Disney resorts with handicapped adult child

[SirDuff]

Unfortunately, even the "guaranteed connecting" on reservations wasn't. A number of stories on the DIS of people sure that they had a guarantee (it said so on the reservation), but found that they didn't end up with connecting rooms.

 

[Disney_1derland]

well, we just talked this through. We are going to have to tell our friend that it just isnt going to work to take her with us. this really breaks my heart. we will do this as our possibly last trip. since connecting room guarantee is a standard in the hospitality industry, you would think Disney could accommodate this. I work in hospitality and its just saddens me that they are willing to lose business over this. I guess they figure somebody else will give them money

 

[gap2368]

well, we just talked this through. We are going to have to tell our friend that it just isnt going to work to take her with us. this really breaks my heart. we will do this as our possibly last trip. since connecting room guarantee is a standard in the hospitality industry, you would think Disney could accommodate this. I work in hospitality and its just saddens me that they are willing to lose business over this. I guess they figure somebody else will give them money

I am sorry that this might be your last trip but some times you have to remember what Walt disney him self said "its kind of fun to do the imposable" keep trying to make it work ( I know you found a way to make it work for this trip, but do not lose hope for future trips

 

[lanejudy]

well, we just talked this through. We are going to have to tell our friend that it just isnt going to work to take her with us. this really breaks my heart. we will do this as our possibly last trip. since connecting room guarantee is a standard in the hospitality industry, you would think Disney could accommodate this. I work in hospitality and its just saddens me that they are willing to lose business over this. I guess they figure somebody else will give them money

So, I don't mean to be a downer -- but dropping the "extra adult" still leaves you with a party of 5, which means 2 rooms at a value. It still isn't guaranteed. Likely, maybe even highly possible (as you've experienced on previous trips), but not guaranteed. WDW simply doesn't guarantee connecting rooms. As PP mentioned above, there are plenty of reports on the Resorts Forum of people whose reservations indicated "guaranteed" but it wasn't available.

Can you drop just 1 day from your trip? Would that be enough to cover the extra cost of an upgrade to a suite or a cabin? Or as someone mentioned, plan to pack lunches, maybe also eat breakfast in the room. WDW is an expensive trip, more so for larger families due to the limited accommodations. Or give an off-site place a try; while it may not be your ideal, it might just work better than you expect. Maybe you could push the trip out a few months in order to save a little more?

So sorry, just brainstorming some ideas. I hate to see you give up. I know the disappointment of cancelling

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

Why is something offsite ruled out? You said you couldn't because of your daughter, but why not?

And what exactly is the makeup of the 6? I'm really confused. How many adults? How many children and ages? Why couldn't your husband stay with the other kids on his own while you and the other adult and your daughter with issues are in another room?

Just trying to see why if it's really as hopeless as you think right now.

 

[Disney_1derland]

Why is something offsite ruled out? You said you couldn't because of your daughter, but why not?

And what exactly is the makeup of the 6? I'm really confused. How many adults? How many children and ages? Why couldn't your husband stay with the other kids on his own while you and the other adult and your daughter with issues are in another room?

Just trying to see why if it's really as hopeless as you think right now.

It really is. Other options that would work for most people just aren't an option for us. I was just hoping someone here would have some advice or previous experience where they were successful in achieving connecting rooms in a similar situation. We've never had a problem getting them before when it was on our reservation as guaranteed. They stressed to us over and over again today that they did not feel we would get them this time no matter what due to the adding of a third adult and the hotel being almost completely booked. They also stressed to us over and over that they wanted more money from us. I'm sad that this is what it comes down to. Penalize large families, especially those with exceptional circumstances. I get that it's a business, but I know that they can go fix this if they want to, they just don't choose to.

 

[gap2368]

can you explain why it is impossible so that we may be able to help you come up with other solution. some times you have to go out side your comfort zone a little. I do not that something maybe harder for others like for me I have to stay on site due to some disabilities and because I have to pay more to stay on site I bring my own food to save the money, but all I have heard is that will not work if you let us know why things will not work maybe someone will come up with an idea to help but you have been given a number of different solution to help you out and none of them will work Disney has never (to my knowledge) guaranteed a connecting room you were just lucky. no one is going to tell you if you call disney up and say XYZ then you will get what you want.

 

[kaytieeldr]

It really is. Other options that would work for most people just aren't an option for us. I was just hoping someone here would have some advice or previous experience where they were successful in achieving connecting rooms in a similar situation. We've never had a problem getting them before when it was on our reservation as guaranteed. They stressed to us over and over again today that they did not feel we would get them this time no matter what due to the adding of a third adult and the hotel being almost completely booked. They also stressed to us over and over that they wanted more money from us. I'm sad that this is what it comes down to. Penalize large families, especially those with exceptional circumstances. I get that it's a business, but I know that they can go fix this if they want to, they just don't choose to.

Despite never having had a problem before getting connecting rooms when that request was noted on your reservation, connecting rooms are never guaranteed. WDW does have a fairly high number of connecting rooms, but sometimes there just aren't enough to go around.

I tried, but can't find anywhere that indicates guaranteed connecting rooms are standard in the hotel industry. Well, a single post on Trip Advisor that at least one Hilton will honor and charge for this configuration, but that's it.

Being a large family costs more than being a small family. There are numerous options for large families, but none of them will work for you. Bluntly? I'd postpone the trip until the room configuration you need is affordable.

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

If you'd tell us what the issues are that are stopping you from using any other options, maybe we could help. You say you MUST have connecting. You can't go offsite. It's hopeless. But WHY? People here want to try to help, but it seems that any suggestions are just being dismissed out of hand. Are there actual reasons you NEED this configuration or is it just what you want and you don't want to even think about other options?

You have you and your husband, a third adult (friend), and then I'm assuming 3 children, including one who's disabled. Why not you, your friend, disabled child in one room? Then your husband and two other children in another room. What are the issues with that?

Offsite, you could get much larger quarters that would accommodate everyone together for probably the same amount of money. But you say that won't work either.

 

[Disney_1derland]

I sincerely don't appreciate it bring inferred that I'm just trying to get what I want. I came here for honest help and it's just degraded into a mess.

We have a daughter with extreme sound/motion/sight sensitivities that all trigger a fight or flight response. Having the two rooms allows her to go back and forth as conditions change that are hurting her without adding the stimulus of going outside in the middle of an episode.

Previously this hadn't been an issue as we've always been guaranteed connecting rooms. Have we been lucky? I guess so but if it states on my paperwork guaranteed connecting and then they didn't accommodate that I'd have been upset enough to leave right then because I'm not going to put her through torture for 9 days.

Adding a third adult with ASD, social anxiety and an inability to be without a companion is what spurred the loss of our guarantee. Unfortunately, having my daughter stuck in a single room is not an option. Having to take her outside and potentially across a resort to get to another safe space isn't an option. The friend traveling with us isn't someone who can be responsible for my children at any point as she requires a companion herself.

Being off property, we did it once. It was a nightmare, too much time to get my daughter to a safe place if she hits maximum sensory input. Plus, in many cases it would mean needing two cars.

I came here for help. Not to get judged or attacked. The simple answer was: there's no accommodation that Disney will make for our situation. This will become even more necessary when we gain custody of my husbands handicapped older brother. The solution is to keep our guarantee, take a final trip and realize that this is probably the end of the Disney road for us.

 

[PatMcDuck]

I travel with an adult son who is autistic and has Down Syndrome, non-verbal for the most part. Even with just the 2 of us, I need 2 rooms. He won't sleep well in same room as me, and there is another big reason, (trust me). It really does leave us with booking a 1BR at a DVC resort (we are DVC members, but I use our points at DL VGC most years). So at WDW I now book us a suite at Art of Animation (yes AS Music is a 3rd option, but I love Art of A). Art of A suites are available at a discount for much of the year. I thank God for the value suites. At Art of A, I put him in the bedroom and I sleep in the living area.

I could not book 2 rooms, as he absolutely could not be in a room at the other end of the resort. I understand the situation well. As for the cost, my son does "pay" some of it, using his $$ from SS. Disney is such a big deal for him, he would go every day if he could.

 

[Sparkly]

It is not mean. A lot of posters are being realistic. Just because you have heard something you did not want to hear does not make others mean.

 

[Disney_1derland]

I travel with an adult son who is autistic and has Down Syndrome, non-verbal for the most part. Even with just the 2 of us, I need 2 rooms. He won't sleep well in same room as me, and there is another big reason, (trust me). It really does leave us with booking a 1BR at a DVC resort (we are DVC members, but I use our points at DL VGC most years). So at WDW I now book us a suite at Art of Animation (yes AS Music is a 3rd option, but I love Art of A). Art of A suites are available at a discount for much of the year. I thank God for the value suites. At Art of A, I put him in the bedroom and I sleep in the living area.

I could not book 2 rooms, as he absolutely could not be in a room at the other end of the resort. I understand the situation well. As for the cost, my son does "pay" some of it, using his $$ from SS. Disney is such a big deal for him, he would go every day if he could.

Thank you. I am now questioning whether we should go at all. My children will be heartbroken but it may just be a limitation we cannot overcome at this time and with prices increasing faster than we can save well

 

[3Gsandme]

I remember when this used to be a helpful forum of good people. Sad to see that is no longer the case.

I did not ask for alternatives, I asked for experience that might help the situation as it is. Had I wanted or been able to afford other accommodations I would have booked them from the beginning. We've saved for three years to afford this trip. We don't all have unlimited means and open availability.

The Disboards have become a cold, mean place.

I don't think anyone has been mean to you. People asked what your daughter's specific needs were so they could try and offer working suggestions to you.

It takes the exact same amount of time, per google maps, to get to Bonnet Creek from the Magic Kingdom via car as it does to get to any of the All Star resorts. Taking the bus is twice as long to get to the All Stars from Magic Kingdom. I think it's confusing to people why Bonnet Creek wouldn't work for you if the driving time is the same. It would allow you to book a condo with multiple bedrooms to meet your daughter's needs at a lower price which would serve your family and allow you to keep taking the vacations you want to have.

I said, nicely, that I'm sure your two rooms will not be across the resort from each other. And, yes, saving for longer to get the exact option that will fit your family is another option, too. I don't think Disney is trying to scam you out of more money. I think they're saying that they can't guarantee the connecting rooms (you said that they're pretty booked) and that they offered you options to make sure you all room together. Chances are that everyone who has requested connecting rooms has a need for them and they're a limited quantity.

It's 170/night for two rooms at ASSPorts during the fall discount and 225/night for a family stuite at ASMu. You're gong for nine nights. You could cut two nights off of your trip and stay 7 nights at an ASMu suite for the same price. Additionally, if you would cut your stay to 6 nights you could stay in a suite at AoA, again guaranteeing you'd get the room configuration you needed. It's not perfect (I'd hate to give up three vacation days, too) but it's something.

 

[lanejudy]

Whoa! Let's everybody slow down and take a deep breath.

OP, unfortunately nobody can give the answer you were hoping to find. There is no "magic" word/phrase/need that will get you guaranteed connecting rooms -- with or without the additional adult and regardless of what your reservation may state. That is the unfortunately truth. It's how WDW resort reservations work; they really only guarantee a room, not even a specific resort or category that was booked.

I see many people trying to offer helpful suggestions without knowing your specific circumstances. You absolutely have the right to decide what works for your family -- you know your family best. If you absolutely need 2 rooms that are connected then you really should book a suite or other accommodations that provides for that. WDW doesn't do actual room assignments until about a week prior to arrival; therefore they cannot block 2 connecting rooms for any family. They do try their best to accommodate such requests, and you have been fortunate to get it in the past. It may or may not occur on your next visit or future visits, regardless of 2 or 3 adults in the party and/or any disabilities. You can request it, you can ask that the request be noted why. But it is still just a request. To guarantee more space requires booking overnight accommodations that automatically includes at least 2 room. You unfortunately were mislead in the past by reservation agents allowing you to think two rooms have been guaranteed; this is a common complaint. It's better to know that now than find out on arrival, especially since you've indicated you are traveling at a very busy time and there isn't much else available.

As with most everything in daily life, traveling with disabilities is not easy. Many spend more just to accommodate what's needed for individual circumstances. Sometimes people have to go for shorter visits due to cost. Some people spend a few days driving because flying isn't an option. Some are limited to fully accessible resorts rooms, which are relatively few in number. I recognize that it's a difficult and disappointing when one first realizes what may be involved. We either find a way to make things work, or choose to wait.

I really do hope that you can make this trip work out for your family!

 

[kaytieeldr]

I sincerely don't appreciate it bring inferred that I'm just trying to get what I want. I came here for honest help and it's just degraded into a mess.

Inference can only be drawn from the information provided; asking a question isn't inferring anything. People are trying to help you, but you're dissatisfied with every suggestion:
Rent DVC points
Value Suite
Wyndham (virtually onsite)
Private house
There's also
Fort Wilderness cabins
Delaying - not cancelling - the trip
Creative room distribution
Refusal to accept alternative suggestion i doesn't make the persons making said recommendations "mean".

 

[HopperFan]

I don’t think anyone is trying to be mean. They are trying to help you find an alternative so you don’t have to give up your trip. Many of us are in difficult traveling group dynamics as well, and I have an adult DS with the same issues that at times has almost made me homebound with him – we can have empathy. Honestly he has the same issues as your DD, the adult you want to bring AND your BIL combined. Without knowing what your true needs are it was difficult to offer solutions because it seems as though you only want to know how to guarantee what can’t be guaranteed.

Disney is way too large, with huge turnover, to guarantee connecting. They try but they won’t guarantee. They don’t even guarantee a room category even if you specifically booked it. Like families of 4 who want a POR or CBR bunk room so a boy and girl don’t have to share … not guaranteed, if a family of 5 shows up – you got bumped and you won’t know it until check in. Any category or even resort is subject to change. Disney simply can’t operate like other smaller hotels and be efficient.

The irony of our situations is that we have family members that are rigid, inflexible, unpredictable and in need of specifics which means at the same time we have to be ever so flexible to make their/our surroundings work, even at an spontaneous moment. All the planning in the world can end up in smoke. It is the world we live in and Disney offers an array of options. Up to us to make it work so we arrive with minimal surprise.

What I am reading is that:
- Your lodging needs more than one room so DD can have an escape or be able to move about.
- Your lodging needs to be easy to travel to/from with transportation and not require two cars in case DD needs to leave.
- Your lodging needs sleeping space for 6 that is not in two locations.
- You have a budget that would be around the cost of two value rooms …

What I see are your options:

Find the extra money or reduce nights for Disney Resorts that offer this solution:
- ASMU Suite, which gives you two bathrooms and close to bus hub. Kitchenette equals breakfast in and maybe some sandwich nights to balance cost of suite.
- Ft Wilderness Cabin, that gives you a kitchen but one bathroom but the big plus for us is parking our car at the cabin. Drive to parks, if there is a need to leave we don’t have to get DS on bus at all, the rest can take bus back when ready. The kitchen allows us to save money to balance cost of cabin.
- AoA Suite, the more expensive option but more space and two bathrooms. A request can be made close to transportation. Again kitchenette equals breakfast in and maybe some sandwich nights to balance cost of suite.

Take advantage of the Downtown Disney Hotels:

- Doubletree Suites, gives you sleeping for 6 in a newly renovated suite with a price point often not much more than Disney values and certainly much cheaper than two value rooms. They have a good free bus system or you could drive to have a car in place at parks. You do have to pay to park but your room rate will be lower. Some deals offer the breakfast for free which is a huge savings for a big family and there is a kitchenette (I like in case DS can't leave the room, I always bring food).
- Several of the DTD hotels are around the Value price point and you might have a very good chance of the guaranteed connecting rooms. They have their own great transportation and often much quieter than a Disney hotel.

Wyndham Bonnet Creek:

- Big roomy relaxing condos that are very reasonable. I got a 2 bedroom in December for $88 a night. And you save more with a kitchen. Even the balcony is peaceful. My DS has done well here having the extra space to be alone.You are virtually on Disney property so not far at all to drive, same as Disney hotels. If the need comes up to leave with DD you could get a taxi back for the others or take a bus to a close by resort and grab taxi or have whoever has car pick you up.

Hopefully you can find a way to take advantage of the other options but if not then maybe Disney is not something that would work for your whole family at the same time, been there as well. It has gotten very popular with the improving economy, very crowded and very expensive. Many of us deal with similar situations, we understand the frustration …. but as it will be our life long challenge, we shift gears and figure out how to make it work.

Best of luck!

 

[Allison]

I hope the information about several offsite locations that are just as close as Disney resorts might be helpful to you, OP. It's good information for anybody to know. Good luck.

 

[gap2368]

if you do stay off site and have one car and your daughter need to go back they have taxi waiting for people you could just use that to take her back to the hotel it even with the extra you spend on a taxi you would save so much on the room and the taxi would be so much more wicker less people ( witch would probable help your daughter out) also if she needs to get away while in the park disney has a few quiet area around you can ask a CM for any of these location first aid is another option to.

and no one is trying to be mean we are just trying to help you some times you need someone else to say this worked for me it might work for you. Trust me when I say I do not do well with change ( I would so bad I hatted weekends because that changed my ruteen and I hated mondays because a gain that was a change) yep I was really bad so I do not know if your daughter need the ruteen of staying on site or not but sometimes talking about look out life has changes and if we are going to do disney we now have t stay off site show her the hotel how copse it is the fact that she will be able to go back for a break that but agin you will not tell us why things do not work so all we can do is guess and try and come up with a sulotion but a number of us how do not know you have taken a great deal of time out to think of different thing that might help you and I do not think even one would do that of they did not want to help you out.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Doesn't matter if they write it on the reservation or not. They can't absolutely guarantee it no matter what the makeup of the party is. You never actually had guaranteed connecting rooms, you just have never met with a circumstance in which it turned out those connecting rooms were not available.

However they do whatever they can to meet the request. And if it is that imperative that you have a connecting room, you can tell them that if they do not give you one, and as noted they may be willing to bump somebody coming in after you from connecting rooms if they must, although I don't know to what lengths they will be able to go to get them for you (such as moving you to another resort if none are available at the resort you booked).