Anyone going the first week of May?

[BringBackTapestries]

Any projections of how crowded it will be? We usually go in January, Febuary, or Sept. Is it usually much worse the first week of May? I know its unpredictable, but all this push on the TV and all the contests all over TV and the radio have me a bit worried that it will be unbearably crowded. We usually spend 75% of our time in Epcot. Maybe everyone will be in MK.

 

[krystyana]

We'll be there....we usually go in Nov. so I can't really help you with crowd levels....I am nervous though...we initially booked because it was supposed to be low crowds and now it seems that may not be the case....oh well...at least we'll be in the world....where are you staying?

 

[rarrington]

It's my first trip so I'm not sure what to expect. I booked May 3-10 thinking low crowds and that was before I knew about the big May 5th celebration kickoff! I'm also worried that crowds may be unusually high....

 

[ryan840]

I've only been to WDW once (when I was 12) so I don't know how the crowds will be, but we are going May 1-5 and I'm really hoping we miss at least some of the crowds since we are leaving the day the celebration kicks off...

 

[BringBackTapestries]

Were staying at the Pop Century again. Weve done all the budget resorts, and they are the only way to go in my opinion. Besides, we already have refillable cups for Pop Century! (Got THEM on ebay too! For 1/3 the price. My dishwasher sanitizes so no worries.) We were debating between the Pop and the All Stars Music (my second favorite). The ASM has a better pool area, but the Pop has the water fountains that squirt water up, and the kids love that. The Pop also has slushies for the refillable cups and the All Stars dont.

The rudest people we have ever met at WDW were all while we were touring the more expensive resorts. The nicer, friendlier, and more talkative people are usually staying at the budget resorts. One of the fun things to do while in line or on the buses is to find out little tidbits about life in other parts of the country or world from the other people at WDW. You dont ask people at the luxary resorts anything because they give you that "How dare you talk to ME" look!
The big celebration will start on the 5th and the man on the 1407WDisney number said he expected people to come from Friday the 6th on, I hope he's right. He said most people will not want to be there the week before, and will shift their vacations forward a few days to enjoy the celebration. I guess time will tell.
If its TOO crowded were heading to the beach!!!

 

[larklynn]

24 more days I cant wait we'll be there May1-6. Yeah. We have been in Feb. and Aug. I was hoping for low crowds too. Have you all made your ps. I only did two this time and it killing me to play it by ear but since we are already planning next years trip I have ideas for then too.

 

[krystyana]

We're staying at the beach club....sorry you met so many rude people....we've always found almost everyone very nice....i so hope the man on the phone was right....we are used to going in Nov....we are definately not big crowd people....but it's still Disney so we'll have fun anyway....we leave on the 5th to go on the cruise so maybe we'll miss the rush I can't believe it's almost here!

 

[krystyana]

We made PS for at least one/two meals of every day so that we'd be covered just in case....DH gets very cranky if he's not fed

 

[BringBackTapestries]

We have a day booked at $74.00 per night (all week; annual passholders code) at the Pop, but aside from that we always play it by ear. We have 55 disney dollars that we got from the last trip (refund from a lie a castmember told us... long story) and we plan to try the France restaurant for the first time. The $55.00 was basically free, so maybe we can actually get to try that expensive spot. I know 55 bucks wont buy much from France, but its a start. We are looking at Melbourne Beach if its too rough at WDW. We have an Autistic son who lags way back behind us when walking, so if its bad we will have no choice but to leave. Otherwise he'll get lost. He has Oppositional Defiance Disorder (also has Aspergers Syndrome), so "making" him keep up isnt humanly possible. He gets violent and screams. Sometimes we get him a wheelchair and that works great (since he has low muscletone and cant take durations of walking) but we get dirty looks when they escourt him to the front of the line then he HOPS out of his wheelchair and RUNS to the ride. Course, I'd give dirty looks too if I didnt know the situation. I'm sure it looks really bad when that happens, I cant blame anyone for that. But then thats why we go here so often, for de-stressers!

 

[DebIreland]

We have an Autistic son who lags way back behind us when walking, so if its bad we will have no choice but to leave. Otherwise he'll get lost. He has Oppositional Defiance Disorder (also has Aspergers Syndrome), so "making" him keep up isnt humanly possible. He gets violent and screams.

Just thought I'd say I can remember all too clearly the situation you described above. My eldest son (almost 11 now) was diagnosed with autism many years ago and we went through a couple of years (seemed like forever) of those 'tantrums'. I use inverted commas for 'tantrums' because really there needs to be a new word invented to differentiate between regular toddler "I want chocolate NOW" tantrums and those soul-destroying seagull-pitch intense tantrums like my son mastered. Even considering his 'special' needs his behavioural therapist said he had reached whole new heights of intensity with his outbursts. Poor child was so scared of touch, sound, lights and anything sensory beyond the minimal, he just became overwhelmed with frustration and lay down screaming and screaming and screaming...............

Anyway, I'm rambling. I actually clicked on the thread by mistake and saw your post. But I wanted to say I have been there and I can relate. I know what it's like and my heart goes out to you. It is so difficult and having a child who looks normal but who cannot process the world around him and expresses frustration through ear-piercing screams can leave you feeling very much alone and at oods with other parents. Not saying you feel this way but if you do, that would be perfectly natural.

Thankfully, for me, those days are gone. We were lucky in that, with intensive behavioural therapy, my son's autism was turned around because, despite the odds (and believe me the odds were stacked against us) we 'found' a wonderful therapist who cured my son of 95% of his autism-related problems. He changed our lives. There are still issues (loud noises, heavy crowds, tight spaces etc.) but those issues are a far cry from those old days and, most importantly of all, my son is happy. That's the toughest part by far, seeing your child so deeply unhappy and distraught. Of course, intensive therapy doesn't always prove so successful for autistic or aspergers children, too many variables, too many levels of severity. However, I still remember those times from 1996 to 1999 when our whole lives seemed to revolve around my son's withdrawal from the world. People and their stares! Yes it hurts when you get those dirty looks and yes, it's annoying but try to learn to truly IGNORE them..... it's not just a matter of looking away or saying "to hell with them", you can actually build up a total immunity to such looks. Believe me, I know! lol

Sorry for rambling on and on.... just wanted to let you know that someone far away on the other side of the world has been where you are and I know, it's a heavy load for all of your family (son included) to carry. Good luck to you

 

[pooh4evr]

we are going the first week of May also, I am hoping for good luck but we'll just have to wait and see. We'll be in Disney World after all how bad could it be! We do have PS at the Pooh's Breakfast, and the Princess Storybook Lunch, (I just made the lunch res Sunday!)

 

[minniegidget]

I will be staying at the Pop Century with my sister May 2- 7. Looks like there will be a few Disboard fans there also. If you see me riding around in My blue ECV and lime green hat stop me and say hi.

 

[Selket]

Seems like the WDW hotels are more booked the 2nd week of May than the 1st week (at least last I checked). We are going that 1st week (I think - might have to move to the 2nd week). I am having a heck of a time getting PS's at the times I want them the 1st week. I think it will be more crowded this May than usual but less crowded than the summer. I wouldn't expect to be walking onto rides though!

My son is not autistic (or the other issues you mentioned) but he does have low muscle tone too. He is just 3 so we plan to use his stroller as a wheelchair. His problems are not terrible but he has serious stamina issues and I know he'd not make it far walking/standing. He also has type 1 diabetes and serious food allergies and that is a whole other issue. I think WDW will be great for him though - he is very excited to go and they are wonderful with making sure there are good choices for him to eat.

 

[mary174]

We booked last October for the end of April and beginning of May. I figured we would miss Spring Break and the worst heat. I was thinking it would be a little more crowded than September, but not too bad. I never considered DL's 50th being such a huge thing right when we were going. We're doing Pop Century where we had such a great time last September.

 

[long4disney]

We are going April 30th thru May 4th. I know that a lot of the CM's I talked to said they were planning to take the day off or arrive later in the day on May 5th for the first day of the celebration. There are a lot of press events scheduled for that week, so it might be more crowded than usual. We are hoping it will be less crowded before the 5th that's why we are leaving on the 4th.

Besides, it's Disneyland's 50th, so I'm sure it will be a lot more crowded in CA than in FL.

We are just excited to be in WDW no matter how crowded it will be!!!

 

[Stitch Inside]

We're going the first week of May. We'll be there from 4/29-5/7. And if you can trust the Disney web site, Expedia, and Travelocity, there are still plenty of rooms available at the Disney resorts for the whole week so far. I keep checking. It helps pass the time.

 

[BringBackTapestries]

Deb Ireland...WOW! You DO know how it is! I dont hear that often. I often wonder if he's possessed!!! LOL. But know thats crazy. He can be a perfect child then suddenly explode and fall (crash is a better word, as he often gets hurt when it happens) to the ground and proceed to bang his head on anything nearby. We live every day on the verge of putting him away in a special home, but love him and are trying to get him some help. We have a group of behaviour specialists that will be coming to our home for the first time next week to see if they can help. It sounds like the type of program you got involved with, so maybe there's a light at the end of that tunnel that isnt a train.

WDW is not just good at special needs kids, they are GREAT! The other amusement parks dont help much but the Disney parks are a real blessing.

I was there once and there was a man sitting by the Splash Mountain ride. He was calmly watching as his 5 year old son lay face down on the asphalt, screaming those typical "seagull" crys (that was a great comparison!!!) and kicking and hitting the ground. He had been there with his son doing this for about 30 minutes. Sometimes you have to just wait those autistic tantrums out and let them run their race. As I carried my burger back to my table I tried not to stare, though I felt his pain and have been there. There was this high class lady standing near me who made the *loud* comment to her husband "Well! If that were MY son... I'd..." The comment was too much for me and I looked over at her and said "Mam, that ISNT your son laying there, and you have no freaking idea WHAT you would do if you were in his shoes, because its clear you dont have a clue what HE is going through! The best thing YOU can do is either go over and be nice to him and see if he could use some friendship or shut the heck up and mind your own business!" She didnt have anything else to say and her husband didnt either. The fact that I'm a big stocky mean looking bald man (My mom & sister say I could pass for the actor Vin Diesel's brother) probably helped keep him quiet. LOL I try to be nice to everyone, and usually just ignore comments, but this lady had it coming to her.

To the lady in the blue ECV and lime green hat... We often are easy to spot. We have matching Pirates of the Caribbean T shirts (unlike any available at the parks) and my wife wears a red bandanna complete with beaded braids just like Jack Sparrow. (She's a cute one! Its the only place she can dress like that and not be labeled as crazy!) We usually do the Pirates look on one or two of the days there. It gets us lots of fun comments and everyone loves it. People always sing "Yo Ho Yo Ho a pirates life for me.... as they walk by! Weve had lots of fun with it. I'll keep an eye open for you and you can keep an open eye for us. Well be the pirates with the angry 7 year old boy! LOL
There's a guy who we almost always see on our trips there. He has a wheelchair that has about 10 different colors of neon lights. Anyone know him? I bet he has an interesting story.

 

[DebIreland]

We have a group of behaviour specialists that will be coming to our home for the first time next week to see if they can help. It sounds like the type of program you got involved with, so maybe there's a light at the end of that tunnel that isnt a train.

There *IS* light at the end. Believe me! Behavioural therapy is absolutely the best route. And the fact that they are coming to your home - that alone sends very positive signs to me. Our therapist came to our home and actually did the therapy with us and we, in turn, helped our son. He never actually did any one-on-one therapy with our son. Having been told by 2 specialists in our health services that our son was moderately to severely autistic and that there was no cure it was hard for us to believe the therapist when he said things would get a lot better. The first day he told us "step 1 is this - we're going to get eye contact". I rolled my eyes (speaking of eyes!) and said "sure, yeah, he has avoided my eyes for over a year but we'll *get* eye contact, just like *that*" [I was at the end of my tether and feeling very bitter and angry with the previously awful 'help' we were getting]. He smiled and said "I don't *think* we'll get eye contact, I *know* we will and when we get that we are on the road to a happy life for your son". Well, you might not believe this but two weeks later my son was making eye contact about 90% of the time, at least as much as most of us on an average day! That was the breakthrough... from then it was all uphill. Here we are today with a wonderful, healthy, happy 11 year old boy. Rambling again. Please please hang in there - start with getting that eye contact!!! That is vital. Without that the child has no true 'connection' to society so to start therapy with anything else is pointless.

I was there once and there was a man sitting by the Splash Mountain ride. He was calmly watching as his 5 year old son lay face down on the asphalt, screaming those typical "seagull" crys (that was a great comparison!!!) and kicking and hitting the ground. He had been there with his son doing this for about 30 minutes. Sometimes you have to just wait those autistic tantrums out and let them run their race.

Yes, that is exactly what you should do imo. By ignoring the tantrum you are doing your son a great service because, in time, he learns that the tantrum gets him no attention, thereby a) saving him from future harm (left by physically hurting himself during those tantrums) and b) providing him with a great incentive to come up with a much *better* way of looking for attention i.e. verbal or physical cues to let you know what he wants.

"Well! If that were MY son... I'd..."

Ah yes, I know that woman - well, I know her type. lol! That's the problem with autism though, people look and think the child is a spoilt brat looking for new toys or chocolate. It's tough.

"this lady had it coming to her."

Agreed. She probably thought twice before doing it again.

Good luck!