Child with ASD Polynesian Room Request

[Kim in PA]

We are staying at the Poly for the first time !! We have always stayed at POR before.

My youngest has PDD-NOS and ADHD. She also has other medical issues which affect her stamina as the day goes on. So we have a combination of concerns depending on the time of day. She loves to meet people, and has no fear of strangers, and will pull away from us and run to someone (especially characters). She can get away quickly, so we will be renting a special needs stroller off site and requesting a GAC.

My question is what I should put on the room request. When I talked to a CM and explained Ashley's needs, she told me to limit my request to something simple, but not knowing enough about the layout, I am not sure what it is we want.

I am hoping if I explain it here someone who is familiar with the layout of the rooms at the Polynesian can give me an idea of what to request.

Of course we would love a Magic Kingdom or Beach View, but what we can afford is Garden View. We definately want a walk out balcony so Ashley can watch the action when we are at the resort. She loves to be outside, but still needs some boundries. She will not try to climb, so I am not concerned about that.

Ashley has lots of allegies including grass and ragweed and at home I have trouble keeping her from playing in the grass and mulch which causes the sclera in her eyes to puff up and she has trouble breathing. Not to mention the possiblilitity of snakes and other critters in the mulch in Florida! So the balcony is really important.

We will have the stroller - so I guess we might want to be between the different transoprtation areas, or is that a bad idea? Would it be better to be at one end rather than the other? I have heard a lot of people talk about Tokelo - is that a good fit for us? Does any part of that building face the beach or have a view that would keep her entertained?

Should I mention Ashley's disability? If I say she has autism (they never recognize PDD) would they think it is a liability to give us a balcony? She really is smart enough not to climb.

I appreciate any suggestions.

 

[dawnball]

Be aware that the room scheduler has a lot to do, so the more concise you can make your requests, the more likely they are to be able to meet it. Rank what you want in order, and I'd suggest no more than two or three requests. Based on my reading of your requests I'd say:

Upper floor
Near transportation (or near bus stop, if you prefer)

And I'd leave it at that.

 

[irishtigger]

Do you have the fax number for the poly to send the room request to? I would limit it to 2 or 3 requests but I would mention her disability in the request you send. Have a great time. We just got back from there and that resort is my favorite.

 

[LilyWDW]

Do you have the fax number for the poly to send the room request to? I would limit it to 2 or 3 requests but I would mention her disability in the request you send. Have a great time. We just got back from there and that resort is my favorite.

Faxes don't help the vast majority of times. We have received reports from actual CMs that for the most part faxes are tossed without so much of a glance. You need to have your room requests ON the reservation, which can be done by calling the main Disney Reservations number.

Keep your requests precise and to the point. Limit them to what is the most important. When you check in, ask the front desk person if they can see your requests and if they have been met. If they have not been met, ask if your room can be moved to meet the requests.

I am not SURE if Special Reservations can help or not. The number for them is in the main disABILITIES FAQ.

As for the GAC, you will need to request "stroller as a wheelchair". This will allow you to keep your daughter in the stroller while in lines.

 

[Kim in PA]

Thank you so much for your help. I guess what I am asking is, which longhouse do I want to be in? Is there a particular side to ask for?

Which long house (given that we are Garden View) would be most likely to have a balcony with a view where she might see people and also be close to transportation and one of the pools? We do have a car, but will use the monorail for MK and Epcot. Can you see any of the beach from any of the Tokelau Garden Rooms? Is so, which side do I request?

In other words, if I am asking for:

"Walk out balcony xxxx longhouse xxx side"

Thank you!

 

[toodycat]

My DS has PDD-NOS too. His big issue is noise. He can't bear it. Last year, we stayed at the GF and then learned it was under some construction. Being near the construction would have pretty much ruined DS' vacation. So I emailed a manager at the GF and explained the situation. I wasn't asking for an upgrade, just an assurance that we could placed somewhere where the hammering and drilling wouldn't bother my son. I told them about his being on the autism spectrum and having this sensitivity. If that was impossible, we were OK with changing resorts. Well. we were given a lovely room that was not at all noisy and we all had a great time. You might want to try that approach. Your girls are all precious. I hope you all have a great trip.

 

[kaffinito]

The two longhouses I would suggest are Samoa and Tokelau. Neither has a view of the beach, but Samoa has a view of the Volcano pool on one side, and the quiet pool on the other side. It's also a short walk to the GCH and the monorail. Tokelau has a view of the quiet pool on one side, and has larger rooms with balconies on the second and third floors.

If you Google Tikiman you will find a website that has a lot of information on the Polynesian resort, including detailed longhouse descriptions.

For your location request, you might want to try Balcony - Samoa to keep it simple, or Balcony - Facing Quiet pool - Tokelau then you would have a good view and a great location. I would only put in one location request though, and remember to keep your primary requirement first.

Hope this helps!

 

[2BoysMom]

Definitely put Autism down as her disability on the reservation. Cast members are trained on aspects of autism and are very sensitive to it. One of my twins is on the spectrum and I have actually gotten better rooms than what I asked for in the past, b/c the CM at the desk knew better than I did what room would be easiest for our family.

Is your daughter on the GF/CF diet? Disney chef's are trained in this area as well. If you tell your server at restaurants that your child is GF/CF, the chef will come out and talk to you and discuss what items he has in his kitchen to allow him to make you something GF/CF.

It's one of the reasons we vacation so much at WDW. They are educated, trained and sensitive to the needs of spectrum children. I'm happy to give my money to a company who cares this much for all of it's guests, including the "special needs" ones.

 

[dclfun]

Definitely put Autism down as her disability on the reservation. Cast members are trained on aspects of autism and are very sensitive to it. One of my twins is on the spectrum and I have actually gotten better rooms than what I asked for in the past, b/c the CM at the desk knew better than I did what room would be easiest for our family.

Is your daughter on the GF/CF diet? Disney chef's are trained in this area as well. If you tell your server at restaurants that your child is GF/CF, the chef will come out and talk to you and discuss what items he has in his kitchen to allow him to make you something GF/CF.

It's one of the reasons we vacation so much at WDW. They are educated, trained and sensitive to the needs of spectrum children. I'm happy to give my money to a company who cares this much for all of it's guests, including the "special needs" ones.

I just wanted to echo this sentiment. I always choose a Disney resort or cruise vacation as I know I won't be struggling physically and that CM's are attentive to my needs and those of other special needs guests. There are far too many large corporations that don't care. I don't shop at Walmart or Sam's for this reason. I want my money to go to a company that cares and goes above and beyond. To the OP, I'd think Tokelau, top floor would be a good request. The walkways are gorgeous at night with the torches, and this longhouse is close to the GCH.---Kathy

 

[JohnnySharp2]

We are staying at the Polynesian in August with our autistic/non verbal son.
I would echo what Kaffinito said earlier about requesting a longhouse that suits your needs. Samoa is ideally located for both pools and the GCH, so I would request that personally, I would also add Fiji to the list as it's near the Marina and has a small beach also.