am i crazy

[lilpeople]

dh and i want to see Disney during Christmas. we have two children with special needs. dd 11 has aspergers and adhd. dd 9 is autistic, adhd, and bi polar. we have been to Disney once. it ended in disaster. we did not know what to expect. dd9 wanted more toys and we did not bring enough money (we did not know how much everything cost and we are now prepared. we also went while it was hot outside and spent more time in pool then at parks. this time we know what we will be up against. im just wanting to know if we should wait and do it during the summer or go during Christmas. we wont be able to until the kids get out of school. so am i crazy. oh and last time kids did not know that we where going to Disney until we got down there. we really want to go during Christmas, and we will not be surprising the kids this time. they will be helping in the planning.

 

[Mom2six]

we will not be surprising the kids this time. they will be helping in the planning.

I agree with this. We ARE surprising our kids...but our DS4 with autism knows we are going. He's nonverbal so I'm pretty sure he hasn't told them.... ....but if he was going to talk, I'm sure it would be to show me how wrong I am. I want him to be prepared, so I show him youtube videos of the places we are going to be staying, and have shown him walkthroughs of the parks. I also let him watch youtube videos of the rides I think he might like, and of the character meet & greets. That way he will have an idea of what to expect.

He LOVES to swim and play in water, so going in December would be hard for us. I however would adore a Christmas trip. What a hard choice for you! I know that over the Christmas break, the crowds are among the highest of the year so that is something to consider as well.

 

[LockShockBarrel]

I think Disney is overwhelming for most people the bulk of the time, and holidays add to it. I don't have kids, don't have any personal experience with autism, but I do have some quirks and things in common with some spectrum issues (not enough for a diagnosis but similar triggers) and I have ADHD. Even now, at 26, even being able to plan my own vacation and have control over it, I think it'd be too freaked out to go around Christmas. If someone said "hey here's a free trip!" I'd do it, but I'd have a totally different plan than if I were going on my own dime.

That probably comes across as really unhelpful and scattered but I suppose my point is going at that time of the year, it's just not a good time to go and say "We'll get so much accomplished" Even people with good solid plans and no issues still have to face crowds and lines and waits. I believe New Years is the highest priced rooms at the resorts with Christmas coming in closely behind, and you have to figure if you can demand that pricing for rooms, the demand is going to be very high therefore crowds are going to be nuts. I know you have school to contend with but maybe, for now, it might be more prudent to go at other off times from school, Columbus Day weekend or what have you, where yeah it'll still be busy but not Christmas levels. Then if you were wanting a week at Christmas you could do 2 smaller trips on different holiday weekends.

Again, probably unhelpful and scattered, but bottom line I think is once you're informed well about how busy the holidays really can be at Disney, you'll have to weight the whole risk vs reward out. Is Christmas at Disney worth what could possibly go wrong.

 

[maroo]

This answer won't be popular with the teachers...

But if I was planning to take two children on the spectrum to Disney - I would find the best school holiday and take them then...

I thinking something like a Fall Break? Columbus Day? Anything in the fall - or very early Spring or May - I would look at the calendar and pick the time when they can miss the least school and still be in a low season.

Especially if it is something you are going to save up for and maybe not do very often - I would totally pull them from school.

Of course...there are other issues...like what happens when you break up their routine...but going to Disney breaks the routine anyway.


When I went with Baker's family (non-verbal, severely autistic, had recently survived a big tornado that destroyed their home) - he was a DIFFERENT PERSON when he came back. He has grown by leaps and bounds and his connecting in Disney is what his Mom believes sparked his new words and new independence. I think - for some children - Disney can do more to "connect" a child with autism to his world and family than a year in school.

But...that's just me talking.

 

[ttintagel]

Knowing what to expect makes all the difference in the world. I'm sure you'll have a much better time this time around!

 

[jmartinez1895]

I know you said you have to wait till the kids get out of school, but if there is anyway that you can go before hen I would recommend late November ( just not Thanksgiving week). That is what we did last year and loved it. Everything was decorated. Santa was making appearances and it felt like Christmas, but the crowd where low and the temp was perfect.

 

[lilpeople]

there is no way. school is not understanding and will not let us take them out. dd11 has to hard of a time catching up when she misses when she is sick so that is really out of the question

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

Does it need to be christmas? The holidays are the busiest time of year. So busy that for instance on christmas day some parks WILL be closed as to being to capacity. Those crowds sounds like a perfect recipe for major melt down for both kids.

If it's for the whole christmassy feeling; consider if going early december is an option. A LOT less busy but in full swing with all the decorations up and already celebrating the holidays. Last year I was there dec 2nd-19th and have to say from the 10th you could really feel the difference in crowds with the last few days it being too much for me (no ASD, just autonomic nerve system problems that can cause overload when too crowded, too much noice etc.). Same in 2008 when we were there for dec. 1st-15th.

The first days of january the decorations also are still up but crowds die down. No more parties or storytelling etc. though.

Obviously don't know if it's an option for the kids with school and all, but if so I'ld go outside of the holidays and school break. If not, I'ld probably skip. But if you ask me those crowds as on the holidays can make anybody insane and meltdown big time.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I could not imagine going to Disney at one of the busiest times of the year with two such challenging children.

 

[cm8]

I could not imagine going to Disney at one of the busiest times of the year with two such challenging children.

This! That alone could trigger meltdowns for you and your DDs

 

[buffettgirl]

by Christmas you mean the week AFTER christmas? Don't do it. Especially since this is only your 2nd visit and your first wasn't a good one.

We were disney pros by the time we did that week and I'll tell you if it had been our first, it would have been our last. It was beyond crazy. We are there in the summer, during busy season, but we've never seen anything like that.

Plus, the weather was unpredictable. The first nights we had mittens and coats and hats and the last night we were swimming.

And people were shoulder to shoulder. Literally. I'm not exaggerating.

 

[Earstou]

How well do your kids handle crowds?

I know my ds never would have handled the Christmas crowds as a kid (He has aspergers and is ADHD). I can't even imagine how difficult it would be for him. The noise, the huge amount of people and the long, long waits for rides would have driven him crazy!
Our schools get out around the 20th of May, so we found that to be an ideal time of year to go. Temps are good for swimming (a very good tension reliever for ds) and it isn't as crowded yet.

 

[peemagg]

If you could go around Thanksgiving, it would be better crowd wise than over Christmas and New Years. You would still have all the decorations and parties that you could go to, but not the crowds like you would have with late December early January.

 

[littlemamma]

I can't say that I have a whole lot of autism experience, but I've been to WDW quite a few times + have learned all too well what it's like with crowds, so I can offer some insight.

We took my children (4+5 at the time) to Disney at Christmas, and it was dead the week we went. I've found, if you plan it for the right week at Christmas, it isn't as busy. We went the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and came back the following Saturday (so November 27-Dec 3, 2011) and it was perfect. And from experience, that week is slow every year - it seems to be right before Thanksgiving, and the weeks right before, during, and after Christmas + New Years that are the busiest.

With a little planning, you may be able to get that Christmas trip

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

We took my children (4+5 at the time) to Disney at Christmas, and it was dead the week we went. I've found, if you plan it for the right week at Christmas, it isn't as busy. We went the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and came back the following Saturday (so November 27-Dec 3, 2011) and it was perfect. And from experience, that week is slow every year - it seems to be right before Thanksgiving, and the weeks right before, during, and after Christmas + New Years that are the busiest.

With a little planning, you may be able to get that Christmas trip

Going to Disney in late Nov-early Dec isn't really going at Christmas. Plus, going at this time would involve her kids missing school, which she stated they cannot do. It appears the OP wants to go for the actual holiday.

 

[littlemamma]

Going to Disney in late Nov-early Dec isn't really going at Christmas. Plus, going at this time would involve her kids missing school, which she stated they cannot do. It appears the OP wants to go for the actual holiday.

I missed OP saying that they couldn't miss school - sorry for the misunderstanding!

But as for it being like Christmas, I think going at that time is absolutely like going at Christmas - minus the crowds, and it being Christmas Eve/Day. I felt just as much Christmas spirit the week we were there as I think I would have felt if it were actually Christmas. Plus, still having Christmas to look forward to after vacation was an added bonus

 

[MSSANDRA]

I would avoid the Christmas Holiday at all cost!! We went this year New Years weeks and I found it pretty crazy. The CM's said it was completely dead compared to the week or two before We go often and know how to handle the parks, have a typical child, and it was still crazy for me!

I would look at any non major holiday breaks they have during the school year and plan around those. End of October, for example, our kids are out a Friday and a Monday with an early release day (where they do NOTHING) on Thursday. Maybe leave one day early and do a 4 or 5 day trip and only miss a day or a day and a half of school. We have also been there the week of MLK week and it's great except for a day or two. Some schools have extra days then. If none of these work try to go as soon as school is out or the last week before they go back to school.

 

[tamarabannon]

We went Dec 10=-19 -- up until the friday night before Christmas, there were no crowds, short lines etc. that friday/Saturday at the end of our stay, we could barely move, people were EVERYWHERE.

as for the autism perspective, it depends on your kid. despite having aspergers, my son does very well at disney.

 

[Cadyrose]

I have two on the spectrum as well as I am an ABA therapist.

If Christmas is something you really really want to do then i think you're best bet is include the girls in the planning and bring a form of a schedule so your kids can see what's coming up for transitions.

For our second trip, I made a basic velcro schedule out of a file folder and used google images for pictures that I laminated and velcroed the back to attach. It fit in our back pack and was easy enough to pull out when needed.

I would create Disney rules that you would like to see followed. So say you want to avoid asking for souvenirs left and right, make a rule that you will visit one gift shop a day and they have X amount to spend. This would be simple enough to type (pecs if you need them) and laminate for travel.

Make sure you have their stuff for any sensory issues. We brought iPod shuffles so the kids could listen to their music when the fireworks were going on. They now are able to handle it though and have grown to enjoy them as of this last July 4th.

I don't want to assume anything, so I suggest the guest assistance pass if you are not ready aware of it.

Let the kids each pick one thing and go with the flow. Our last trip, I had basic park days set up....all thrown out the window when my daughter met Prince Naveen and preceded to have a date night 4 nights in a row. Wouldn't trade it for the world. Characters were big for my daughter last trip so that became a big part of our plans.

We also introduced the kids to pin trading. It became a great way to work on social skills. We buy on eBay and the kids love it. The pins were a wonderful way to work on conversational skills, flexibility and waiting.

I would consider possibly a few more trips before Christmas if doable. We have done 3 full week trips before attempting holiday season this December. And we are doing the second week too. I feel like my other trips have prepared my kids better for Disney during the holidays. But I also understand the appeal of the holiday season! If this is when you can go, there are ways to make it work.

If you are doing Holidays, I say first learn as much as you can from the boards and have a basic park plan. I would include hoppers so you have flexibility to change parks if needed. Have a way to show the kids what they can expect. Use tools that have shown to help them like for some kids that means schedules, video models and social stories. There are a lot of videos out there for rides and the new FLE that would show them what to expect. And be open to throwing plans out the window should they find something they love.

Good luck!