3 Days in DW for 2 Parents and a 9 Year Old

[Hendlaw]

We are going to Disney World in November, the week before thanksgiving week, for a Wednesday thru Friday trip and leaving Saturday on the Disney Fantasy. We are so excited and feel sooooo blessed. We are DW rookies. We need help planning our time to maximize our fun. We have park hopper passes. We know we won't be able to visit all of the parks and we are OK with that reality. We currently have a condo rented from Tues thru Sat off site but are willing to revisit this choice. I know there is a wealth of knowledge waiting to guide us and are anxious to learn at your feet.

P.S. Our 9 year old son has special needs. He has autism spectrum disorder. He is very smart, but communication deficient and is prone to volume control and stemming (uncontrolled jumping and waiving of arms).

GO!

 

[DisneyMom2000000]

We are going to Disney World in November, the week before thanksgiving week, for a Wednesday thru Friday trip and leaving Saturday on the Disney Fantasy. We are so excited and feel sooooo blessed. We are DW rookies. We need help planning our time to maximize our fun. We have park hopper passes. We know we won't be able to visit all of the parks and we are OK with that reality. We currently have a condo rented from Tues thru Sat off site but are willing to revisit this choice. I know there is a wealth of knowledge waiting to guide us and are anxious to learn at your feet.

P.S. Our 9 year old son has special needs. He has autism spectrum disorder. He is very smart, but communication deficient and is prone to volume control and stemming (uncontrolled jumping and waiving of arms).

GO!

How exciting!! Which parks do you plan to do? Are you early risers, night owls, or both?

 

[Hendlaw]

Our DS is a serious fan of the Castle. He watches the castle intro over and over and we have drawn it literally hundreds of times. So, MK is our primary target. We also would like to visit AK. Epcot is our next option but we are not married to going. We plan on being at the park at rope drop each day. Just seeing the castle will be an event unto itself so we will already feel like winners a few minutes in. We also plan on seeing the fireworks as he has watched that video quite a bit as well and he gets really excited.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I would recommend reading the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World to get a really good general overview of the parks. Or even visiting the WDW website and look at each park's attractions page to get a good sense of what you would like to experience and what you think you will skip. It's very difficult to help families with touring plans without more specific information regarding their interests, must-do's, etc. Perhaps do some general planning and then come back with some more specific questions!

 

[JPKnapp]

There is also a great DISabilities board as well. Lots of special needs families and tips/tricks.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Our DS is a serious fan of the Castle. He watches the castle intro over and over and we have drawn it literally hundreds of times. So, MK is our primary target. We also would like to visit AK. Epcot is our next option but we are not married to going. We plan on being at the park at rope drop each day. Just seeing the castle will be an event unto itself so we will already feel like winners a few minutes in. We also plan on seeing the fireworks as he has watched that video quite a bit as well and he gets really excited.

This is great info!

It sounds like you will have 3 park days? My initial thought is, consider 2 MK days and 1 AK day. If your DS9 really loves the castle intro, doing MK two mornings will give you the chance to see it twice. Have you considered a meal in Cinderella Castle? If your son loves the castle, this might be really fun for him. It is a princess character meal, but the princesses really dote on the boys. My DS9 has been to all of them and walked out of one with a big Ariel lipstick stain on his cheek - he loved it and it was hysterical! If at all interested, you can even take him to BBB for a prince makeover, which DS enjoyed as well. It's right inside the castle and they spike the boys hair, put glitter in it and give them swords. We did that followed by a CRT lunch one day.

For the fireworks, if you can swing it, I would highly recommend one of the MK fireworks dessert parties (we prefer the one with Plaza Garden viewing). With the dessert party, you start with a dessert buffet at Tomorrowland Terrace and, if you choose the garden viewing, about 15 minutes before the fireworks, they escort the party guests to a private garden area without crowds and with a beautiful view of the fireworks. This is the only way we will see the fireworks at this point. My DS9 also has special needs and has difficulty waiting in the crowds for long periods of time. He also has difficulty with the crowds after the fireworks, most of whom are heading for the exit at the same time. It's very congested and it makes him incredibly anxious. With the party, you can see the fireworks without waiting, without a crowd and you can sit in the garden area afterward and wait for the crowd to disperse.

I would consider getting a DAS pass for your son. It's the Disability Access Service pass and will help with lines a little if you feel you need it. You ask for the pass at Guest Services. If you need details about the pass I would recommend looking on the DISabilities forum on this site or I'm happy to get into more detail with you on this thread. We use the pass in conjunction with FP+ and it works well for us.

Will you go back to your condo during the day to rest? If so, I would seriously consider staying onsite just to make your commute shorter. My DS9 can only handle the parks for about 1/2 the day and then we need to decompress in the afternoon and head out for another park or event at night. We typically do late morning through about 2 pm and then head back to the resort. I would definitely recommend thinking about what your own families touring stamina may be and plan your days accordingly.

 

[Hendlaw]

This is great info!

It sounds like you will have 3 park days? My initial thought is, consider 2 MK days and 1 AK day. If your DS9 really loves the castle intro, doing MK two mornings will give you the chance to see it twice. Have you considered a meal in Cinderella Castle? If your son loves the castle, this might be really fun for him. It is a princess character meal, but the princesses really dote on the boys. My DS9 has been to all of them and walked out of one with a big Ariel lipstick stain on his cheek - he loved it and it was hysterical! If at all interested, you can even take him to BBB for a prince makeover, which DS enjoyed as well. It's right inside the castle and they spike the boys hair, put glitter in it and give them swords. We did that followed by a CRT lunch one day.

For the fireworks, if you can swing it, I would highly recommend one of the MK fireworks dessert parties (we prefer the one with Plaza Garden viewing). With the dessert party, you start with a dessert buffet at Tomorrowland Terrace and, if you choose the garden viewing, about 15 minutes before the fireworks, they escort the party guests to a private garden area without crowds and with a beautiful view of the fireworks. This is the only way we will see the fireworks at this point. My DS9 also has special needs and has difficulty waiting in the crowds for long periods of time. He also has difficulty with the crowds after the fireworks, most of whom are heading for the exit at the same time. It's very congested and it makes him incredibly anxious. With the party, you can see the fireworks without waiting, without a crowd and you can sit in the garden area afterward and wait for the crowd to disperse.

I would consider getting a DAS pass for your son. It's the Disability Access Service pass and will help with lines a little if you feel you need it. You ask for the pass at Guest Services. If you need details about the pass I would recommend looking on the DISabilities forum on this site or I'm happy to get into more detail with you on this thread. We use the pass in conjunction with FP+ and it works well for us.

Will you go back to your condo during the day to rest? If so, I would seriously consider staying onsite just to make your commute shorter. My DS9 can only handle the parks for about 1/2 the day and then we need to decompress in the afternoon and head out for another park or event at night. We typically do late morning through about 2 pm and then head back to the resort. I would definitely recommend thinking about what your own families touring stamina may be and plan your days accordingly.

Great Feedback. We had considered the Cinderella meal and will definitely now do it if we can get a reservation. I did not know about the desert thing. That is awesome. We will absolutely do that if we can as well. It is always heartening to get feedback from those in a similar situation. We have already started researching the DAS. We are only hesitant as our son, while differently-abled, is not as severe as many of the other children. We try not to take for ourselves what a more severely disabled child needs more.

We have wrestled with the cost/benefit of staying on premises. It is about a $900.00 difference. We want to make the decision soon so as to take advantage of the 180 days out benefits for reservations and the like.

Thank you for your feedback.

 

[Amanda999]

If you have any questions/concerns related directly to DS's disability, check out the DisAbilities area of this forum. Wonderful resource - lots of people who've been there, done that. (As I have: both DS are ASD, and been to WDW many times. Our secret is to take it slow- we just do about 3 hours at rope drop, then back to resort (usually on site b/c they love the theming) for AC break/lunch/pool. Very rarely back to park in evening (actually, only when we stay at monorail or Epcot resort).

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Great Feedback. We had considered the Cinderella meal and will definitely now do it if we can get a reservation. I did not know about the desert thing. That is awesome. We will absolutely do that if we can as well. It is always heartening to get feedback from those in a similar situation. We have already started researching the DAS. We are only hesitant as our son, while differently-abled, is not as severe as many of the other children. We try not to take for ourselves what a more severely disabled child needs more.

We have wrestled with the cost/benefit of staying on premises. It is about a $900.00 difference. We want to make the decision soon so as to take advantage of the 180 days out benefits for reservations and the like.

Thank you for your feedback.

WDW doesn't limit the number of DAS given out to guests who need it, so if you think it will help your DS9 navigate the parks better, you certainly wouldn't be taking away from another child. With the DAS, instead of standing in line, they will give you a return time that is about the equivalent of the standby time so you are simply waiting somewhere else - a bench, a restaurant, a shop, etc.

 

[Sundowner2]

I second the Unofficial Guide to WDW. Its a MASSIVE book, but you will learn SO much!! This is our third trip coming up, and each time we've bought the book.

I will say though, if you are just doing three days, (for our family, 2 parents, a 9 year old boy and 4 year old boy) we never do park hoppers. It just seems like there's too much to do at each park, and so much to see that it's better (for us) to focus on one park a day and take our time a little bit. It does take a chunk of time to go from park to park, and if you were having a great time at one, and didn't really want to leave it, it would feel like a waste of money, and that would bother us. If cost is a concern, since you mentioned a price difference between staying on property (which we have always done, at Pop Century, and LOOOOOVE) that might make for some thought?

I say YES, do Animal Kingdom, and also Magic Kingdom. If your 9 year old (or husband) likes Star Wars, I would say go to Hollywood Studios too.

 

[DisneyAnytime]

FABULOUS! Since you mentioned that DS loves the castle, I have one little experience to share and I can't take credit for it. On our first trip DD was 6yo. My mother had the foresight to sit in front of her on the bus and turn to snap a picture when the castle came into view for the very first time. Absolutely the most priceless picture I have. Also, be sure to ask for 1st Visit buttons at the guest relations window at the park entrance.

I highly recommend staying on property if at all possible, but that is a HUGE difference in budget.

The only other "advice" I can offer is probably goes without saying: just know that WDW can be over-stimulating for anyone so just be aware of your DS cues and have a plan in case it gets to be a bit much.

Enjoy your trip!!!

 

[DisneyFive]

I also think 2 days at MK, and another park of your choice would be a good idea.

Our first year going, AK was our second favorite (behind MK). LOVED IT. However, it doesn't have the repeat factor for us as much as the other parks. (that may change with Avatar land) I would still recommend it for a first visit.

Dan

 

[DisneyFive]

We have wrestled with the cost/benefit of staying on premises. It is about a $900.00 difference. We want to make the decision soon so as to take advantage of the 180 days out benefits for reservations and the like.

Thank you for your feedback.

A 4 night stay with a $900 difference in price between offsite condo and onsite room? Just curious, which Disney resort are you looking at?

If you want to stay in that Disney bubble, then staying onsite really is the way to go. Some people WANT to get away each day, and offsite is for them.

Some of the Disney resorts, even moderate, are very quiet and lush. Port Orleans Riverside and Port Orleans French Quarter come to mind. Fantastic resorts (right next to each other). They have bus service to the parks, as well as boat service to Disney Springs.

http://www.portorleans.org/

Dan