Travel for all: 12 autism-friendly vacation destinations
Editor's Note
At TPG, we feel strongly that travel should be not only accessible to all but also enjoyable for all. In honor of World Autism Awareness Month, we're highlighting cities and tourist attractions worldwide that are doing just that: making their destinations welcoming to all visitors.
About 1 in 36 kids in the U.S. is diagnosed with autism, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Every year, more and more destinations join a growing list of places dedicated to meeting every visitor's needs so they can have fun while feeling welcome, cared for and respected.
To do so, these destinations partner with the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards, an organization that focuses on autism and cognitive differences. In addition to health care and public safety training, IBCCES has developed a robust certification program for cities, zoos, restaurants, theme parks, hotels, museums and other tourist destinations committed to serving individuals with autism.
Planning your next vacation? Here are 12 autism-friendly destinations to consider.
Beaches Resorts
The Beaches brand includes three family-friendly all-inclusive resorts in Negril and Ocho Rios, Jamaica, and the Turks and Caicos Islands that aim to welcome all kinds of guests, including those with autism.
These resorts are designated Advanced Certified Autism Centers, and staff members have received special training from IBCCES. Not to mention, each property offers kids camps, custom dining options, sensory-friendly areas and sensory guides; the guides provide details on sensory stimulation levels for the various amenities and activities at these Beaches resorts, including those led by popular "Sesame Street" characters.
The resorts also offer one-on-one accredited staff members called "Beaches Buddies" who can assist your family during all or part of your trip, and there's an expedited "Fast Track Arrival & Departure Service." Both services cost an additional fee.
Mesa, Arizona
Mesa is the first autism-certified city in the U.S. This designation means visitors can find autism-friendly attractions, hotels, restaurants and more throughout the city.
The city's website provides a directory of certified lodging, dining and attractions. You can download a mobile passport that lists the attractions and earn a special prize if you check in to five Certified Autism Center locations during your visit.
Nearby at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), visitors with special needs can visit a specially designed sensory room and request a complimentary "Compassion Cacti" lanyard so staff members can easily recognize who may need additional assistance.
Visalia, California
In December 2022, Visalia, California, earned the Certified Autism Destination designation after a yearlong collaborative effort by the Visit Visalia tourism board and local hotels and tourist attractions.
Visalia keeps an updated list of Certified Autism Centers on its website, along with details on what is required for those hotels and attractions to earn that classification; such requirements include employee training, accommodations and amenities like sensory guides, quiet spaces and exclusive low-sensory events.
The city also partakes in the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program, which provides visitors with a complimentary sunflower-printed lanyard. This alerts staff members at local hotels, restaurants and attractions that special accommodations may be necessary.
Legoland
As of the 2023 operating season, all Legoland resorts across the U.S. are Certified Autism Centers.
Employees at Legoland Florida Resort in Winter Haven, Florida; Legoland California Resort in San Diego; and Legoland New York Resort in Goshen, New York, are specially trained to ensure guests with autism or other sensory disorders can enjoy the theme park. In the case of Legoland Florida, all three on-site hotels are also Certified Autism Centers.
Additionally, Legoland New York and Legoland Florida offer quiet rooms, and all three resorts feature sensory-friendly areas and sensory guides for all attractions. These guides rate each attraction's sensory levels regarding touch, taste, sound, sight and smell. Visitors can also request a skip-the-line pass called a Hero Pass for guests with disabilities.
Peppa Pig Theme Park
Peppa Pig Theme Park — adjacent to Legoland Florida — opened in February 2022 as an IBCCES Certified Autism Center.
Peppa Pig Theme Park trains staff on sensory awareness and continues education about the needs of visitors with autism. Additionally, the park has an in-depth sensory guide on its website, sensory signage at each attraction and a skip-the-line pass for visitors with special needs. There are also areas designed for those with autism, such as an indoor theater that shows episodes of "Peppa Pig" in a dark, quiet room with comfortable floor cushions.
A second Peppa Pig Theme Park is slated to open this year in the Dallas-Forth Worth, Texas, area. This new location will likely have similar autism-friendly offerings.
SeaWorld Orlando
SeaWorld Orlando has been an IBCCES Certified Autism Center since World Autism Day in 2019. The theme park that blends thrilling and kid-friendly rides with aquatic animal observation and education — along with its Aquatica Orlando water park and Discovery Cove all-inclusive day resort — offers staff-wide training in autism awareness and sensitivity. This way, all visitors can enjoy the breadth of fun and educational experiences SeaWorld offers.
SeaWorld Orlando's website provides information on the park's skip-the-line ride accessibility program, plus the park's quiet room and low sensory area. You can also download a sensory guide with details about each attraction at SeaWorld Orlando.
The DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld, one of Orlando's many family-friendly hotels, is also designated as a Certified Autism Center. This makes it a convenient option for families traveling with children with autism.
Sesame Place
Sesame Place locations — one in Philadelphia and one in San Diego — are the only theme parks where you can visit the friendly characters who call Sesame Street home; they are also Certified Autism Centers.
In addition to the requisite training and sensory awareness guides, Sesame Place allows visitors to meet Julia, a resident of Sesame Street with autism. Julia has been a prominent character on the "Sesame Street" TV show since 2017.
Related: First look at the brand-new Sesame Place theme park in San Diego
Six Flags
Six Flags has more than 20 theme park locations across the country. In 2020, Six Flags became the first family of parks to earn the Certified Autism Center designation at all locations.
Related: Celebrate National Roller Coaster Day on 1 of the 10 best coasters in the US
The parks partnered with IBCCES to remove the challenges of visiting a theme park with a child with special needs while making every guest feel welcome.
Each park has its own sensory guide, customized menu options at dining locations, sensory-friendly spaces and warm, accommodating staff members. Several locations also offer sensory-friendly days that are quieter and host private character meet-and-greets.
Morgan's Wonderland
Morgan's Wonderland in San Antonio is the world's only "ultra-accessible" theme park. Rather than making accommodations for guests with special needs, Morgan's Wonderland was designed specifically for guests with mobility issues and neurodivergent or special needs. This includes guests with autism.
The park has more than 25 accessible attractions, play areas and interactive elements, as well as an accessible splash park called Morgan's Inspiration Island. For the 2024 season, Morgan's Wonderland made a $6 million investment in new attractions, including a 4D cinema, a roller coaster, a boat ride and a zip line ride.
Morgan's Wonderland is always free for guests with special needs. Accompanying friends and family can purchase single-day tickets or take advantage of the park's Summer Pass; the pass grants access to the theme park and water park all summer long for $40 per person.
JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa
JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa is the first JW Marriott property to earn a Certified Autism Center designation from the IBCCES. The family-friendly resort in Palm Desert, California, has five pools, two golf courses, a tennis club and a 12,000-square-foot arcade area.
Related: TPG's ultimate guide to Palm Springs, California
For guests with autism, JW Marriott Desert Springs provides sensory kits with weighted blankets, sound machines and fidget toys, along with a map showing low-sensory areas around the property.
Visit Greater Palm Springs offers a helpful autism travel guide to attractions in the area on its website.
Great Wolf Lodge
In 2023, Great Wolf Lodge indoor water park resorts partnered with the IBCCES to develop sensory guides for all 19 Great Wolf Lodge locations across the U.S. The sensory guide is available online and details sensory levels for all attractions, slides, pools, rides, shows and activities. It also provides information on where to find quiet areas.
The guide displays ratings for sight, smell, sound, touch and taste for individual attractions and experiences. This helps families best prepare for what to expect during their visit.
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
In July of 2023, Florida's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex was designated a Certified Autism Center by the IBCCES. To earn the certification, Kennedy Space Center staff completed training to best accommodate autistic and sensory-sensitive visitors.
Additionally, visitors can use sensory guidance signage at attractions and activities throughout the complex and take a relaxing break in low-sensory areas. They can also prepare for their visit with an online sensory guide.
Bottom line
These 12 cities, resorts and tourist attractions are doing everything they can to meet the needs of travelers with autism.
For a full list of IBCCES-certified locations, visit the organization's online autism travel directory.
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