Best resort for autistic child

[Drea2500]

My toddler hasn’t officially been diagnosed with autism but the doctor believes he is showing strong signs of autism (hand flapping, loud noises frighten him, walking on tiptoes, doesn’t make eye contact, and other signs). I just graduated nursing school and have been planning a celebratory trip to Disney World either this winter or early spring of next year. I was wondering which resort would be best for him to stay at. Some place quiet preferably. We were planning on staying at POFQ. Would this still be a good option or is there a better place? Also any tips for doing Disney with an autistic 3 year old is greatly appreciated!

 

[Lilsia]

The moderates are quiet during the day for the most part. When people come back from the parks, they all get busy. Are you planning on just staying at the resort and not going to the parks? My niece is autistic and is 13 now. She started the same way that your child did. It took a lot of work and years of desensitizing her to be able to make a trip to WDW. She is very high functioning and is mainstreamed in school, will look you in the eye and come up to you and hug you and have a conversation She is in karate and takes piano and swim lessons. That being said, their last trip was a couple of years ago and it was still way too much for her stimulation wise. She actually said that it was too much for her. Trips are possible with autism, of course but I would try taking him to a local place to see how he does for just a few hours before you plan a trip.

 

[Jocelynaus]

Ω.

 

[Drea2500]

The moderates are quiet during the day for the most part. When people come back from the parks, they all get busy. Are you planning on just staying at the resort and not going to the parks? My niece is autistic and is 13 now. She started the same way that your child did. It took a lot of work and years of desensitizing her to be able to make a trip to WDW. She is very high functioning and is mainstreamed in school, will look you in the eye and come up to you and hug you and have a conversation She is in karate and takes piano and swim lessons. That being said, their last trip was a couple of years ago and it was still way too much for her stimulation wise. She actually said that it was too much for her. Trips are possible with autism, of course but I would try taking him to a local place to see how he does for just a few hours before you plan a trip.

Crowds don’t seem to bother my son too much as long as I’m there and he can hug on to me. Lines he sometimes gets a little agitated but if he has a distraction and me talking calmly to him he can settle down. What really gets him is if other children will suddenly start screaming or crying for a loud period of time. Then he almost goes into a panic attack and I have to remove him from the situation. This has happened a few times at the park. I’ve been thinking about getting him some headphones that can help with blocking out noise. Also I think to begin with he probably won’t be able to handle character meet and greets. I’ve been thinking of staying longer than our usual week long trips so we have some down time.

 

[MelRavenswood]

The last time we went to Disney, our son with ASD was 5. We stayed at the wilderness lodge villas, and it was a nice, quiet place to return to at the end of the day. I know that every child is different, but I would say that the two obstacles that we faced that trip were 1. Restrooms with loudly flushing toilets. and 2. Hand flapping and pacing while in line. The post it note on the automatic flushing toilet idea saved us in the end, but he would even freak out when other toilets flushed while in the bathroom. We had to find the most out-of the-way toilets at Disney to take him to. There is a beautifully quiet restroom in the public area of the contemporary that we eventually learned to take him to if we were at MK. There was also a nice grounds area around the back of the ground floor there very near that restroom that was usually very empty, and a great place to re-group when he got over-stimulated. Be sure to get a DAS if you need it. Flapping and pacing are some of the ways that my son dealt with new/stressful situations. We never got him whatever pass that was available back then, but it would have been a lifesaver, as we were constantly needing to get in and out of lines. We are going back this February, and DS is now 12. He doesn't flap his hands anymore, but still likes to pace, so we're going to wait on the DAS, and see how it goes before requesting. He has also gotten used to the sounds of public restrooms, so that is a plus! It wouldn't hurt to take some noise cancelling headphones in your bag just in case. Good Luck

 

[Cloudy]

I have a now 23 year old autistic son. Our first trip as a family was when he was 7. I think POFQ is a great choice. We stayed there once and since it is one of the smaller resorts, it seemed more quiet and less crowded than others. We also rented DVC points and stayed at Old Key West twice. If you can get a good price, it is also a nice quiet resort with several smaller "quiet" pools.

 

[DLgal]

I have 2 autistic sons, 13 and 14 now. We have been going to WDW since they were 4 and 5. They have loved every resort, but especially Pop Century (go figure) and Beach Club. We have also stayed at Wilderness Lodge, Contemporary, and GF. They love the monorail (it's a train, so obviously), but truly, any resort at WDW can be good. However, we did run into issues at GF and Pop when it would be pouring rain and thundering and my younger son has always been afraid of storms like that and we ended up stuck in the room, unable to leave. For that reason, we will stick with the "all under one roof" hotels from now on. It's more convenient to not have to go outside to get to the food, shop, arcade, front desk, etc.

 

[tinkerjo]

I don’t have an autistic child but am a nurse that has worked in special needs classrooms at school, so I am at least familiar. I might suggest the cabins at fort wilderness. You have your own little cabin with a deck and they are very quiet. The quiet pool is also near the cabins and may be a perfect way to relax in a quieter atmosphere. You also have a refrigerator, stovetop, and convection microwave so you can make some of his favorite foods to make him feel more comfortable
bTW congratulations on graduating nursing school. I know it is so stressful and a great accomplishment!!!!

 

[mamabunny]

I don't have an autistic child, but our family prefers a break from heavily themed, busy areas when it comes to our Resorts.

POFQ is a great option - it's the smallest of the Mods, and it still has a nice little playground, as well as a great splash zone next to the pool. Perhaps the only issue I could see there might be the sound of the boat horns as they arrive/leave from the dock, and as they pass by to/from POR down the river. If he likes boats, then you are in luck - they depart regularly for a 15 - 20 minute trip over to Disney Springs! @andrewilley runs the forum for POFQ here on the DISBoards, and he also has an excellent fan site that he runs as well at portorleans.org.

@tinkerjo's idea about the Cabins at FW (Fort Wilderness) is a great one - they are more spendy than a Mod, but you get SO much space - and SO much tranquility! I feel relaxed just thinking about our stays there! The bonus extra is how friendly everyone is at the Fort; folks will smile and wave from their campsites or porches as you go by, and it is probably best nights sleep you will ever get at WDW!

WL (Wilderness Lodge) is our favorite Deluxe, hands down. It can be a bit noisy in the lobby from time to time, but overall, the feeling is peaceful and relaxing - it really does feel like one of the old grand lodges out in a National Forest somewhere. We love the boat rides from here as well; you can travel to/from MK or Fort Wilderness by boat, and everywhere else by bus. If he likes to be rocked, there are wonderful, comfy rocking chairs in the lobby in front of the fireplace Bonus fun extra for some kiddos is the "spring" fed creek that starts in the lobby, with a little bridge you can stand on to watch the water.

AKL (Animal Kingdom Lodge) was actually designed by the same architect that created WL; we prefer WL because it is smaller and has a "cozy" feel, but also because the theming at WL is just a bit more "neutral" for us. AKL is so gorgeous, but I actually prefer to just visit there; I can feel kind of overwhelmed there, and it feels busier to me (personally).

You will find lots of great advice here that might be helpful to your little guy. Congratulations on your big accomplishment - and I hope you all have a Magical trip!

 

[paisleys]

My toddler hasn’t officially been diagnosed with autism but the doctor believes he is showing strong signs of autism (hand flapping, loud noises frighten him, walking on tiptoes, doesn’t make eye contact, and other signs). I just graduated nursing school and have been planning a celebratory trip to Disney World either this winter or early spring of next year. I was wondering which resort would be best for him to stay at. Some place quiet preferably. We were planning on staying at POFQ. Would this still be a good option or is there a better place? Also any tips for doing Disney with an autistic 3 year old is greatly appreciated!

You also might want to consider proximity. Consider a resort you can get to and from with ease in case you need to leave quickly or just take a quiet break back in your room or the pool. Beach Club you can walk to and from Epcot and Hollywood. Contemporary, Bay Lake are both a short walking distance to Magic K.

 

[Smittolis]

It will all depend on the trigger points for your children, everyone is a little different. Me personally I would look for somewhere on the monorail resort line if you can stretch to it. Having the ability to take a boat, the monorail, a bus etc.. to get out of dodge is always a winner. The Wilderness Lodge would be a close second as the boat ride is a very tranquil trip! and is close enough to get to everything. My family chooses the Poly or my favorite the Contemporary as you can simply walk back from the MK without the need to wait on any transportation. This gives so many possible easy outs, besides my kids love the pools there and we can use it as a way to destress and get away from the hustle and bustle of the parks!

You will have a fantastic time wherever you choose.

 

[`OhanaHare]

Wilderness Lodge because it's quiet.

 

[mamacass]

I don’t have a lot of experience with the other resorts but we like Contemporary because of the walking proximity to Magic Kingdom, which is where we spend most of our time. Easy to get back to for naps or a break and not having to wait for transportation can be a godsend.

 

[Dis703]

I would choose a moderate resort (other than POFQ) for something quieter. We love CBR for this reason. The main pools and food court may get crowded, but the resort itself is quiet and peaceful. I rarely hear noise from the rooms around me and it's very spread out. There are quiet pools, that never seem very busy, in each village. And small beaches that are very relaxing with little to no people around.

 

[gatormom2tots]

My 14 year old is autistic. He is usually fine once inside the room- whether we are at Pop or at DVC- doesn't seem to matter. We do like BLT because the mass exodus from MK and then squeezing onto a monorail or boat in crowds get shis anxiety up. We recently stayed at Beach Club and that was really nice i terms of access to Epcot. It might be more about managing the day to day stuff than a particular resort. Josh can handle the parks in 2-3 hour increments and then he needs to "check-out." His phone and earbuds provides some relief and might buy us an hour or two but then he has to get out. Noise reduction headphones might be helpful. Also a stroller use to give him space when he was younger and needed to check-out. He doesn't do well at closing time or in large holiday crowds so we tried to work our trips and times around them.

 

[Disneylvr]

My daughter with autism is 16 now and has been vacationing in WDW since she was 13 months old. We have stayed at Riverside, POFQ, Polynesian, Contemporary, Caribbean Beach, All Star Music and most recently Pop Century. They have all worked great for her actually. The only thing I will say is that POFQ only has one pool and it can get quite crowded and overwhelming for our daughter. Also, for some reason she gets sensory overload in the food court at Riverside. We ALWAYS return to our resort room and pool for a break. She is usually okay to stay in the parks for 4-5 hours at a time and then a break is absolutely necessary. As other have suggested, make use of the DAS and "stroller as wheelchair."

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

If your son is sensitive to noise, do you already use a noise cancelling headset? These are the ones we use at work, they work great! https://www.amazon.com/Snug-Kids-Earmuffs-Hearing-Protectors/dp/B00F3YNE1A You might consider buying a pair now and trying them out.

Moderates are quieter and generally less crowded than values. We thought Caribbean Beach was very peaceful, and there was almost never a long line for the buses, the food court area wasn't crazy busy, and our room with a lagoon view was quiet. But we haven't stayed there since 2010, so take that advice with a grain of salt

I don't want to be rude, please don't take it that way, but I have a teenager on the spectrum and I work with kids on the spectrum. Is there a reason for not getting a diagnosis? Early intervention is so important, and a diagnosis opens doors for therapies and interventions. I strongly urge you to find a child psychologist (not your pediatrician or family doctor) who can properly evaluate your child. One of my biggest regrets is not having my son evaluated sooner.

 

[Disney mac]

If you’re looking for quieter and more relaxing, consider the cabins at fort wilderness. Quiet, serene, and there a couple pools with a boat ride to MK. You’re not right next to anyone with the cabins and the bedroom is in back if anyone wants to go to bed or watch tv away from others.

 

[ladyjubilee]

Moderates work for use, but Values were just too loud. My son needs the quiet to decompress.

 

[Drea2500]

If your son is sensitive to noise, do you already use a noise cancelling headset? These are the ones we use at work, they work great! https://www.amazon.com/Snug-Kids-Earmuffs-Hearing-Protectors/dp/B00F3YNE1A You might consider buying a pair now and trying them out.

Moderates are quieter and generally less crowded than values. We thought Caribbean Beach was very peaceful, and there was almost never a long line for the buses, the food court area wasn't crazy busy, and our room with a lagoon view was quiet. But we haven't stayed there since 2010, so take that advice with a grain of salt

I don't want to be rude, please don't take it that way, but I have a teenager on the spectrum and I work with kids on the spectrum. Is there a reason for not getting a diagnosis? Early intervention is so important, and a diagnosis opens doors for therapies and interventions. I strongly urge you to find a child psychologist (not your pediatrician or family doctor) who can properly evaluate your child. One of my biggest regrets is not having my son evaluated sooner.

Thanks for the headphone suggestion! I was looking at Caribbean too. It looks peaceful. And as far as the diagnosis, we had his pediatrician appointment a few days before this post and he made the suggestion for finding a child psychologist. I’ve called around and the earliest I can get my son in for an evaluation and possible diagnosis is 4 months out unless an appointment comes up earlier.