A Sad Situation but Some Pro Disney Planning Advice Needed

[smraynor]

I'm a WDW veteran and I am trying to work with my admin assistant (Deb) who is planning her first trip and I'd like to get some feedback from the pros.

Deb is a wonderful Grandmother of two and she wants to go to WDW with her daughter/son-in-law and the two kids. Her husband is going as well. None of them have been to WDW. So they are all newbies.

The oldest Grandchild is in a difficult situation. He has a degenerative eye condition and has lost most of his sight. He will be blind in the next year so they really want to go while the 11 year old still has some vision.

I am trying to convince them to stay on Disney property but they want to stay off property to save money. The child walks with a cane and it is slow going. I'm also recommending they skip the park hopper since it would be too hard for them to navigate the entries/security etc.

I would like to see what other recommendations or things to think about with a child who has lost most of his vision. They want to make it a very positive experience and if anyone has any experiences or advice I will pass it on.

Many thanks,

 

[vweryhappy]

I am no Disney pro but would highly recommend they go first class. We were on a similar situation. .don't want to go into details
.but did involve losing eyesight and other conditions.
Anyway I decided to go "all out"
..stayed at CR with theme park view..and do not regret it in the least! The memories will last a lifetime!

 

[smraynor]

I am no Disney pro but would highly recommend they go first class. We were on a similar situation. .don't want to go into details
.but did involve losing eyesight and other conditions.
Anyway I decided to go "all out"
..stayed at CR with theme park view..and do not regret it in the least! The memories will last a lifetime!

I agree. Although they are having some financial difficulties there are smart ways to spend that will enhance the experience.

 

[patty57]

I would post this on the disAbilities board. There will probably be a lot of good suggestions there.

 

[maccagerl]

You might also want to post this in the disability forum- I'm sure there are many folks over there with good advice for you!
So nice of you to help your friends, I'm sure they will have a wonderful trip!

 

[Rosy Robin]

I would recommend going during a "slower time" at the parks. This would give this kid an opportunity to really take Disney in and not feel overwhelmed by having tons of Disney goers.

 

[suemom2kay]

I'm a WDW veteran and I am trying to work with my admin assistant (Deb) who is planning her first trip and I'd like to get some feedback from the pros.

Deb is a wonderful Grandmother of two and she wants to go to WDW with her daughter/son-in-law and the two kids. Her husband is going as well. None of them have been to WDW. So they are all newbies.

The oldest Grandchild is in a difficult situation. He has a degenerative eye condition and has lost most of his sight. He will be blind in the next year so they really want to go while the 11 year old still has some vision.

I am trying to convince them to stay on Disney property but they want to stay off property to save money. The child walks with a cane and it is slow going. I'm also recommending they skip the park hopper since it would be too hard for them to navigate the entries/security etc.

I would like to see what other recommendations or things to think about with a child who has lost most of his vision. They want to make it a very positive experience and if anyone has any experiences or advice I will pass it on.

Many thanks,

Have they looked into a Wish trip through Make a Wish??? Caveat.... didn't realize condition must be life threatening per their website. Sorry for the bad advice.

 

[shalom]

I am trying to convince them to stay on Disney property but they want to stay off property to save money.

That size group, they could probably stay offsite in a house with a splash pool for less than it would cost to stay Value. Having a full kitchen would also be a help in keeping costs down. I'd post to the "Orlando Hotels and Attractions" for info. Unless they have pool access at home, having their own private pool would be something the kids would definitely remember.

EasyWDW has tutorials on FP+ where, among other things, Josh lists places to get your reservations in if you're offsite and can't do them ahead of time; not surprisingly, lines form in the front of the park, but if you go to one of the areas further in, you can have the place to yourself and a CM to walk you through it. I'd check those for them shortly before trip time for sure, and print out his "cheat sheets" for each park as well.

Remember that, for some of us, some of the onsite advantages can be disadvantages -- EMH can be a great deal if you get up and only use the morning ones (or only the evening ones but they're less advantageous anymore), but later in the day you're dealing with larger crowds. Staying offsite you don't have to get up as early to get there at opening, but you still get the benefit of smaller crowds for the first few hours, and smaller crowds later in the day.

Using your own vehicle can also lower the stress on someone who needs extra time to negotiate, and of course the vehicle is more familiar once you get settled. One big advantage to staying onsite is getting the direct MK access (onsite buses drop you off right by the park), however IMHO the best way to approach the park first time is on the boat, because it builds anticipation. But we also tend to dawdle in the park long past the fireworks show, so we don't deal with crowds backing up for the boat or monorail at closing. If they're aware of the bottleneck that forms after the fireworks, they can probably work around it in their own way.

If people want and use them, the perks of staying on site are great; but if this family doesn't care about them, they can still have a great time offsite. My advice is to let them do what feels best to them and then work from there. Hope they have a great time.

 

[ammag]

I was going to say having their own transportation might help them a lot, be more relaxing for the child. We stayed offsite on our first trip, and while I loved our second trip at AoA both trips have advantages. We loved the space and quiet at our offsite resort as well as being able to be on our own car. Much much cheaper food options if they are willing to make some food, especially breakfast and pick up dinner in the evenings at any of the 1000 places nearby

That's an awesome thing they are doing for their grandson

 

[fairy8i8]

I'm a WDW veteran and I am trying to work with my admin assistant (Deb) who is planning her first trip and I'd like to get some feedback from the pros.

Deb is a wonderful Grandmother of two and she wants to go to WDW with her daughter/son-in-law and the two kids. Her husband is going as well. None of them have been to WDW. So they are all newbies.

The oldest Grandchild is in a difficult situation. He has a degenerative eye condition and has lost most of his sight. He will be blind in the next year so they really want to go while the 11 year old still has some vision.

I am trying to convince them to stay on Disney property but they want to stay off property to save money. The child walks with a cane and it is slow going. I'm also recommending they skip the park hopper since it would be too hard for them to navigate the entries/security etc.

I would like to see what other recommendations or things to think about with a child who has lost most of his vision. They want to make it a very positive experience and if anyone has any experiences or advice I will pass it on.

Many thanks,

First, recommendations for how to make it a wonderful experience for their son might be better addressed on the DISabilities forum where there is likely a family that has experienced the parks with a visually impaired child and is familiar with Disney's accommodations for these children.

The great thing about the parks is that there is also a lot of fun sounds and other effects that the child will enjoy, and the Electrical parade and fireworks shows may be pretty magical because there is a lot of contrast.

If the child is walking with a cane, he may get pretty tired of all the walking. Many people walk 13 miles or more a day in Disney World. Distances to get everywhere are pretty far. Would he be willing to sometimes ride in a wheelchair? This may provide some much needed rest while still allowing him and the family to continue enjoying rides and other experiences. Most rides are now designed to accommodate wheelchairs without the use of an alternate line. The biggest issue here is how the child feels about using a wheelchair. My father has an immune disorder and can get tired in the parks, but he refuses to use one. Instead, we just take things at a slower pace, which is actually nice. We bring 1 pound tripod camping chairs to sit on while waiting in line for some rest, and everyone in line asks us about them. They are a good break for everyone! The long distances is something to really impress upon Deb. It's not something you always notice until you are sore from all the walking the next day.

Finally, I know most people on these boards think that a Disney vacation is only magical if you stay on property. That is simply not true for everyone. Deb will have a wonderful time off property. The only caveat is that they will need to rent a car, and someone in her party will need to be comfortable driving and navigating new areas and large parking lots. I personally think that having a car is way faster and more convenient than waiting for buses all day, and I rent a car even when I staying on property. Others are overwhelmed by driving in a new place, especially because navigation systems don't always take you the right way around the roads in Disney World, so you need to be savvy about following signs and watching the road in stead of only doing what a digital voice tell you to do.

What sort of accommodations do they prefer? If they are renting a house, then there is no comparison on property. However, if they prefer 4 star hotels, then renting DVC points could be a good way for them to save significant money while still staying on property (a couple of studio villas- one for her, one for her children's family- would be the most economical option). If they plan to stay in a condo, then off property at a place like Bonnet Creek close to the park is probably their best bet. If they are looking at motels, then Disney's Value Resorts, while more expensive, are typically much cleaner (they don't have the musty mold smell prevalent in a lot of Florida hotel rooms). If they are looking in the $80-$100/night range, the mousesavers website gives some nice clean hotel options offsite that offer more than a Disney value room would for the same price.

Finally, if she is just overwhelmed by all of the options and would prefer a little hand holding through the process and while she is in Orlando, I have a fabulous concierge I could recommend that could ensure her stay is magical and that her family is comfortable. PM me if you would like the info.

 

[vweryhappy]

Did want to add you kill a lot of time staying off site. May need to tack on a extra day of two to see everything. Also found it easier just hopping on a bus instead of going in car..parking..going to tram..etc

 

[shalom]

Whether it takes longer or not depends on where you stay offsite. The north end of International drive is going to add more time than some of the homes just offsite. The MK is the only one where using onsite transportation is going to save a lot of time, since the buses drop you off right there. Also depends on where you're staying; the buses for the Deluxe resorts often stop at multiple resorts, and some of the DVC and Mod resort buses as well as the All Star resorts have multiple stops, which can add a lot of time depending on where you're staying. While some prefer the hassles of driving to the hassles of taking the bus, or vice versa, the differences there are pretty clear. In terms of timing, though, off site can be faster than onsite just as often as the other way, depending on which offsite and which onsite you compare.

One big advantage of using your own transportation for people who've got balance issues is being sure of a seat, but the DISabilities people may know work-arounds there that I don't.

The suggestions to look into wheelchairs and check with the DISability forum were both excellent; wish I'd thought of them!

 

[Planogirl]

You can stay in some places in Kissimmee or Lake Buena Vista and be just a short distance from the parks. We stayed at a place close to a Disney property entrance and were surprised at how quick we were at the parks.

 

[smraynor]

I would post this on the disAbilities board. There will probably be a lot of good suggestions there.

I appreciate the suggestion. I didn't realize that it existed!

 

[smraynor]

That size group, they could probably stay offsite in a house with a splash pool for less than it would cost to stay Value. Having a full kitchen would also be a help in keeping costs down. I'd post to the "Orlando Hotels and Attractions" for info. Unless they have pool access at home, having their own private pool would be something the kids would definitely remember.

EasyWDW has tutorials on FP+ where, among other things, Josh lists places to get your reservations in if you're offsite and can't do them ahead of time; not surprisingly, lines form in the front of the park, but if you go to one of the areas further in, you can have the place to yourself and a CM to walk you through it. I'd check those for them shortly before trip time for sure, and print out his "cheat sheets" for each park as well.

Remember that, for some of us, some of the onsite advantages can be disadvantages -- EMH can be a great deal if you get up and only use the morning ones (or only the evening ones but they're less advantageous anymore), but later in the day you're dealing with larger crowds. Staying offsite you don't have to get up as early to get there at opening, but you still get the benefit of smaller crowds for the first few hours, and smaller crowds later in the day.

Using your own vehicle can also lower the stress on someone who needs extra time to negotiate, and of course the vehicle is more familiar once you get settled. One big advantage to staying onsite is getting the direct MK access (onsite buses drop you off right by the park), however IMHO the best way to approach the park first time is on the boat, because it builds anticipation. But we also tend to dawdle in the park long past the fireworks show, so we don't deal with crowds backing up for the boat or monorail at closing. If they're aware of the bottleneck that forms after the fireworks, they can probably work around it in their own way.

If people want and use them, the perks of staying on site are great; but if this family doesn't care about them, they can still have a great time offsite. My advice is to let them do what feels best to them and then work from there. Hope they have a great time.

The vehicle argument is a good one. They were debating whether to drive or fly. I am going to paste all of these posts into a Word doc and give it to her next week. So very helpful.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Did want to add you kill a lot of time staying off site. May need to tack on a extra day of two to see everything. Also found it easier just hopping on a bus instead of going in car..parking..going to tram..etc

Unless you've chosen your site poorly, there is NO way offsite with a car loses more time than utilizing Disney transportation. If there's a long line for the bus, I can be in the park before you ever board your bus (outside of EMH obviously).

 

[smraynor]

Unless you've chosen your site poorly, there is NO way offsite with a car loses more time than utilizing Disney transportation. If there's a long line for the bus, I can be in the park before you ever board your bus (outside of EMH obviously).

I completely agree. I would also agree with an earlier post that stated that a child with a severe visual impairment would probably faire better in a familiar car vs. a crowded Disney Bus.

 

[disnut8]

Another thing I advise people who are thinking of onsite versus offsite. If you stay offsite and don't have parking included in your pass (like an annual pass does), add $15 per night to the cost of your offsite hotel because that's what it's going to cost to park each day at Disney World. So, if your offsite hotel costs $60/night, it's really $75 per night to include Disney parking. Also, make sure the offsite place doesn't charge for parking at the hotel. I caution that because I found what I thought was a great rate for an offsite place but then read the fine print and it was another $25/night for parking. Needless to say, I found another place offsite!

 

[shalom]

Also, make sure the offsite place doesn't charge for parking at the hotel.

Very true when it comes to hotels, and I have heard some condos charge extra as well (although none of the ones I've stayed at did). More fees to look out for are a "resort fee" that covers onsite activities, or a shuttle fee, although I've never paid any of those, either. My impression is that the shuttle fee is more common than the resort fee, but the resort fee often applies to everyone while the shuttle fee only applies to those using the shuttle.

None of which are an issue renting a house that I've ever heard.

 

[smraynor]

They are debating between a place called Caribe Royal (I've seen the signs for it but don't know much about it) and the All Stars/Pop Century.