Making the switch from deluxe to moderate with ASD son w/ VERY short attention span?

[olive]

We stayed at CR and Polynesian in January with our son, then 2 1/2. He will be 3 1/2 this January and we are considering booking our next trip. If we go in January, pools will be less of a consideration (otherwise we were thinking of CBR since he likes pirates), but convenience will weigh very heavily. It was a treat to be able to walk back to our room at CR after fireworks, or if he had fallen asleep/was getting sleepy for a nap rather than having to take him out of his stroller for a bus. At both resorts we didn't have any problems with the monorail, and we certainly never waited as long for a monorail as we waited for a bus, nor did the trips on the monorail - even to EPCOT - seem to take as long as the bus to AK or DHS. He also liked the monorail (he likes trains) so that may have helped with behavior. On the bus, sometimes he was fine and sometimes it was extremely difficult. We had some long waits for buses, and long trips on buses. Of course, buses can't do anything about traffic. We will likely only visit DHS and AK once each, or possibly AK twice. He spent most of his time at MK and EPCOT, and we spent part of each day at MK. After getting back from DHS or AK, for example, we would go back to MK so he could see fireworks or go on a ride. I am really having a hard time deciding whether to switch to the moderate. We are paying for a second room for my parents this time around, and I just feel like it is wasteful to spend that much extra money to pay for two Polynesian or CR rooms (will be for 8 nights, I think). I would feel badly sending them to POP, say, while we stayed at CR. Anyhow, how have folks with ASD toddlers with low attention/high frustration fared at moderate resorts? Any that have much longer or shorter bus times than others? Any special considerations I should keep in mind? What a challenge!

 

[sharadoc]

Honestly, I might recommend renting a car. When we took our son for the first time (13 - ASD), we drove everywhere so we wouldn't have to deal with the waiting or crowds on buses. We stayed in a Family Suite at All-Star Music so it would be all buses.

As he has gotten used to Disney, we found we can use buses, monorails, boats etc. but he still gets pretty uptight if we have to wait too long.

For your and his sanity, a car may really help.

 

[olive]

Forgot about the car possibility! That is great, thanks. I read some posts about the buses at CBR making 7 or 8 stops and I got pretty worked up imaging him having a melt down on a crowded bus as it made yet another stop.

Now when I used to go when I was younger (this was pre GF, even) we used to stay offsite and drive to the parks. I remember it could be a bit of a hassle parking at TTC and taking the tram. Is this less of a problem if you stay on site? Can you park earlier? Or is this kind of a non issue in mid-late January anyway?

Any other thoughts?

 

[geniemomof4]

We've stayed at many of the resorts at Disney with our DS9 who has Autism from the times where anything could send him into meltdown to more recently where he is much more mellow.

Moderate resorts for bus times were fine for us. We didn't have any major issues with meltdowns ever on them. We knew to get out of the park before the crowds and before the LOUD fireworks for our son so that wasn't any issue. Coronado Springs was our favorite moderate stay. The only times he became aggitated that I can recall is when we had to take a bus for grouped resorts like a bus to Yacht Club & Beach Club or to Fort Wilderness & Wilderness Lodge together. When we pulled up to a resort that wasn't his to wait for people to get on and off he was less than thrilled.

He was most "unhappy" if that even really is the right word at the AllStar Resorts. He was not a fan of the food courts there or all of the people waiting in droves at the stop.

My best advice is to be prepared for any kind of wait between the bus or anywhere in the park with some emergency items to help keep occupied like favorite small toy, social stories as needed, PECS, redirection, anything that can help him continue to have a magical time! We used an ipod, bubbles and some small cars along with his disney travel books often on the bus and waiting for dinner reservations, etc. Good Luck!

 

[PixieDustandEeyore]

What about CR garden wing rooms they are a bit cheaper
or going to the DVC board and renting points to stay at Bay Lake Towers in maybe a 2 BR or something?

 

[patty57]

You could also rent points at BWV or BCV and walk or take boats to Epcot and DHS. That would only leave bus trips to MK and AK. A 2 bedroom should hold you all, or two studios.

 

[olive]

Thanks for all of the replies!

My husband has nixed the idea of renting a car - it was a good idea, though! I thought it was worth bringing up.

For now we are booked in a room at the Polynesian and my parents are in a pirate room at the CBR. We are hoping that by late May he will be better able to handle buses. We lives in NYC so there are plenty of opportunities for him to ride the bus here (obviously the destinations aren't nearly as fun as, say, the MK!), so we can pretty easily tell what kind of progress he is making. We always bring toys, books, ipod, portable dvd player, pacifiers (he still uses them when he gets agitated - he's 3), juice and snacks. No matter what we have in our arsenal, sometimes he just has a melt down. He is starting a new program in a few weeks - full time CPSE - so perhaps he will make good progress over the next almost 9 months. If he can do the bus, we will switch to CBR. If there are no more pirate rooms, we will take my parents' room and get them another room at the resort. Otherwise, we at least have the Polynesian waiting for us. We already know he likes it there, especially the boat to MK and the monorail so close by. I think he would really enjoy the pool and pirate rooms at CBR, though, so my fingers are crossed.

If buses end up not being a problem anymore and we did switch gears and try to rent points, do you still have the same benefits as reserving your room directly through Disney? I tried to check availability at BLT today and there is NOTHING left for our dates, so I guess renting points would be the only option...