store, many shops where you can buy Disney merchandise and gifts and some eateries. We booked a family room which is better than a standard 4 person room as it gives you two double beds and 2 pull out beds. We had originally booked a standard family room but Magic Breaks upgraded us to a Compass Club family room which gives you private check in, afternoon tea from 3.30-5.00 and a separate room for breakfast. We checked into our room and got ready for dinner. The restaurant at Newport Bay is called Cape Cod and is a buffet offering food like cold meats, bread, a variety of main dishes, Mickey mouse shaped potatoes and a lovely array of delicious desserts. It is always a bit stressful with food in hotels with Oscar but every need was catered for here. After dinner, myself and my daughter Millie went to Disney village to do some essential shopping: Minnie Mouse ears!

Adventure World

We were so excited for our first proper day at Disney. We chose to go to Adventure World, which is the new name for Disney Studios. When we last went in 2023, the new Frozen Land extension was being built and it opened in March 2026. The end of the park used to be at the Pixar area with its toy story rides and Cars rides but the new extension of shady walkways and tiled avenues of Frozen Land has increased the size of the park considerably. A lake has been incorporated where shows take place daily with Anna, Elsa, Kristof and an animatronic Olaf amongst others in boats. There is an ice palace built into the mountain landscape. At the end of the site, the Frozen Ever After ride is definitely a highlight and one of our favourite rides. The ride took place in a boat where we sailed by scenes featuring animatronic Olaf and Anna and Elsa. The climax of the ride was when Elsa sang Let it go and the boat went down a backwards drop.

Other rides we enjoyed were The Tower of Terror (a plummeting lift ride which everyone screams in but is very exhilarating.) We loved the Ratatouille ride where you ride in a mouse shaped car and watch scenes of the film and get sprayed with water when the champagne bottle gets opened. The area surrounding the ride is designed very nicely, chic with eateries and fountains.

Disneyland Park

On the Thursday and Saturday we went to the main Disneyland Park. Disneyland Park is split into 5 areas: Main Street USA, Frontierland, Adventureland, Fantasyland and Discoveryland. You definitely need at least 2 days to explore the park.

Frontierland:

Our favourite ride is by far Thunder Mountain: an exhilarating rollercoaster ride, which goes through tunnels and has steep twists and turns. It was closed until our last day so we went on lots of times when it reopened and they have made it even better!

Adventureland:

Lots to see here and highlights are Pirates of the Caribbean and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril. Pirates is a gentle boat ride with amazing sets and featuring a Jack Sparrow animatronic model. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril is not for the faint hearted! There is a 360 degree loop and you have to be 1.4 metres tall.

Fantasyland:

The rides we did here were Peter Pan’s Flight where you are suspended above scenes of London and Neverland and It’s a Small World. On this ride, you can see puppets of children (dressed in clothes of many countries) dance and sing. There are lots of other rides including a Dumbo ride, a Carousel and Pinocchio.

Discoveryland:

Star Wars Hyperspace mountain is very fast and thrusts you into darkness and has twists and turns. My son was adamant that he wanted to do it and he survived! You definiely need to be a daredevil! I’ve always liked Star Tours as well: a simulator which moves along bumpy terrain in different planets and dodge Star Wars fighters. In Autopia, children can ride cars around a track.

Main Street USA:

Where the magic of the parades happens and at the centre, Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. Lots of eateries and the most delicious ice cream. You can hop onto a train that travels around the park as well. At the entrance to the park, the Disneyland hotel is situated. This is one of the most expensive hotels to stay at but if you book a meal there (even with a meal plan you have to pay a bit more) characters come round and say hello. On our last night we met Minnie, Mickey, Donald and Daisy. Oscar and Millie really enjoyed that bit.

Tips:

• If you have a child with a disability, apply online up to a month before you go, for a priority pass for the rides. Provide evidence of DLA or similar and pick up the pass from the hotel. A typical wait time for us was about 10 minutes rather than 1 hour if we had gone in the normal queue.
• Pay for Disney Express: You can go straight to the park from the train once you have dropped your cases off at the Disney Express desk.
• If you go when weather is warm, handheld fans are really handy and take advantage of the misting stations around the park.
• We paid for a meal plan and you can eat in many of the hotel restaurants.
• Embrace the magic!