A Note to the Non-Neurodivergent
Hi there, hypothetical non-neurodivergent reader. I thought I would take a little time to talk to you directly about these Access Cards. You may be thinking, though this is not to imply you ARE thinking this, that these Access Cards are pretty amazing, and it isn’t fair that they aren’t available to everyone and that you can’t apply for one.
Why do I even mention this? Well, that is because I have felt that way in the past about accommodations that were given to others. And yes, I do realize how strange that is, being neurodivergent myself and having received accommodations as a result. But we are never entirely logical, are we?
It is easy to look at the ‘advantages’ that having an Access Card gives you when at Disneyland Paris. It is really hard to be standing in a really long line and see someone just flash a card to not have to ‘put in their dues’ before being able to go on a ride. I get it. It is entirely normal to feel that way. And I also know that it is easier to feel this way when the people we see ‘cutting’ the line have invisible disabilities. Because, to those of us on the outside looking in, they look exactly the same as we do.
Access Cards aren’t an advantage
I’m going to put out a bit of a challenging thought for you to consider, though: even if it puts Access Card holders at an advantage, that might be ok. And that is because neurodivergent life is hard. Often really, really hard. Now, that isn’t to say that life is easy for the non-neurodivergent. Far from it! Life is hard all around. It is just that nearly every other aspect of our lives is made more difficult by the simple fact of being neurodivergent. This is on top of all the other things that make life hard! So, if there is one place that we can go and have an ‘advantage,’ even just for a day or two, that might be ok. It might make some of those other hard days just a little easier if we can anticipate a trip to Disneyland Paris and the short break that it offers.
I’ll tell you this, though. Having one of these Access Cards isn’t an advantage. It isn’t something that makes Disneyland Paris easy. Or something that lets us, even if just for a moment, feel superior in some small way by being able to do something that others can’t. It makes a visit to Disneyland Paris possible.
Let me tell you a story.
Our family has been to Disneyland Paris twice; each time for a few days. For the first visit, we didn’t have our paperwork from Canada in order(yep, we’re Canadian!), so we weren’t able to apply for a Priority Card. In fact, we didn’t know much about accommodations in the Parks, so we did the first day and half with no accommodation.
We were able to secure a Facility Pass for the last days of that first trip, however. After we got back home, we doubled our efforts to get the proper documentation so that we could apply for a Priority Card for our next trip, which we did. That first trip, reader? That first trip was rough.
I have no idea how many rides/shows/character meets/spectacles might be considered a ‘good’ day at the Parks, but I know how many we were able to get done that first day in the Parks. Two. A grand total of two rides (and none of the other things) for about 10 hours at the Parks. Now, knowing what we know now, we could have had a far more successful first day than that (well, possibly), and the whole experience was even more overwhelming for all of us, seeing as we were new to the Parks and didn’t know where anything was or how anything worked. But we had plenty of meltdowns and tears throughout the day though!
It was hard for us as parents. It was beyond hard for EP1&2. We were just far too overstimulated, were faced with far too many new challenges, and it led to overload and shutdown. If that was our only day at Disneyland Paris? Well, we would have an entirely different view of the Parks than we do now. And a decidedly un-good one (that’s a real word, right?). Now we can go there and know that, while it is challenging, we can still have fun at Disneyland Paris.
Going into that second day with a better understanding of the Parks and what would be required of EP1&2 was helpful, but it still wasn’t enough for the kids to have fun. While we were able to do a few more rides, the Expansion Packs were fully on edge and were not having a good time. So, we applied for the Facility Card (though we didn’t know what it was called).
I’ll be honest. We were unprepared.
Not knowing what documents we needed before going to Disneyland Paris for the first time, I wasn’t prepared for the application process for the Facility Card. So that was stressful. But, after a return to our hotel to get my laptop (and getting weird looks from the security people about bringing a laptop into Disneyland), we got that sorted and were given a Facility Card. And having these little bits of plastic and cardboard made a world of difference. Being able to wait in other places for our turn on rides was a game changer. It didn’t make everything easy, mind you. We still had to manage expectations and help EP1&2 find outlets for the stress of waiting. But not having to do that within a crush of people, many of whom were giving the kids sidelong glances for being loud or for needing to use a device to distract themselves? So. Much. Easier.
One thing we did find with the Facility Pass, however, is that EP2 became very, very concerned that we would miss our return time for whatever ride we had a reservation for. To the point where we considered NOT using the Facility Pass and going back to the stress of the lines. It was a really hard process for him to cope with. Even with assurances that I had set alarms and that I would be responsible for getting everyone where they needed to go at the right time (and also not telling him what time the reservation was for) he still could barely handle it. So that meant that he was already a huge ball of stress even before we got to the stimulating ride. Even so, however, our time in Disneyland Paris with the Facility Card was easier than it was without any accommodations.
Finding a different way.
So then, what was it like going back to Disneyland Paris with the Priority Cards? I think it can be summed up in one moment, when EP1&2 were walking a little ahead of my wife and I, and they were just chatting together and telling each other a story. We looked at each other and both said, with no small amount of amazement: “they’re having FUN!” Because before that, they weren’t.
Now, don’t get me wrong. This isn’t to say that everything was easy sailing once we got the Priority Card. No, it was still a challenging and stressful experience to be in the Parks. But it was doable. The overall stress was far less, the mental load from having to think about what time we had to be back where to get to a ride (in addition to ALL the other things) was less, there were fewer meltdowns and tears as a result.
Oh, and we didn’t magically go from doing two rides in a day to doing 30! I think that the day we did the most rides saw us doing 8 of them. And we basically had to rest for a whole day after that day, so we won’t be doing that again. No, having the Priority Cards in hand didn’t elevate us to the status of ‘super guest’ or give us any massive advantage over anyone else in the Parks. Instead, it allowed us to slow down and to give ourselves (all of us!) the space we needed to actually enjoy those few rides that we chose to spend our mental energy on.
While I know I might not have convinced you, fictional reader, that the Priority Card doesn’t grant an unfair advantage within the Parks, I hope I’ve at least given you at least a little to think about. Every person is different, every family is different, and, at least for our family, the Priority Card let our kids experience a bit of fun while at Disneyland Paris.