Without knowing specific triggers, there would be no specific things to definitely avoid. My youngest daughter has epilepsy, which is not well controlled (multiple seizures per month). We have gone to WDW and have not found any attractions that seem more likely to cause seizures.
This is a post I wrote about seizures for the disABILITIES FAQs thread.
See also post 3 on page one of the disABILITIES FAQs thread for more information about epilepsy.
Most people think of strobe lights when they think of seizures, but most people with seizures don't have any problems with strobe lights.
This is something to talk to your doctor with, but in for most people with epilepsy, the lights at WDW won't cause any problems.
Things that are very important to be aware of are sleep deprivation, dehydration and getting off schedule with medication. All of those things can lower the seizure threshold (how easy it is for a seizure to occur). It's very easy to get off schedule or forget medication while on vacation. One things we have found that helps with this is to actually use an individual dose medication container and an alarm (on our phone or iPod) as a reminder for medication times.
There are not actually any attractions at WDW that use lights that are technically strobe lights (i.e, fast, regular flashes of light) and they do not have any warnings for seizures and/or strobe lights on any attractions. Where they do have flashing lights, they are always irregularly flashing, which is a different situation.
Most true strobe lights flash many times per second, but slowing to 5 flashes per second or less means that the majority of even photosensitive epileptics are not going to have a problem. Only about 3-7% of people with epilepsy are photosensitive and have problems with lights; of those, only about 5% would have a problem with a light flashing 5 times per second or less.
If you do encounter flashing lights and are concerned, the Epilepsy Foundation recommends covering one eye and turning/looking away from the direct source of light. The reason for covering only one eye and looking away from the direct light is to prevent both eyes from sending exactly the same information to the brain.
This should work whether someone has a problem with epilepsy or has problems with lights for another reason.
This is a list of attractions I know of with light effects of some type. Many attractions have a single light or 2, so it is difficult to list all. But, I am sure that we have included most of them.
MK
- Enchanted Tiki Room - periods of darkness with simulated lightning. The lightning is random and short.
- Pirates - some lightning flashes in the first dark part of the ride. Some random flickering from simulated flames in the last half.
- Big Thunder Mountain Rail Road - there are no light effects in this attraction, but if you are riding on a sunny day, you will go in and out of dark tunnels repeatedly at high speed.
- Splash Mountain - on a sunny day, there are several places where you will go from dimly lit indoor areas to outdoor. The ride moves slowly, so the change is slow. There is a single bright flash when your picture is taken during the big drop.
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train - no light effects, but on a sunny day, you will be traveling in and out of dark areas into bright sunlight.
- Haunted Mansion - almost at the end of the preshow, there is a flash of lightning at the top of the ceiling. Boarding area includes flickering wall sconces.
- Small World - the end scene includes numerous ropes of white lights that blink on and off in a regular pattern. I would describe it as a traveling pattern - as one light goes off, the next light in line goes on. So, the light travels down or across the strand of lights.
- Buzz Lightyear - just before the last room of the ride, there is a long narrow tunnel room with swirling red lights and flashing white lights. The swirling and flashing are not rhythmic. The last room of the ride includes several very bright random flashes of white light.
- Stitch's Great Escape - Most of this attraction takes place in the dark, but there are some random light flashes at times (while looking for Stitch) - closed and/or seasonal
- Space Mountain - multiple flashing lights
Epcot
- Spaceship Earth - the first part of the ride and the last part of the ride are dark, long and narrow.
The entrance 'tunnel' has screens high on the wall, warning that your 'time capsule' will turn and descend at some point during the ride. The screens are bright compared to the walls.
The exit tunnel has some lighting effects, but not flashes.
- Mission Space - Includes a flash of light for a picture and flashing instrument lights to alert ‘astronauts’ to push particular buttons. There are also small amber colored flashing alarm beacons at the end of the ‘runway’ when you are landing on Mars.
- Test Track - the walls and ceiling in most of this attraction are black, with colored strips of light. On pictures they look like neon lights, but are probably fiberoptic lights. The lights do not move or flicker. There is one section where your car looks like it will run into a truck, which has suddenly turned its lights on. Soon after that, the car travels outside, so if the day is bright, you will go into bright sunlight.
- Living with the Land - simulated thunderstorm in the first few scenes. The first part of the attraction is dim; the second part is in a greenhouse, where the light can be a bit of a shock when you first enter. At one point, the boat enters a 'fish farm' part of the greenhouse, which has dim red lighting. After traveling thru that part, you will agin be in a greenhouse. The ride boat moves slowly though, so it is not difficult to adjust to the different lighting..
- Soarin' - There are sudden scene changes where something happens to fill the screen in the scene you are on and change to the next scene. Most are between similar light situations. One of the last scenes includes soaring over the Eiffel Tower. There is a bright searchlight which swings towards you at the start of the last scene change. The end scene includes fireworks
- Journey into Your Imagination - Some flashes of light. One bright flash near the end where a picture used to be taken.
- Gran Fiesta Tour (Mexico) - fiber optic fireworks in the ceiling and wall in the last scene
- American Adventure - the Chief Joseph sequence has a few stokes of lightning. The World War 2 sequence on a ship includes arcs of welding light.
Studio
- Star Tours - flashes of light during the attraction (you are in a space ship and end up in a spaceship fight)
- Voyage of the Little Mermaid - some flashing light, some twinkling lights and some pulsating blue/green laser lights above your head to simulate the top of the water. All are random
- Rock N Roller Coaster - one bright flash of light during picture taking and random flashes of light as you 'drive' down the highway
- Tower of Terror - one bright flash of light during picture taking. Elevator door opens suddenly to give a view of outdoors (so bright light on a sunny day). Some twinkling lights during the early part of the ride and I was too busy being scared and holding DD down to notice any more.
- Frozen Sing Along - Includes some flashing lights/lights to simulate snow that moved/beamed across the stage and sometimes the audience.
- Fantasmic - includes some bright flashes of white lights that beam across the audience, fireworks, 'eye lights' from dragon and snake. Many people are using light up toys which may be set on rapid flashing. Glow with the show ears change color in synch with the show. Most of the color changes are slow transitions.The ear part is translucent white plastic.
AK
- Festival of the Lion King - one act includes twirling flaming sticks and there are some bright lights that beam across the theater. Most come from high and/or the ceiling, especially during the aerial act sequence. There are other random lights beaming as spotlights get into position to light different singers
- Dinosaur - dark ride with sudden appearance of dinosaurs in front of you. Random flashes of light. One big flash as a picture is taken.
- Expedition Everest - includes some bright light effects
- Flight of Passage in Pandora - has bright flashes of light as your banshee takes off to fly and again to end the ride.
My mother had migraines and found that reflections off water (especially the World Showcase Lagoon) bothered her on a very bright day. She also had problems sometimes with the 360 movies in China and Canada because they are all around and because of flicker. Even though movie might not seem to flicker, they are actually made up of many individual pictures per minute going thru the projector. The flickering in them is noticeable by some people, especially if the film is damaged or dirty.
