Pop or Cabins w/autistic child

[Fab4@disney]

I need all you Dis'ers to help me out for the final resort choice please,please, please

We are going to Disney in Oct for 8 nights and this is NOT our first trip. Me(Mom), my sister, and my daughters ages 8 and 11. The 11 year old is autistic and benefits from having her own bed and space for quiet time. Right now I have booked the Ft Wilderness cabins with the free dining pin code and plan to rent a golf cart. But I am thinking I should change to Pop Century with 2 rooms to give her even more space plus it's almost $700.00 cheaper even with upgrading the dining plans.

What do you all think? I am so very confused and want this to be a better trip than our last one. Please help me

 

[disneyteenager]

i would reccomend pop because you can get a room thats farther away from the pools and stuff and ask for a 2nd or 3rd for room for less noise. also i think that pop is more visually stimulating with the colours.

 

[mckelvey72]

The cabins do have one bedroom but in it are bunk beds and a double bed, then the murphy bed in the living room. So she could have some space if needed. I am not an expert on this but I think I would say this...the cabins are going to be a lot quieter when you want down time. There is no room butted up against your room...so you won't hear people on the other side of the wall. Plus you can go outside and have a "yard" that is your own space.

One thing to consider is how much you will be using the kitchen if you got the cabins. If you feel your daughter will need more down time and you think you would cook lunches on breaks or something like that, then the cabins may be better.

At the cabins you can take the boat ride to MK or the TTC and get monorail over to Epcot so you are not confined to just busses.

Lastly, if money is tight and you think she will be OK with the rooms and the busses then I think that could be your answer. I think though that the cabins will be quieter even though you will all be in the same place as opposed to 3 rooms.

Probably didn't help any but those were my thoughts HAHA!!!

 

[NC Disney Fan]

Wow, this is a hard one? First of all, you have free dining (like us!). That makes the cabins less of a necessity since you really don't have to cook and the free dining gives you so much food, who needs a kitchen. But, as a many time Pop visitor, if quiet is what you need, I just don't see Pop as your choice. I love Pop but boy, it is always packed even during the slow season. And, since you are going during Food and Wine festival, it will be a bit busier than when we go the 3rd week of Sept.

I would say if she needs space and quiet, the cabin seems like a better choice. Doesn't it offer a separate sitting area plus a deck so you could hang outside while she rests? I just think that while the cabin is more expensive, the set up would allow you more opportunity for quiet. Even in the quietest location, it can be noise (again, noisy neighbors etc). And while we always request a top floor, corner room to try to avoid all the noise, if you want connecting rooms, this won't even be a possibility. Again, plus, these rooms are so small, if someone is resting, the others are forced to sit in a room--no balcony, no deck etc.

That's just my thoughts from a Pop girl! Good luck.

 

[Fab4@disney]

The cabins do have one bedroom but in it are bunk beds and a double bed, then the murphy bed in the living room. So she could have some space if needed. I am not an expert on this but I think I would say this...the cabins are going to be a lot quieter when you want down time. There is no room butted up against your room...so you won't hear people on the other side of the wall. Plus you can go outside and have a "yard" that is your own space.

One thing to consider is how much you will be using the kitchen if you got the cabins. If you feel your daughter will need more down time and you think you would cook lunches on breaks or something like that, then the cabins may be better.

At the cabins you can take the boat ride to MK or the TTC and get monorail over to Epcot so you are not confined to just busses.

Lastly, if money is tight and you think she will be OK with the rooms and the busses then I think that could be your answer. I think though that the cabins will be quieter even though you will all be in the same place as opposed to 3 rooms.

Probably didn't help any but those were my thoughts HAHA!!!

Yes you did help! Your response reminded me of exactly why I picked the cabins in the first place. I too thought it would be more quiet in the cabins since they don't share walls with other rooms. Ft Wilderness is also more laid back than Pop Century however I am concerned about her having to share the main bedroom with me and her "annoying sister"! I am also worried about the time it will take us to travel to and from parks. We will not be using the kitchen since we got the free dining.
Anyone else have any input?

 

[Fab4@disney]

Wow, this is a hard one? First of all, you have free dining (like us!). That makes the cabins less of a necessity since you really don't have to cook and the free dining gives you so much food, who needs a kitchen. But, as a many time Pop visitor, if quiet is what you need, I just don't see Pop as your choice. I love Pop but boy, it is always packed even during the slow season. And, since you are going during Food and Wine festival, it will be a bit busier than when we go the 3rd week of Sept.

I would say if she needs space and quiet, the cabin seems like a better choice. Doesn't it offer a separate sitting area plus a deck so you could hang outside while she rests? I just think that while the cabin is more expensive, the set up would allow you more opportunity for quiet. Even in the quietest location, it can be noise (again, noisy neighbors etc). And while we always request a top floor, corner room to try to avoid all the noise, if you want connecting rooms, this won't even be a possibility. Again, plus, these rooms are so small, if someone is resting, the others are forced to sit in a room--no balcony, no deck etc.

That's just my thoughts from a Pop girl! Good luck.

You made some very good points! It would be nice that the rest of us would have some space outside if she needs some rest or quiet time. Thank you so much.

 

[Fab4@disney]

I should also let everyone know that we stayed at Pop last time and enjoyed it but we were all in one room together

 

[kandb]

You can also consider 2 rooms at a moderate and you wouldn't have to upgrade the ddp. I think you would probably break even with the cabins. POR and POFQ have both redone their resorts and they are so nice and relaxing. I looked into the cabins and I don't really care for the layout. Good luck with your decision.

PS I don't think you would have a problem getting connecting rooms at POR, we have a few times.

 

[Mommaof3]

We have not stayed at the cabins but have stayed at other places including Pop. I have a daughter that has mild autistic characteristics. It can be hard for her because Disney is over the top and full of people that don't follow her "rules" and needs. I so understand about the cabins being calming and less people close by. I also know that pop can be more stimulating for her. But I usually go for multiple rooms at pop because she just needs her space and that way she has her room and bed. It is hard for us as a family of 5 to give her space at poly or the cabins with the layout of the rooms and/or beds. Even the family suites are hard because 4 people in 1 section does not work. 2 rooms just works better. We have stayed at poly, por, akl, and pop. pop works better because I can get 2 or 3 rooms. That is the key for her over the quieter places. That way she can set things up the way she needs and no one bothers it because we have space. I have found that that is what helps her manage the other problems with vacation if she can come back and have her space and things to calm herself. If I could get a swing there for her we would have it made. Still working on that one! My long winded point is to pick the one that offers the child the best way and chance to manage their stresses.
Melissa

 

[Fab4@disney]

Melissa(mommaof3)

Your post helped me so much......just hearing from another parent who could relate to my exact problem sure reassured me that my thinking is not wrong here! No matter how much "I" want to stay at Poly or the Cabins I too agree that 2 rooms would probably work best.

For those of you that say maybe 2 rooms in a mod would work, I already tried that and it is over budget. Thank you anyway.

Thank you all so very much for your time and thoughts

Please keep those thoughts coming!

 

[Mommaof3]

Melissa(mommaof3)

Your post helped me so much......just hearing from another parent who could relate to my exact problem sure reassured me that my thinking is not wrong here! No matter how much "I" want to stay at Poly or the Cabins I too agree that 2 rooms would probably work best.

For those of you that say maybe 2 rooms in a mod would work, I already tried that and it is over budget. Thank you anyway.

Thank you all so very much for your time and thoughts

Please keep those thoughts coming!

I really do understand what is going through your head! I priced out so many options for our coming Dec trip that I finally put it on a spread sheet for easy comparison including different possible discounts. My daughter is grown now and it is still an issue that we must address. I actually went for 3 Pop rooms for this trip. She just needs her s p a c e. She needs her bed and pillows a certain way. I may have to swing by a Walmart and get a rocking lawn chair for her. Yes we fit in 1 poly or other deluxe rooms, but we do not have as relaxing time. We could do it when all the kids were little. Once they all hit a certain age, we needed more rooms.

 

[HopperFan]

While my DS does not have autism, he has Down Syndrome with many other issues including some in line with autism. We have stayed at both. I have stayed at POP during some very very difficult years for him when we stayed in the room more than we could do the parks. It was specifically for decompressing. I am returning this fall with him and while we have tried other areas of POP we found that the 50's upper floor, facing the lake have always been extremely quiet and peaceful. When I explain to reservations they always put in our request and we always get it. Sometimes even the last room away from the elevator. The bowling pool is also a nice quiet pool for him. The walk to our car or the buses is easy. And some rooms have views of fireworks so you can imagine how wonderful for him to sit on a chair inside the room all safe and quiet and be able to enjoy, at a time when he couldn't tolerate in person.

I do appreciate the two room cabin having normal seating/sofa but I don't think it would provide as much space as two rooms and the bonus of an extra bathroom. Another big plus was there is the kitchen but not if you aren't going to cook.

One of my biggest issues with the campground - for any of us - was the difficulty of the transportation and the time it ate up. We did not like all the transferring it took to get anywhere, the walk to the inner bus and on our trip they were infrequent and crowded. Then the transfer. It took a good bit of time to get to the MK so I really didn't consider that being "close" was a perk. It got bad enough we just took our car to the parks.

I guess my real question to consider is how is she at (1) transitioning to multiple buses, boats etc to get somewhere along with the additional time that takes (2) with my son if we were suddenly having a difficult time at the parks and needed to leave; doing two buses with waiting or a boat/bus, then add walking to the cabin .... it would have been too much for him. Good chance I might not get him to get on a second mode. I am more comfortable in the "direct flight" to get him to our room asap.

 

[Fab4@disney]

HopperFan:

You gave me a wealth of knowledge and insight, thank you very much! I think we will change over to Pop Century just to have the 2 bathrooms and the better transportation options. I think even with a golf cart at the cabins that it will be too much transporting for her at stressful times when we really need to get back for some down time. We loved Pop last time anyway plus it's cheaper

I will make a request for the room location you requested. Did you do that when you made the reservation or some other way?

The cabins can be for the future trips........maybe

 

[clanmcculloch]

Since Pop is familiar, that's probably a good choice. Since you've been here before, you're likely aware of just how crazy the food court gets at meal times. I would STRONGLY urge you to either eat at off times or else have her stay in the room with your sister while you get your food to carry back to your room. I'd go out of my way to avoid being there when they're doing the shuffle or twist (I think 8am and 6pm?).

FYI: When we stayed in a cabin with my 15yo Aspie, she LOVED the golf cart. It was a novelty. Even if the transportation back to the resort was stressful she would get totally distracted by riding backward on the golf cart. Then again, we're also at the point where we rarely have true meltdowns any longer since she and I have together figured out the majority of her triggers, how to avoid them, as well as a bit of coping strategies (when she's willing to employ them). I would never stay in a cabin without one (I doubt she could handle the bus transfers between the internal and external busses/boats) but the cart itself wasn't a problem.

 

[disnut8]

I need all you Dis'ers to help me out for the final resort choice please,please, please

We are going to Disney in Oct for 8 nights and this is NOT our first trip. Me(Mom), my sister, and my daughters ages 8 and 11. The 11 year old is autistic and benefits from having her own bed and space for quiet time. Right now I have booked the Ft Wilderness cabins with the free dining pin code and plan to rent a golf cart. But I am thinking I should change to Pop Century with 2 rooms to give her even more space plus it's almost $700.00 cheaper even with upgrading the dining plans.

What do you all think? I am so very confused and want this to be a better trip than our last one. Please help me

The one thing that would have me doing the Cabins is that two connecting rooms at Pop Century will not be guaranteed. You have two adults and two kids so it's just a request. At the Cabins, you'd all be together in one place.

I'd go Cabins all the way and not risk even the slightest chance of not getting connecting rooms.

 

[mousefan73]

I havt stayed at these two, but researched the cabins. The floor plan, IMO seema tight. I wonder if two rooms in the end have more space ( sqft) than the cabins??? Don't know.

For me two bathrooms would be the deciding factor.

 

[sharadoc]

Hi. I can relate, too.

My DS is very conscious of noise around us and took time to get used to flushing toilets, kids yelling and running outside the room or over our heads. He does great at a cabin or villa for the peace and quiet.

For a free dining trip, the cabin is not the best choice because there is very limited food options for QS credits, no food court, so you may get frustrated by that. A cabin trip is much better with a room discount and groceries, doing a lot more cooking in the room.

Have you considered other values or are you set on Pop? The reason I'm asking is that the All-Stars are smaller. Less people on the buses, in the food court and at the pools. A family suite at All-Star Music is our choice when we go value. Two bathrooms, a kitchenette with a nice size fridge, a bedroom and living room. The resort is very nice, landscaped beautifully and can offer quiet room locations (I'd recommend Jazz, facing parking lot). Just a suggestion

 

[Fab4@disney]

Hi. I can relate, too.

My DS is very conscious of noise around us and took time to get used to flushing toilets, kids yelling and running outside the room or over our heads. He does great at a cabin or villa for the peace and quiet.

For a free dining trip, the cabin is not the best choice because there is very limited food options for QS credits, no food court, so you may get frustrated by that. A cabin trip is much better with a room discount and groceries, doing a lot more cooking in the room.

Have you considered other values or are you set on Pop? The reason I'm asking is that the All-Stars are smaller. Less people on the buses, in the food court and at the pools. A family suite at All-Star Music is our choice when we go value. Two bathrooms, a kitchenette with a nice size fridge, a bedroom and living room. The resort is very nice, landscaped beautifully and can offer quiet room locations (I'd recommend Jazz, facing parking lot). Just a suggestion

No I would not rule out the other value resorts. I guess I just chose Pop automatically because we have stayed there once before and liked it. I also see some people seem to think Pop has a slight advantage over the All Star resorts?? Anyone else care to chime in on this?

Also, does anyone here have experience with easily overstimulated kids and having to wait for DDR's on the dining plan? We get free QS dining with a value but I was thinking of upgrading this time so we have one sit down meal per day for some down time. What do you all think?

 

[clanmcculloch]

We used to have a lot of problems waiting for ADRs. I've since learned that as long as I book our ADRs for at least half an hour before our usual meal time then we should be ok. We typically eat early so that means we're beating the crowds therefore they're typically seating people on time. It also means that my Aspie doesn't get over hungry which is something that guarantees a meltdown. My Aspie typically struggles a lot more later in the day than earlier so dinner ADRs, even early ones, are much more difficult for her to cope with than lunch ADRs.

The few times we have had extended waits since I figured this out have been difficult. I've learned that I need to have snacks on me. Even if we're about to eat, if we're having to wait then it's important for her to not get too hungry. Other than that, the same waiting strategies that we use for lines is what we use for waiting at restaurants.

 

[Marthasor]

No I would not rule out the other value resorts. I guess I just chose Pop automatically because we have stayed there once before and liked it. I also see some people seem to think Pop has a slight advantage over the All Star resorts?? Anyone else care to chime in on this?

Also, does anyone here have experience with easily overstimulated kids and having to wait for DDR's on the dining plan? We get free QS dining with a value but I was thinking of upgrading this time so we have one sit down meal per day for some down time. What do you all think?

I think a sit-down meal is a great idea. My DS5 has autism and we actually tend to do 2 sit-down meals a day. Navigating a QS with him is really difficult and he just can't handle the QS lines (I usually travel alone with him). Buffets are difficult as well. If you make ADR's, I would make them on the early side when the restaurants first open (usually 11:30 am for lunch, 5/5:30 pm for dinner depending on where you are eating), that way you will have minimal wait for your table.

Also want to add, it sounds like you want connecting rooms, which is not guaranteed. If you haven't done so already, I would call and ask a reservation CM to note on your reservation that your daughter has autism and you would like connecting rooms and explain exactly why this is important to you (quiet space, etc.). In my experience, Disney has gone out of their way for my son and my family to make sure our trip will run as smoothly as possible.