Advice

Napsbury16

Earning My Ears
Joined
Oct 19, 2015
Messages
5
i will be travelling with my husband and two children age 9 and 12, the 12year old has quite a lot of sensory issues so will shall need to pace our visits and the youngest is not a huge fan of the big rides. We are in America for two weeks spending 9 days at the parks and then the remainder in Naples. My question is how would you prioritise the parks and which ones to chose I'm feeling quite bewildered and breaking down the 9 days, taking away two travelling days and one rest day, we actually only have 6 days in the parks. Which parks would you recommend. Any advice appreciated
 
Well, MK is definitely the best park and the must see. It also has the most for the younger kids. Honestly, with 6 days you should be able to do each park at least once. Animal Kingdom is quite nice if your kids like animals. It's also one of the more peaceful, low-key parks. I can't really speak to sensory issues, but the parks lean toward sensory overload. There are always quiet spots though or don't be afraid to take a mid-day break at the hotel.
 
My suggestion would be to take an afternoon break at your resort, and also having down days in between parks. My DGS has sensory issues, and he becomes overwhelmed when we start rushing around. Just pace yourselves, and do whatever is important to your family. :love:
 

Take a look at easywdw.com. Especially the crowd calendar for your dates ( as well as the daily detailed review which follows each calendar. Going to the recommended parks will help to reduce the crowds you will have to deal with. His cheat sheets are also very good guides to maximizing your time while minimizing your wait times.

I agree with checking out the disABILITIES forum regarding your son. Would noise cancelling headphones or earplugs help? The parks can be pretty noisy.
 
Well, MK is definitely the best park and the must see. It also has the most for the younger kids. Honestly, with 6 days you should be able to do each park at least once. Animal Kingdom is quite nice if your kids like animals. It's also one of the more peaceful, low-key parks. I can't really speak to sensory issues, but the parks lean toward sensory overload. There are always quiet spots though or don't be afraid to take a mid-day break at the hotel.
Thanks so much for reporting - great tips
 
Take a look at easywdw.com. Especially the crowd calendar for your dates ( as well as the daily detailed review which follows each calendar. Going to the recommended parks will help to reduce the crowds you will have to deal with. His cheat sheets are also very good guides to maximizing your time while minimizing your wait times.

I agree with checking out the disABILITIES forum regarding your son. Would noise cancelling headphones or earplugs help? The parks can be pretty noisy.
Thanks so much great tip!
 
I have a 12-year-old with autism, so we tend to pace ourselves. We go for 6 park days, and eat at Chef Mickey's and check out on the 7th. We tend to do 2 days at MK, 2 days at Epcot, 1 day split between the 2, and a day at either HS or AK. There is no possible way to accomplish everything at Disney, so prioritize your must dos and go from there. Once you get there, you will soon get a better feel for what works best for your family.
 
You may want to research a DAS if you think standing in long lines will be an issue with the sensory issues. Depending on his specific issues perhaps look into ear protect or have a music player full of stuff he likes and headphones.

My biggest advice is use the closest hotels to your advantage. If you are at MK take a break at one of the monorail resorts (Contemporary, Poly, or Grand Floridean). If you are at Hollywood Studios or Epcot go to Beach Club, Yacht Club, or the Boardwalk, and for Animal Kingdom take the short bus over to Animal Kingdom Lodge. The hotels are usually quiet and will provide a nice rest from the over stimulation that is the parks. You can walk around and shop or just sit in the lobby and take in the atmosphere. Eating at their quick service locations or making a reservation at one of the table service restaurants at any of these hotels would also provide a good rest and allow for a less hectic dinning experience then what the in park stuff can become.
 
I agree that the Magic Kingdom is the best of the four parks, especially for kids, but it can also be the most stimulating. There are lots of areas where many different musics/activities/people are doing many different things. My son has autism, and we found that the Magic Kingdom for him was difficult at times. I remember that while we were riding the carousel, they were also doing the sword and the stone bit, and there were plenty of people talking, plus the music from the ride. I could almost see his brain melting down trying to process all the sound.

Having said that, the Magic Kingdom has places where you can sit and relax, and I would absolutely take advantage of those places. We lingered a bit longer in restaurants, and took time out to sit on benches. We also went back to the resort for 2-4 hours every afternoon to give him a chance to have quiet time. He was a bit younger at the time, so hopefully it will affect your child a bit less.

If your kids like animals, I think the Animal Kingdom can be the most relaxed park. Some people might substitute the word "boring" in place of relaxed, but I found that my son responded very well to the slower pace. I also believe that sitting quietly and watching the animals was very relaxing to him. If sensory is an issue, I would avoid Dinosaur (I've heard it is VERY intense), and perhaps Expedition Everest, but most other things would be fine depending on how sensitive your child is.

In my mind all the parks can be either relaxing or intense, but I wouldn't want to come to WDW and not see the Magic Kingdom. We have a six day trip planned in January, and we are using three days for the MK. I expect the world showcase at Epcot might be relaxing, but it may not be very interesting to youngsters.

Good luck and have fun!
 
With 6 days, I would do:
AK - 1 full day, early to bed
EPC- 1 morning at FW, resort for swimming/rest, then DTD at night
EPC-3pm-close WS including Illuminations
DHS-3/4 day, early to bed
MK - RD until as long as you can make it.
MK- RD, break mid afternoon for naps, back out until late at night.
 

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