Loud spots to avoid for those with hearing impairment? + Loud restaurants?

[2019TripIdeas]

Hello!
I cannot believe this thought didn't occur to me until just now- we travel this coming week! Hoping you'll all be able to fill me in on the best way to go about this!

One of my children is hearing impaired (single sided deafness) and she does not do particularly well in incredibly noisy environments. She really struggles most in environments with competing background noise. Loud noises themselves don't bother her, but she does pretty quickly lose ability to localize/identify where noise is coming from if the full environment is loud. At home, we avoid restaurants that are crazy noisy, for example, because it's just not fun for her.... but most places, she really does do great and you'd never know about her hearing impairment. Our basic rule of thumb is if you need to raise your voice to be heard above music, it's too loud for her to enjoy.

Does anyone have pointers for things to avoid/know? Is Disney responsive to things like asking to sit further away from a speaker, for example?

I booked an ADR at Raglan Road and now I'm questioning if that was smart. She loves step dancing (my primary motivation for booking it) but in another thread I saw mentioned that it is reallly loud in there, which I hadn't even considered. We also have an ADR at Biergarten but I'm imagining that being kind of a more "open air environment" (maybe?) and with more intermittent noise, she'd do okay there I think.

Our other ADRs are Storybook Dining, Garden Grill, Skippers Canteen, Boma if anyone has feedback on how noisy those places are.

 

[KayaWildfire]

Biergarten is kind of loud, but only during the shows, which are not constant. Otherwise it's fine, just a little quiet background music, well below your defined limit. Ask to sit further away from the stage, it helps tremendously. I'm sure they would be fine with that, I'd imagine most people are requesting the opposite. I've not done raglan road so cannot comment. The others you have booked a relatively quiet restaurant environments, nothing loud there.

 

[2019TripIdeas]

^Thanks so much @KayaWildfire . I've been to Biergarten but about 15 years ago ha! and we were seated on the higher tier further away from the stage and I didn't remember it being loud there either. Glad I'm remembering that correctly.

 

[Hopefully]

Raglan Road is extremely loud. We couldn’t hear each other, even yelling. I think it will be a problem

 

[gap2368]

I have done garden grill at EPCOT and it was quiet the land building can be nosies at times but the resorts was not bad at all. You sit in big U so you do not really look at each other I really have to look at people lips that are talking to really follow along but had no problem hearing here and did not need to raise my voice at all

 

[jeal]

Try to find restaurants where you can sit outside as long as the weather is nice enough.

 

[lanejudy]

I don't see it on your list, but avoid T-Rex at Disney Springs. That was a horrible experience due to the loudness and busy environment. Rain Forest (at DS and AK) is similar but has never seemed as loud and crazy, at least not for us.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[plygph]

Second for T-REX our family will never go back too loud and the food was HORRIBLE. They treated us like what we were a captured audience.

BOAT HOUSE in DS I found to be loud as well.

I don't understand what is with the designers of restaurants I have found them to be getting nosier.

My 2 cents

 

[2019TripIdeas]

^ Thank you all. I really appreciate the feedback. We didn't book T-Rex or Rainforest Cafe, so all set there.... I'm so mixed on what to do on Raglan Road. Our ADR is earlier-ish in the evening (6 p.m.) Are there tables towards the back that wouldn't be as overwhelmingly noisy? Or is it just a noisy place overall?

@gap2368 That's a good point on Garden Grill. She is an occasional lipreader- more to "tune in" to the correct person speaking, but I've noticed that as an issue with U-shaped seating in restaurants before.

 

[KayaWildfire]

[/QUOTE]
@gap2368 That's a good point on Garden Grill. She is an occasional lipreader- more to "tune in" to the correct person speaking, but I've noticed that as an issue with U-shaped seating in restaurants before.
[/QUOTE]
If the u shape is an issue, ask for a table on the second level. It is just normal tables up there, not the booths.

 

[Hopefully]

Raglan Road would be less noisy at the back, in the side room ( can’t see the stage) and at 6 PM. But stI’ll noisy. Since you know noises are a problem for your daughter, I would cancel.

 

[Hoodie]

I have never eaten at Raglan Road, but you can hear all the noise from outside the restaurant.

 

[bopper]

Also you could ask her if she would be okay with a loud restaurant given that she would get to see the Irish dancing.

 

[2019TripIdeas]

Also you could ask her if she would be okay with a loud restaurant given that she would get to see the Irish dancing.

Good call- I did last night and she said she understood it was going to be loud and still wanted to do it! I'm going to try to find some youtube videos that show how loud it is to see if she's still in. She's 5 so sometimes she'll say she's okay with something noisy until she's in the moment and overwhelmed by it (in which case she just gets quiet, it's not like she'll throw a fit or anything but I can tell noisy situations sometimes just aren't fun). I guess if it does get overwhelming, my husband or I could take her outside for a breather too while the rest of the family stays at the table.

 

[bopper]

Possibly you could let her watch a video or something with headphones to reduce the noise.

 

[MrsDuck]

Hi!
I have single sided hearing loss (not deaf). Raglan Road and Biergarten are tough for me. I'd be totally fine at the rest!

 

[Tangled Pink]

I had to laugh at Hoodie's response and it's exactly what I think of when I pass by Raglan Road-the noise pours to the outside of the restaurant. I'm hearing impaired too, and that restaurant is a no no for me. However, I totally understand your DD's wishes and she certainly should go. How does she feel if the conversations are mostly happening between everyone else but her? I know for myself, there's so much visually happening at so many restaurants and sometimes I want to be in the center of all of the action. What is the worst thing that could happen? She won't hear your conversations and so let it be. She can sit back and just enjoy the show and you all can keep the conversations with her at a minimum. Just know that what is being communicated back in forth will take a little more effort but it really doesn't matter. No matter where my family and I go we like to talk a lot about what happened afterwards and just have a good ole time having a discussion. I like to point out things that they didn't even notice or see so it is basically a different experience for everyone. Relax and enjoy it!

As far as the restaurants you picked for your ADR: Boma has high ceilings so there will be echos. You can request a table towards the windows overlooking the safari. It seems when I sit near a wall or window the sound level is more manageable. Garden Grill should be a little more calm and quiet since it's tucked away in the corner and the rotation part of it takes you away from the crowds out in the open. You may hear people talking to the table next to you which is what happens in any restaurant anyway. I haven't been to the restaurants you booked, I really don't know much about the environment in those so I can't be of help to her. I'm sorry.

My family knows exactly what to expect when we go to eat anywhere basically. I seem to enjoy myself better when they all talk amongst themselves. I know it may seem strange, but I take great comfort knowing that they are all happy and they will ask me questions/talk about something but nothing that will be too deep into a lengthy discussion since I will get lost. It doesn't seem fair that I miss out on 80% of the conversation but it is what is is. This is out of my control and I've accepted this a long time ago. I am so blessed and thankful to God that it isn't worse that what it is!

 

[Tangled Pink]

I had to laugh at Hoodie's response and it's exactly what I think of when I pass by Raglan Road-the noise pours to the outside of the restaurant. I'm hearing impaired too, and that restaurant is a no no for me. However, I totally understand your DD's wishes and she certainly should go. How does she feel if the conversations are mostly happening between everyone else but her? I know for myself, there's so much visually happening at so many restaurants and sometimes I want to be in the center of all of the action. What is the worst thing that could happen? She won't hear your conversations and so let it be. She can sit back and just enjoy the show and you all can keep the conversations with her at a minimum. Just know that what is being communicated back in forth will take a little more effort but it really doesn't matter. No matter where my family and I go we like to talk a lot about what happened afterwards and just have a good ole time having a discussion. I like to point out things that they didn't even notice or see so it is basically a different experience for everyone. Relax and enjoy it!

As far as the restaurants you picked for your ADR: Boma has high ceilings so there will be echos. You can request a table towards the windows overlooking the safari. It seems when I sit near a wall or window the sound level is more manageable. Garden Grill should be a little more calm and quiet since it's tucked away in the corner and the rotation part of it takes you away from the crowds out in the open. You may hear people talking to the table next to you which is what happens in any restaurant anyway. I haven't been to the restaurants you booked, I really don't know much about the environment in those so I can't be of help to her. I'm sorry.

My family knows exactly what to expect when we go to eat anywhere basically. I seem to enjoy myself better when they all talk amongst themselves. I know it may seem strange, but I take great comfort knowing that they are all happy and they will ask me questions/talk about something but nothing that will be too deep into a lengthy discussion since I will get lost. It doesn't seem fair that I miss out on 80% of the conversation but it is what is is. This is out of my control and I've accepted this a long time ago. I am so blessed and thankful to God that it isn't worse that what it is!

Edit: I meant to say I haven't been to any of the other restaurants you booked.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I remember eating dinner at Garden Grill with someone with a hearing impairment. Our first table was open and it didn't work for her-too loud. They moved us to one of the lower, curved booths, and that was fine.

 

[2019TripIdeas]

My family knows exactly what to expect when we go to eat anywhere basically. I seem to enjoy myself better when they all talk amongst themselves. I know it may seem strange, but I take great comfort knowing that they are all happy and they will ask me questions/talk about something but nothing that will be too deep into a lengthy discussion since I will get lost. It doesn't seem fair that I miss out on 80% of the conversation but it is what is is. This is out of my control and I've accepted this a long time ago. I am so blessed and thankful to God that it isn't worse that what it is!

I really appreciate all your input. She sometimes will do the same- sit back and be quiet, and I can see with this having something to watch, that would make it potentially more enjoyable for her (vs. just sitting out and missing out on the whole conversation). She pointed out to me "Mom, I can read the menu now!" ha! Meaning she's comfortable not having to do the back and forth conversation about that at least.

I do think we're going to go for it because she really seems interested in the step dancing part, but all this input has been super helpful.