first time please help

[lilpeople]

We are going may 20 til 27 this year. we are trying to find out some information, one is the early morning hours worth it? we are thinking about staying at all stars movies, is this a good place to stay? we have a 7 year old with autism and a 9 year old. what would be things that we would have to do at each park? if this is not a good place to stay where would be? someone please help. we are trying to go and not have our daughter over stimulated from the crowds. i heard to go in mornings to have less crowds is this true?:

 

[Nadjalu]

Hello and welcome!!

I would recommend that you post your question on the disabilities forum. They offer tons of advice on all conditions, including expert advice on doing WDW with children with Autism.
There you should find the info you need to plan your vacation and prepare for what to encounter.

Good luck, happy planning and enjoy your vacation!!!

 

[iluveeyore]

Welcome! I am taking my daughter for her 16th birthday May 20-25 and I booked us a room at Pop Century with the general public discount online. If your kids are up and about early, definitely go enjoy the early magic hour - less lines, time to grab fastpasses for later.
As for the room, the All Star Movies, All Star Music and All Star Sports used to share buses (think they still might). Pop Century is a value as well, but away from the others on it's own. That's why I chose it. You can check out the website for discounts (bottom of page, click on 'special offers' square).
7 and 9 are great ages for all the parks - all of the shows, parades and fireworks are amazing, as well as rides at each one. You will have to plan according to your 7-year-old though regarding your child's ability to handle certain stimuli - not sure if he/she likes 3D, loud noise, faster rides, etc. Ask lots of questions on these boards, they are so helpful!
Happy planning!

 

[JacksGirlz]

My nephew also has autism and we have taken him to WDW and Disneyland quite a few times. The guest assistance card is available at guest relations in the parks and is helpful to keep the amount of line waiting to a minimum to reduce the overstimulation. We also have him wear printed shirts with the phrase "Hi, I am autistic. I have trouble waiting for the fun to start. Please be patient with me". We make our own iron-ons and put them on the back of all his shirts. We have many people comment on what a great idea the shirt is. Hope this helps. The disABILITIES board is a great source to check as previous posters also suggested.

 

[Spikerdink]

The one early morning park I definitely use is DHS and head straight for Toy Story Mania. It fills up quick and is a must do -

Not sure how your child reacts to the stimulation - my friend takes his autistic son to Disney and thought he would like Toy Story and unfortunately the spinning, sounds and experience caused him to go into meltdown mode...

One thing we learned to do is to find a place to watch parades, fireworks, etc that allowed easy egress if his son needed to leave quickly. People are not always very forgiving if a child starts to scream out of fear - no matter the reason.

 

[Susan R]

I can't really respond to all of this post but I can tell you that I think the EMH's in the morning was a great idea when I went. I found that the mornings were not as crowded. I guess the theroy is that a lot of people tend to sleep in because it's vacation

 

[ToddyLu]

I have a second cousin with autism and he parents take him to Disney every year. I have also been on the bus at ASMo riding beside a young teenage female with autism. Her mother said she really likes WDW. If you go to Allears.net and go down to the bottom of one of their main pages you will specific information regarding Autism and many other disabilities. One thing Disney does well is help families with Disabilities. There are really good suggestions on the above site.