Daughter with Special Needs

[Lauren224]

Hello,
I am very nervous reading some posts after being assured by people that it was a positive thing to book a vacation to WDW with my husband and daughter. My daughter who is 2 and a half and is developmentally delayed and wears orthotics in her shoes to try and introduce her to walking. She is not yet walking and can not stand long in lines. She suffered a stroke in utero and has epilepsy, which is why she has her developmental delays and exhibits some autistic tendencies (exp loud scream or out burst if standing in one place too long). She is not yet walking. I was told that we could get something called a guest accommodations pass and we would not have to wait in line, but after reading many threads I am seeing that this may not be the case. I am very nervous that I just wasted a great deal of savings and am going to have to cancel a trip that this family was very much looking forward to and was very much needed. Help! Anyone with any insights from a very worried mother?

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

If you had an alternate place to wait that was quieter, or if she could stay in her stroller, would that help? Because that is what most of the posters will recommend, and what WDW can provide. You can also use rope drops, fast passes, and touring plans to minimize your times in lines.

For the most part, only Make A Wish guests or VIP guests don't have to wait in any lines. There are exceptions to that (as I'm sure you've seen in reading posts), but the general rule is that the GAC does not bypass lines. It is even printed on the GAC itself.

I think you can still have a great trip even if you can't totally bypass lines. There are a lot of great posters with real life experiences that can give you tips and hints.

 

[SueM in MN]

I don't have time to post much, but follow the link in my signature to the disABILITIES Board.
Post 6 of that thread is about Guest Assistance Cards.

Two year olds in general can't stand long in lines and can't walk well enough to walk a full day at WDW. Their parents generally use a combination of carrying the child, using front or back carriers and using a stroller to get from place to place.
Strollers are not usually allowed in lines or some buildings, but you can get a sticker and a Guest Assistance Card and a sticker that allows your stroller to be used as a wheelchair. That means you could bring it into all lines for use in the line.

Tht would be the most helpful accommodation for you because it would give you the option to carry her, use a carrier or keep her in the stroller.

Many people use touring plan sites like www.easywdw.com or www.touringplans.com
Even if you don't follow a touring plan exactly, those sites will help you to be in the least busy part of the least busy park.
Getting to the park when it opens ("rope drop" that the other poster mentioned) will give you the hottest waits for attraction.

 

[Lindana]

Hi Lauren! We took our autistic DD to Disney for the first time when she was 2 1/2, too. Everyone thought we were nuts (sometimes I did too), but we had a good time. I think the best thing we did was to research the attractions and figure out what we thought our daughter would be interested in in prioritize accordingly. WDW is a big place and trying to see everything is almost impossible, even for able-bodied adults! If you don't think your daughter will like something, skip it and save your time and energy for something she will enjoy.

We also had took a variety of things to distract her in line, like small board books sticker books, snacks, and fidget toys. We tried to stay flexible and take breaks. Going back to your hotel to rest/ swim/ play really helps.

I will ditto Sue's advice to use Touring Plans crowd calendar to figure out which park is least crowded. We've had great success with it. They also have a wait-time app that will tell you how long waits are for a particular ride (Disney has a their official app, too) which might be helpful.

Hope this helps you out and that you and your family will make some magical memories. PM if I can answer any other questions for you

 

[clanmcculloch]

Since at this age she's still not walking at her age plus with some of the issues you've described, I would suggest that you talk to Guest Relations about something called a Stroller as a Wheelchair tag. It will allow you to bring the stroller anywhere that a wheelchair is allowed so that means you can bring it in all the queues. You will have to take her out of it for busses and attractions (I doubt you've got a stroller that has tie downs) but at 2.5 she should be small enough that you can carry her at times. The stroller can also help because it will give her a bit of a barrier between her and the rest of the world so when she starts getting overwhelmed, you can just pull the sunshade down and/or drape a lightweight sheet/blanket over her to create a bit of a cocoon.

We don't wait in lines any longer than 10 minutes but we accomplish this using a good touring plan and FPs. I like easywdw.com personally. The forums have some people who are amazing with helping to customize your own plans (you take a stab at it based on information on the site and in the forum stickies, ask for feedback and adjust using the feedback). We do use a GAC for our autistic DD but it's more so that when we do wait it's in an area that's not packed in with people.

 

[mistysue]

I recommend the stroller as wheelchair pass.

Somewhat related - how hot is it where you live vs. the Florida temps for the time you are going? YDS has orthotics in his shoes (probably the same ones, most kids their age seem to have the same thing) and he was really cranky at the start of our trip last year... so we took his orthotics off and he was happy. I'm pretty sure it was the heat because he wasn't used to it. Just mentioning it incase it can help you out a bit too. It made him a bit less stable, but seeing as how he couldn't stand or walk anyways it didn't effect much other than his mood.

 

[Lauren224]

Thanks all for the suggestions and links. I am determined to take her there and get the break that our family needs and deserves as I am sure many of you can relate to.
Mistysue-
We live in Chicago, which can get pretty hot in summer. So that's why I was saying she sometimes wears orthotics. She too gets very cranky when they make her hot. They are called SMOs and have to be worn in shoes that require socks. So we may have them on her sometimes but probably not all of the time in the park bc I do not want her to get overheated... As a general heads up anyone know of any planning websites or any special need specific website out there that we can look at? I am really new to this but very determined to make the best out of this trip!

 

[buffettgirl]

Thanks all for the suggestions and links. I am determined to take her there and get the break that our family needs and deserves as I am sure many of you can relate to.
Mistysue-
We live in Chicago, which can get pretty hot in summer. So that's why I was saying she sometimes wears orthotics. She too gets very cranky when they make her hot. They are called SMOs and have to be worn in shoes that require socks. So we may have them on her sometimes but probably not all of the time in the park bc I do not want her to get overheated... As a general heads up anyone know of any planning websites or any special need specific website out there that we can look at? I am really new to this but very determined to make the best out of this trip!

honestly, you're going to get the best range of advice on taking special needs children to disney right here. We've got such large group parents who deal with a vast range of all sorts of disabilities that you're sure to get an answer to anything you might ask. While our disabilities might all be different there are many things that are similar for us all, so don't be afraid to ask questions. And the other thing to remember is that a 2 year old in Disney is often just a 2 year old in Disney, so many of your needs might be just regular toddler needs that those of us with multiple trips under our belt can also help you with.

 

[clanmcculloch]

I second the fact that this is probably the most informative site for special needs info. I've seen way too many sites claiming to be Disney special needs sites that are unfortunately filled with mis-information.

 

[mistysue]

Mistysue-
We live in Chicago, which can get pretty hot in summer. So that's why I was saying she sometimes wears orthotics. She too gets very cranky when they make her hot. They are called SMOs and have to be worn in shoes that require socks. So we may have them on her sometimes but probably not all of the time in the park bc I do not want her to get overheated... As a general heads up anyone know of any planning websites or any special need specific website out there that we can look at? I am really new to this but very determined to make the best out of this trip!

That's what my son has too, we are in Michigan. We just don't go outside as much when it's hot out as we do at Disney so we had never had the heat issue come up before. At first we took the orthotic off and tried to put his shoes on but lost a shoe on the first day so he was barefoot much of the trip. This year we have a pair of sandals planned. I'm not sure if/how much he will be walking this trip.

I really think you will find Disney much less stressful than you worry it will be. With a general plan for your days you can avoid most of the crowds which will help everybody be happier.
When are you going? Do you know if you are going to be doing any sit-down meals? They have made the days with my kids much more pleasant. If it is really hot at the time the buffets can be a quick way to sit down and eat in the A/C.

 

[Lauren224]

MistySue,
Were going to be ther July 7th thru July 14th. I know the hottest time ever. I love the heat. The hubby and the daughter not so much, so we shall see. I may hope we can get a GAC and a stroller pass without too much of a hassle. I want to go to have fun not fight with guest relations. Still second guessing myself.

 

[Lauren224]

Oh and MistySue were doing a Winnie the Pooh lunch at Crystal Gardens! I don't think she would fully understandbthe princess concept yet.

 

[Lauren224]

We didn't do a dinning plan and was wondering if we should get one for my hsuand and I... Any advice on that. Would it honestly be worth it if it's only for my husband and I and we have to buy separate for our daughter?

 

[SueM in MN]

We didn't do a dinning plan and was wondering if we should get one for my hsuand and I... Any advice on that. Would it honestly be worth it if it's only for my husband and I and we have to buy separate for our daughter?

You need to look at the amount of food the dining plan offers and how you would use the plan to see whether or not it makes sense for you.
Plus there are different dining plans - it's not just one like it was at one point.

Here's more information:
http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-dining-plan.htm

If you are big eaters and would be buying that much food anyway, it can be a good plan. If you are not, it probably won't save you any money.
Some people don't care that much, but like the idea that their food is basically prepaid for and they know what the food expense will be.

 

[infopurposesonly]

Start making your dining reservations now! Some locations are booked six months in advance. If you want to be assured of having her experience those wonderful character dining interactions, which are usually less stressful than waiting in line to see characters (GAC won't help with that), then you'll want to have reservations in place.

 

[Tink575]

This year we have a pair of sandals planned. I'm not sure if/how much he will be walking this trip.

If you go the sandals route, just make sure you liberally apply sunscreen to the little ones feet throughout the day. We are in the world a lot and have seen many babies whose little feet were so red that I wanted to cry for them.

 

[Piper]

The dining plan must be purchased for everyone in your room. They will not let you purchase for just a few select people. Unfortunately, it is all or nothing!

 

[crashbb]

The dining plan must be purchased for everyone in your room. They will not let you purchase for just a few select people. Unfortunately, it is all or nothing!

Since the child is under 3, no plan needs to be purchased for her.

 

[mistysue]

The only reason I mentioned the dining plan is sometimes (especially if it's "free dining") it makes the cost of buffets easier to bear- though that cost becomes easier when the kids are under 3 ($0) especially if the little one is a big eater!

I would think about making a couple of reservations for places to eat, when we want a sit-down meal that doesn't cost much over a counter service, I think of the Plaza in Magic Kingdom or Rose and Crown at Epcot. I think the Crystal Palace is a great idea, my kids love the winnie the pooh thing. If you shoot for an off-time (lunch or dinner a little earlier or later than most people) you should get through a bit faster too. First seatings tend to be good, we aim for lunch close to 11:30 and dinner closer to 5 because we are ok with eating early, just not eating late.


Tink- Yes, we are good about sunscreening them. Luckily, my husband is very tan so our kids don't burn like I do either. By mid trip I usually look like a tomato running around with 4 perfectly bronzed people.