Child-Swap & ASD?

[Beth]

Hello everyone,

My DH and I are taking his family to WDW in 2 weeks.

Going are DH, DMIL, DFIL, DSIL, DBIL, and two nephews.

The older nephew is 4 years old, and autistic. When initially planning the trip, I talked to my SIL about getting a GAC for him - as I'm pretty sure he'd never wait in a line....

Since booking the trip, my SIL was diagnosed with lung cancer. She finished her first round of treatment (radiation and chemo) in November. Right now, she's just trying to build back up her weight and strength, with re-scans planned for February. BTW - she's 39yo and a non-smoker.

So, now I'm worried not only about the ASD nephew, but also the stamina of my SIL - who plans to finally shed her feeding tube (PEG tube) this week.

Any suggestions? We know we won't be pushing ourselves on this trip. I was expecting that we'd be cancelling, totally, but this trip has given DSIL something to focus on, and look forward to. She's really excited to go.

We'll only be there two nights - and they want to do AK on our full day - as they think the boys will really enjoy the animals. My DH and I go to WDW all the time - so we don't care what we do - this is all about THEM!

Is is possible to do the child-swap with the 4-year old, and my DSIL, as well? We could all wait in the line, and she could meet us at boarding with our nephew?

Thanks for any suggestions.... other than the day at AK, we're just going to hang around the resort (OKW.) I've got a friend who is going to drive over and take family photos - which will be wonderful.

TIA...
~ Beth

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Rather than rider swap, if your SIL and nephew will not be riding, they can go through the queue with you and then go to the "chicken exit" at the boarding area; this will bypass the ride and take them directly to the exit where they can meet up with the rest of you when you get off the ride.

 

[Schmeck]

First of all, big (((hugs))) to your SIL and your entire family. I hope you all have a wonderful time together.

Even with a GAC, there will be some waiting at most attractions at WDW. A GAC can give you an alternate place to wait if available, but if the GAC is for your nephew, then it is only applicable for those rides he will be going on. the good news is that you are actually going at a less crowded time of the year, so a GAC might not even be needed for him, especially if he is not tall enough or not able to go on the larger thrill rides. FPs can work better than a GAC for some attractions.

For your SIL, have her rent an ECV or wheelchair from an offsite vendor. that will save her energy for getting better and staying as healthy as possible at WDW. There's a nasty virus going around down there now, so bring stuff like Purell and wipes to keep her as safe as possible. She may want to wear a mask too.

For attractions that your nephew is too short to ride on, he will not be able to even enter the queue, so a rider swap would work best. If your SIL is also not riding, then she could just take him into a gift shop, snack break, or shady area to wait as well.

I like your focus on the trip being for them - it's so easy to get into that 'have to do it all' pace, but with the issues you are dealing with, just making sure they are well taken care of will make it a very special trip, I'm sure! Taking the time to see the little things, like the monkeys at AK, not rushing through the walking trails, etc, are very fun things to do!

 

[kellyinbigd]

Thanks for posting this info!

 

[mechurchlady]

Since both children are under 4 they will not be going on a lot of rides so you can plan for your SIL to sit with them or even take them off to play somewhere. If your SiL wants to ride then she can get a child swapping pass and then wait for the family to return. She can take someone with her then ride using the fastpass or some other means designated by the CM when she gets the child swapping pass. Fastpasses will make things go faster especially on Toy Story Mania.

I agree with the ECV and do bring a stroller and get a "stroller as a wheelchair" GAC and tag for the autistic child. That will allow you to take the stroll through most ride lines, into the Land building, and in line at shows. Autistic chilkdren tend to like the privacy of the stroller, it keeps kids from eloping and saves their energy so they are less tired at the end of the day.

Check out FAQs for the special diet address and contact them if your SIL has special dietary needs including soft foods, pureed foods, no spice, no salt, low fat, and allergens.

Call Special Reservations Line: (407) 939-7807 and they can set you up with a disabled room with a roll in shower if getting into a tub is hard for your SiL. They offer bed rails for the tykes and all sorts of special things. There are more of the regular disabled rooms than the roll in shower type. They have a seat to transfer to and you can get a hand held shower installed. FAQs has links to some pictures of them baths.

The following shows a partial list of stuff available to the disabled in their rooms but there is more like special allergen type cleaning and linens for example.
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/common/Plain?id=PlainResortPage

 

[Beth]

Thanks so very much for taking your time to respond...

My DH and I don't have children, so I've never taken time to learn about the whole "baby swap" thing. I realize now I totally misunderstood the concept. I was hoping to see that my DSIL might be able to keep our nephew in a separate area, while we waited in the line, then he could join us right at boarding.... if he's tall enough to ride, of course.

Getting the GAC tag for the stroller sounds like a great idea. Should we just plan on getting a stroller at the park - are they narrow enough for the queue lines, or should they bring a smaller one from home?

Thanks again....
~ Beth

 

[mechurchlady]

It is cheaper to bring one from home or to rent offsite from one of the companies listed in the FAQs. You could ask for the GAC and explain the boy's limitations. The cast member would then give him a GAC based on those limitations. Some rides do have a seperate waiting area. The baby swapping is for any child or person who cannot be left alone. GAC is for the disabled with hidden limitations like not able to tolerate sun, deafness, not able to do stairs, and not able to handle crowds. The WDW strollers and the double wide regular offsite strollers fit the lines.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/height.htm
Put in the height of the child in inches and it will tell you what the child cannot ride. The average 4 year old is around 3 feet tall which would make Barnstormer but no any of the rollercoasters or other big rides. You can use the fastpass and babyswapping for the younger sibling. The younger child would be too small for most rides so SIL could wait outside for the family to come out then she could ride with him on the ride with very little waiting.

=====================
GAC info being added. In your case I suggest the baby swapping pass for rides that the youngest child cannot ride. IF you plan to take both kids on a ride then use the GAC to get a separate waiting area if that is possible but not all rides have that available. Take the GAC and talk to the Greeter of the line and ask for their suggestions. Rides vary because some are pre ADA and some CMs are nicer and will bend rules for nice guests. Also try putting the kid in a stroller with something to play with as often kids will be happier in their private little stroller world playing with a game, listening to music or fidgeting with a fidget toy. Encourage good behavior with bits of cereal for example. Hissy fits and meltdowns may happen and then one person takes the kid out of line so as not to ruin the day for everyone. Just like taking a kid to the bathroom should not mean the whole group needs to get out of line.

Waits for someone to snap at me.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Beth

If you have not yet done so, you might want to click on where it says "disABILTIES" at the top of this page it will take you to the Index. One of the top items is the "disABILTIES FAQ" which will gives lots of useful information. You will probably find Posts #6 and #2 most useful to you.

Or, if you want an easier route, click on the link in my signature.