1st time ever going to WDW taking ASD DS

[plbarnet]

My wife and I have decided to go to WDW in October. We will be taking out DD who will be almost 3 at the time. We are so excited because she will absolutely love it. After much deliberation, we have also decided to take our DS who will be 5. He has ASD. My wife posts on another message board which has some people who also post on another disney board. They are very helpful but, I do research for a living and I tend to be obsessive compulsive (yes I am seeing a therapist and its getting better but thats another story). I have read through the posts on this board but just can't find the types of information that I need. I apologize up front for the length of this post.

As I said, my DS will be 5 and has ASD. He is entirely non-verbal and has sensory issues. Communication is on a very limited level. After 2+ yrs of speech therayp he has an active sign vocabulary of about 5 words. He understands many things but explaining things to him is not a real possibility. For example, he might really enjoy seeing a large Mickey, but if Mickey made any sudden moves toward him or at him it would likely terrify him to death as he would not understand. I would like to say that this is what my son would enjoy and this is what he would not enjoy but to be honest, we don't begin to know what to expect. My wife and I have typically sheltered him up until now and this will be a learning experience for us all. So I am trying to make plans, back up plans, and back up back up plans. My first question would be should I post my questions here (which would make for a REALLY long post) or should I try emailing other members? I literally have about 5 million questions that most people cannot answer because they don't think of WDW in the ways I need to consider it. I appreciate any help. Thanks.
Paul

 

[LindsayDunn228]

I have to ask, what is ASD (your title says ADS)??

 

[plbarnet]

Edited the title to correct ignorance. Thats what I get for using lingo. I am referring to autism spectrum disorder. Thanks for pointing it out.

 

[DisneyDreams4P&B]

My son is 5 and has ASD as well, He did great in our trip last year to WDW and this year we are taking the 7 day cruise. Feel free to email me at jennajonesme@aol.com if you have any questions. There are alot of posts on here about traveling with an ASD child, you will find more than enough answers to your questions.

Let me know if I can be of any help,

Jenna

 

[Talking Hands]

Just post your questions. There are a number of ASD parents on this board. Also check the recent threads as there has been a lot of talk about it recently. Welcome to the board and enjoy your trip with your family

 

[plbarnet]

Ok, here it goes. As I said, I have read a number of the posts and have simply not seen the type of info I am looking for. Our first consideration is where to stay. By that I mean, which resort. My wife and I are budget minded but it is not our primary concern. For example, I really don't have a lot of desire to sleep for a week in a double bed. We also need at least 3 sleeping surfaces as my son has to sleep by himself. So we are leaning toward staying at the CR. We are thinking two queen beds and a day bed. My initial concern is that for my DS to go to sleep, we typically place him in his room, shut the door and turn the light off. He stays in his bed with his toys and falls asleep playing. When he is asleep, I go in his room and take the toys out of his bed. So having us all in the same sleeping area concerns us. I have also considered the Key West because a 2 bedroom seems at least moderatly economical. Are there any other choices trying to stay reasonably priced (for example a junior suite in the CR although I don't really know what a "junior suite" is, I just see it's price listed)? If we stay in a regular room and it absolutely does not work, how difficult is it to change locations? Can I get a small refrigerator in a regular room? Where is the best place to stay to be near a microwave?

I believe my son will have a good time, but I have to plan for problems. If we have to spend a significant amount of time in the room or at the resort and not the park, is the CR a good choice? Will the pools be open in Oct? What will the temp. of the pools be like? Is there a "kiddie pool" that is heated more than the adult pools? My son absolutely will not get in cold or cool water. Is there a playground area on the grounds of any of the resorts or in the parks? If my son was unhappy in the park, is there someplace I could take him and let him play in kind of a "play room" facility under my supervision (he is not potty trained)?

Does a bus run from the CR to the MK? Given that the monorail runs right through the CR, this sounds like a stupid question, but my son actually enjoys riding busses. It in part has to do with the fact that he likes looking out the window and I don't know what he would think of riding the monorail.

A lot of food items we will be mailing down. My son most likely will not eat anything being served in the park (not even McDonalds). If he does eat something that will just be a bonus. However, certain items cannot be mailed, for example Tyson breaded chicken tenders (yes it must be that exact brand and type) and french toast sticks. What is the best way to handle this given that we will not have a car at our disposal?

If you were going to be in a situation where you were likely going to be spending any significant length of time in your room, which resort would you choose?

The ideal show for my son would be something where he could be relatively close to what was going on, could see without having to look up and didn't completely have to sit down but could stand up to release energy. We would also have to be able to take him out if it didnt work out. Any suggestions?

Like I said, most of the posts I have read start with the assumption that your room is going to be somewhere that you sleep. I hope this is the case with us but I have to be realistic and have a back up plan just in case. Given that our son has never been exposed to this type of environment, I really just don't know what to expect.

 

[Schmeck]

The resort pools are open year round. They are heated. The Animal Kingdom Lodge pool is exceptionally warm. The Animal Kingdom Savannah view rooms also have the rather quiet balcony for seeing the animals.

There is a baby center at each park, could be a good place to cool down/relax. Don't know if they have a play area there though. Each park does have a 'play area' though - the fountain areas in EPCOT, Donald's boat at Magic Kingdom, The Dig Site at Animal Kingdom, Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground at MGM. They're not quiet areas, but they are the 'just be yourself' spots.

Would two rooms at Pop Century, or another value, be better than one Deluxe? You could let the resort know your situation, and get connecting rooms.

 

[plbarnet]

Two connecting rooms might be better, I don't think I knew that there were connecting rooms. Is there just a door that connects them?

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Two connecting rooms might be better, I don't think I knew that there were connecting rooms. Is there just a door that connects them?

Hotel terminology is very specific.

"Connecting" rooms have an extra door on the side. When the side doors of both rooms are unlocked youo can go between the two rooms without having to go outside or into a corridor.

"Adjoining" rooms are also next to each other, but they do not have a doorway between them so to get from one to the other you have to go outside or into a corridor.

Make sure your reservation calls for connecting rooms. Also, about four days before arrival call or fax the "rooms controller" at the resort to remind about the need (the resorts get the information from the Reservations computer about five days out).

 

[tinkerbelle22]

I'm so glad that you found this site to post - you will have a place to have all your questions answered. It's great that you're going - nothing ventured, nothing gained and it is likely to be an experience that your son (and of course daughter) will be able to recall and benefit from. I have an ASD son who is 7 and a daughter who is 13. We first took my son when he was 2 - been twice since then and we'll be going again in 2 weeks. In some ways, his being older brings more challenges (a seven year old full blown tantrum can be daunting to say the least). However, he is (I think ) looking forward to seeing Pooh and giving him a hug. He says "Pooh hug, then home, right?" I say "No, hotel". He becomes quites upset at that prospect, which is a bit of a problem since we are a 2 hour plane ride away. Anyway, I can relate to the need for an extra sleeping room for your son. But also, you may want the convenience of a Monorail resort (GF, Poly, or CR) to get back to decompress quickly. More expensive there, of course, for suites or connecting rooms. Other options: Wilderness Lodge Villas, or Boardwalk or YC or BC villas: exra room with closer proximity to parks. We go for Monorail resort usually - with the understanding that at 9:00 at night we turn off the lights and we ALL go to sleep. I'm sure you've heard by now about the passes that you can obtain at Guest Services at each park that will permit your party to minimize the wait time for each ride if waiting in line is an issue for your sun.

 

[Talking Hands]

Another option is a cabin at Ft Wilderness. There is a bedroom and a Murphy bed in the living Room. Bunk beds and I double(?) or Queen(?) in the bedroom. I always grabbed to murphy bed and let the kids have the bedroom. Definately bus transportation. Feels like you are way out in no where and is usually quiet at night.
2 pools. Main one and one in the cabin area.

 

[Anne MN]

Ft wilderness cabins also have kitchen. I believe it is a full kitchen. it says dishes, pans and what not. that would be something to consider.
If you have 2 connecting rooms at one of the all stars resorts, i do not think you can have a microwave in your room. I believe you have to go to the food court. the fridge that is provided free of charge (should be in most deluxe and moderated by now) are not very big. if you are looking for actual food items, a bigger freezer would be better.

maybe rent a car for the first day if you are flying in, that way you can check in to your rooms and then go to a grocrey store.
we were at a different village last fall and it was very nice to have a full size fridge, there was a super walmart at the end of the street, just drove up there and picked up what we needed, but boy was it busy there! I went one evening at like 11pm, the parking lot was so full!

 

[riu girl]

DD7 is ADHD with SID and ASD tendencies. We were in WDW 12/2004 and stayed at All star movies. Due to the info. I obtained from this board prior to our vacation, the trip was fabulous.
My suggestions:

1. Perhaps you might want to consider using www.wegoshop.com. They will deliver food to your hotel room. You can contact them and discuss that you only can accept certain food brands, etc. Also in all the moderate and deluxes a fridge is available for no extra charge. In the values, for approx. $10/night you can obtain one. If there is a medical reason why you would need a fridge, one is available for no extra charge. Perhaps you needing certain food brands would qualify you for a complimentary fridge.

2. If you decide to stay at a value and request the connecting rooms, I wouldn't just fax your requests a few days before. I would speak to CRO about it before hand and tell them that you need the connecting rooms for medical reasons. It is my understanding that medical requests are filled before regular room requests. CRO will make the requests through special services.

3. I believe that all WDW pools are heated to 82 F all times of the year. We were there in Dec. and found the pool temp very comfortable.

Glad you found this board. Without it, I'm sure the quality of our WDW vacation would not have been that great.

Suzy V.

 

[MBW]

Welcome to the board! I too have an autistic 5 year old son, as well as an autistic 6.5 year old son, and two NT daughters, ages 2 and 8. We've done Disney with them once, back in Sept. 2001. It was a wonderful experience, as our older son began really speaking for the first time, e.g., more than one grunted word at a time, during our trip.

Both of our kids have food issues - the younger one, Jonah, eats chicken nuggets and bagels, the elder, Sam, has a more varied diet, but has celiac disease (gluten allergy.) Dining is always a challenge. Last time, we got a two bedroom at Old Key West with a very good AP rate (with further saving when we arrived on 9/12, due to the attacks.) This time, we're renting points from a DVC member at the Wilderness Lodge Villas. We too have "sleep issues" and need more than one room.

I would recommend earplugs (we're having Jonah's ABA preschool get him adjusted to them) and lots of pool time.

We have started a website on travelling with autistic children (in sig below) though it's been quiet for the past month as we've dealt with computer problems. I should start posting again after this weekend (when we get the house on the market) and will be doing a whole series of posts on taking autistic children to Disney, using this list and others as fodder, er, I mean, resources . We'll be travelling with our kids for a year as we write a book on the subject, and will document our trip as well on the site.

Happy travels. We found some of the best times we've had with our autistic children to be when we're on the road. Personally, I'd consider a very inexpensive car (try Priceline) as a necessity, especially if you need to get out of the parks in a hurry (we were even allowed to park in handicapped just by explaining our situation - we now have a placard, so that won't be an issue on this trip (we arrive in Disney in December).)

Feel free to PM me with any questions, particularly regarding the GAC.

MB

 

[Nik's Mom]

Welcome! My DS is about to turn 6 and has ASD. We chose a resort that would appeal to his interest, AKL. He is an animal fanatic, and when we need a break, he could find a nice comfortable chair and watch the animals on the savanah.
Definitely get a car. And of course the GAC. Just make sure you build in break times each day. Don't worry, you'll all have a great time.

 

[Earstou]

Just a few thoughts here. When my DS was younger, we had trouble with him sleeping in hotel rooms. Since we usually couldn't afford a suite or another room, we ended up "hiding" in the bathroom until he fell asleep. This usually took about 30 minutes, but at times took up to an hour. We would read or play travel size games with older DD, while waiting it out. This may not work for you with a younger sibling, but it worked for us.
Last trip we stayed at the Beach Club, which has a fantastice swimming area. My DS's favorite spot was the wading area with the sand beach. Playing in the sand seemed very calming to him, he could have stayed there all day! They also had a daybed in the room. Unfortunately, the BC is a deluxe resort, and quite pricey. We had a split stay, 2 nights there, and 7 at a less expensive hotel. Maybe there are sand areas at other hotels, if you are interested, post that as a single question!!
Since you don't know how he would react to Mickey, is there a Chucky Cheese near to you that you could do a practice run on? That is where I realized my son detested characters, and would actually charge them to hurt them after they turned around to leave. As you can probably imagine, we didn't go to Disney until we got that under control!!! At 11, he still doesn't like most characters, but he does tolerate them after much coaching on our part!

 

[DisneyDreams4P&B]

Have you thought about renting DVC members points? They have a board dedicated to it. You could end up renting points for a studio or 1 bedroom for much less than what it would cost to stay there through Disney and these are home away from home like resorts.

For a studio Sun-Thurs you would need an average of 10-12 points a night @ about 10 dollars a point you stay would be @ $100-120 a night but they have kitchens and more space than a normal hotel room. (The room price doubles on Fri-Sat night) Check out the page and see if it might be for you!

http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?daysprune=&forumid=29&x=16&y=12

 

[cabowser]

I have six kids, three of them little and my Charlie has autism. We are taking Jon, age 6, Charlie, who is 5 and Rachel who is 14 months. We are staying in the Ft. Wilderness cabins and I will tell you why:

1. We can cook and bring our own food (if we didn't have a car I would do wegoshop) and Charlie will not eat anything but those tyson chicken nuggets too!

2. The doors lock securely. Very important, our Charlie is an escape artist.

3. No one will freak if Charlie screams for an hour.

4. Charlie would not be able to stand all of the loud toliet flushing that is in a lot of the value resorts

5. Charlie's behavior is not the kind that you could really take to a fancy hotel.

6. Playgrounds. Need I say more?

We are cautious but optimistic about our trip, we will be doing the magic kingdom after all the other parks, working up to it. We will be going to AK first, because he can understand that, having seen zoos. (I know it's not a zoo.) Then Epcot and MGM (maybe) working up to MK and breaking that into two days. We are going to take a double stroller and take it easy. We have Tour Guide Mike, so we will be avoiding the busy parks and not getting up too early in the morning. We are going to spend lots of time at the campground and in the pool (which is nicely heated).

We will not be doing any character meals or shows. Charlie can't take the noise. We will try some of the 3-d things, see if he likes it, maybe even try ear plugs or ear muffs, but we are going to take things really easy. I have also gotten so cards printed abour autism - just in case.

We will be getting a GAC for him, I am taking his iep with me just in case.

Also, the kids club at the Wilderness lodge has attendants that are familiar with autism and we have booked our kids there while we go have dinner at the hotel's Whispering Canyon restaurant. They will give us a beeper and we will rest assured if they need us we will be very close. I do think that you need to be potty trained though. Not sure.

Our Charlie is potty trained, but we are trying to figure out how to teach him to keep his clothes on in a pool. After all you undress in a bathtub, so why not in a pool? He can't understand. But it is not very socially acceptable to undress in front of everyone.

Anyone who would like to email me to talk about ASD can feel free.

Jan

janetbowser@yahoo.com

 

[wide awake]

This is a great thread !!! My DS is 14, ASD, and loves vacations. I had two connecting rooms booked at POP...the tub issue, but had to cancel due to DH's TDY. So now we are doing DL. If we were doing WDW it would be two rooms at POP or the FW cabins...the kitchen at FW would be great because DS is gluten/casein free. I emailed/talked to the chefs a couple months ago and they were fabulous...totally willing to work with autism and diet to make it an enjoyable family meal. I think the suggestions of lots of pool and tub time are great, and your DS may surprise you...he may adore the fireworks and shows, along with some of the rides...mine did. We took DS to DL when he was nine...he loved the Matterhorn, Indiana Jones, and Thunder Mountain Railway, along with the kiddie rides. Have fun, and feel free to email me...leslie_gene@yahoo.com. I think lots of times we think it is just so hard to do vacations...but I told DS I had reservations at the Disneyland Hotel...his whole body tensed up, he was so excited and happy...we're doing SeaWorld, San Diego Zoo, the Knott's waterpark, and the Tutankhamon exhibit, plus four days at the parks...it is well worth the advance planning and stress.

 

[MBW]

I noticed Jan's post above regarding the resort "kids clubs", and I just wanted to add that I called Kids Night Out a couple of weeks ago, and, with a few days notice, they will provide a caregiver with appropriate special needs experience.

We used Fairy Godmothers in 2001, precisely for this reason. I called, and they assured me they would provide an experienced sitter. The first night, our sitter was a grad student in special education, our second night, a grandmother and retired special ed teacher. Both were wonderful.

It's nice to have an additional option for qualifed childcare for our kids - definitely gives a new meaning to the term "respite care" when you're in WDW!