For over two years, we’d been waiting to take the Bean to Ripley’s Aquarium in Toronto. Two years ago, we’d taken her to a tiny aquarium during a family vacation in B.C. I cried that day, watching my Bean completely engaged in an activity for the first time ever. When we returned to Toronto, we’d thought about taking her to Ripley’s, but were worried about how she would handle the large crowds.
During my research for our Cuba vacation, I came across the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Educational Standards (IBCCES) Autism-Certified Centers and learned that Ripley’s Aquarium is one.
As such, Ripley’s offers monthly sensory-friendly hours throughout the year, which feature increased lighting, a music-free environment and a quiet room for guests who require a break. Knowing this gave us the confidence to visit the Aquarium. These sensory days currently take place on the first Sunday of the month from 9am-noon. We arrived just after 10am and noticed the Aquarium becoming alot more crowded around 11am. When we go back, I’ll aim to have us there closer to opening time, to avoid the crowds as much as possible. Also, when you Google Ripley’s, a bar graph, titled ‘Popular Times’ should appear, which can be a useful tool.
Ripley’s has made Sensory Guides available on-line. You can download them here:
And they look like this:
Another handy feature offered by the aquarium was the option to buy a ticket on-line in advance of our visit. Tickets were Apple Wallet compatible, so accessing them for admission was really easy. This meant we didn’t have to wait in line to get into the Aquarium.
Tickets for the three of us cost $76 + tax. We knew it was worth it as soon as we entered and the Bean made a bee-line for the very first fish-tank we came across. She squatted in front of it and was parked there, smiling, laughing, spinning and jumping in front of it for about 20 minutes!
I wish I could say that I waited patiently until the Bean decided she was ready to move on, but the Hubs had to hold me back. It was the first fish tank we came to and we still had the whole Aquarium to see, what do you want from me? I knew that letting the Bean set the pace (a long time at some exhibits, skipping by others entirely) would make for the most enjoyable experience for her. And a wonderful time was held by all. We hit a bit of a speed bump when the Bean decided that she wasn’t a fan of the moving sidewalk in Dangerous Lagoon. So, we popped her in the stroller and she immediately felt safe and calmed down in the confined space. Despite the increased lighting, if you’ve got a runner on your hands, I’d recommend a stroller, backpack, or runners that light up to help you track your kiddo in the darker, more crowded areas of the Aquarium. We also did something I like to call ‘leaving on a high note’, which means that when we see Bean’s level of engagement dropping and her energy flagging we start wrapping up. In this case, that meant a three-hour drive for a visit at the Aquarium that lasted less than two hours. Totally worth it to us though, as we avoided any major melt-downs and the Bean will definitely want to go back for another visit and see the rest of the aquarium!
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