Getting scared.. second thoughts

[TammyLynn33]

I booked Easter at Disney knowing it would be busy and all but now I’m wondering how I’ll be able to handle my 6 year old with high functioning ASD and the other three kids (16,12,4) on my own so everyone has a good vacation .
I am fully anticipating the two older kids staying after I have to leave with the two littles and I’m ok with that..
What worries me at the moment is we were planning on rope dropping most days and now looking at the new Christmas hours with EMH at 6am if they do this at Easter there’s no way I can have him at the gates of anywhere by 5-530 and expect any of us to have a decent day ..
Thoughts?Tips ? Maybe I’m just having a self doubt kinda day but I’m struggling to juggle the rest of my kids plus one with needs.. please no judgement .. it’s just a lot of money and I pray i haven’t made a mistake ..
Anyone used babysitting services at carribean beach ? He’s such a sweet little boy I just don’t know how he’s going to be able to handle it??
Maybe if big kids ride what they want to ride they can keep the 4 year old with them ? ( they will be 17,13and 5 by April)
Thanks for the ears

 

[redberyl]

We were there on Easter about 10 years ago and did epcot instead of MK on Easter Sunday, and it was empty. I took all these random pictures of the sidewalks just 5o show how empty it was, literally not a person in sight. It got busier as the day went on, but nothing crazy. I've heard MK gets insanely busy Easter weekend; maybe plan to do MK during the week and do two of the less popular parks for Easter weekend to avoid the worst crowds

 

[gap2368]

I think anything is doable you might not do as many things as if you went at a slower time of year but with a good touring plan ( if you are not on touring plans website I would) book your FP for must do rides ( maybe let the older two kids have there own FP if they want to rides something different. I was there new years eve and MK opened up at 7 they did not even let us go to the MK ( I was staying at the contemporary and could not walk over until 10-15 minutes before the park opens, so I would not get there an hour early.

some tips for helping your son with ASD take break find a quite spot to just sit for a bit ( I could find one even on NYE, it might not have been that big of a spot but sometimes just sitting by a wall in a not so busy spot and putting my earbuds in a jacket over my head let me tun out all the extra stimulants around me.
Take things slow ride lines can be very long even FP lins so this trip might be a good time to do things like show

first aid if he needs a quite place for a rest

If this is your one time trip ever or once time in 10 year type of trip I would think twice about going and see if you can not pick a quieter time but if you go once a year then I think you should be ok

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

If you're having that much doubt then maybe you can't do it alone.

Highly doubt there will be an EMH of 6am, however there will likely be for 7am.

If that doesn't work for you then don't do RD.

At those ages you're really only having to take care of 2 of them and the other 2 can assist.
To make it easier have both of the younger ones in a stroller.

But really if you're this nervous about it now then I can't even imagine what your stress levels will be then.

 

[TammyLynn33]

I did Calgary stampede last summer with the kids and we all made it back the crowds there are ridiculous ..

I’m also in midst of a custody thing .. mind you he just gave me sole custody but we are still in court over money etc) so taking the kids out if school longer than a day or two at this point Is not an option . Winter isn’t doable as my son plays high level hockey and summer is equally bad as my daughter is competitive soccer .. I’ve paid my 2800 airfare lol we are going ..

My bad I guess I was just looking for who some you got this mama lol .. I’m just tired today I guess

I think anything is doable you might not do as many things as if you went at a slower time of year but with a good touring plan ( if you are not on touring plans website I would) book your FP for must do rides ( maybe let the older two kids have there own FP if they want to rides something different. I was there new years eve and MK opened up at 7 they did not even let us go to the MK ( I was staying at the contemporary and could not walk over until 10-15 minutes before the park opens, so I would not get there an hour early.

some tips for helping your son with ASD take break find a quite spot to just sit for a bit ( I could find one even on NYE, it might not have been that big of a spot but sometimes just sitting by a wall in a not so busy spot and putting my earbuds in a jacket over my head let me tun out all the extra stimulants around me.
Take things slow ride lines can be very long even FP lins so this trip might be a good time to do things like show

first aid if he needs a quite place for a rest

If this is your one time trip ever or once time in 10 year type of trip I would think twice about going and see if you can not pick a quieter time but if you go once a year then I think you should be ok

 

[TammyLynn33]

Simply just having a moment if insecurity I think we all have those . Stress level is irrelevant if I don’t take them no one will .. it’s about making the best memories I can for all of them
It’s jusr all the overplanning I think Disney requires these days getting me stressed.
I can do it lol I can do anything lol I guess just hearing doing makes me that more adamant and convinced I can .. thank you




M

If you're having that much doubt then maybe you can't do it alone.

Highly doubt there will be an EMH of 6am, however there will likely be for 7am.

If that doesn't work for you then don't do RD.

At those ages you're really only having to take care of 2 of them and the other 2 can assist.
To make it easier have both of the younger ones in a stroller.

But really if you're this nervous about it now then I can't even imagine what your stress levels will be then.

 

[danielocha30]

Do ask for a DAS card, it is designed for ASD people even the high functioning ones. I would reconsider RD every day, between pre scheduled fast passes and DAS RD isn’t a must.

 

[TammyLynn33]

Thanks Iam reconsidering and am hopeful both EMM at Holllywood and magic and an thinking if they have any late hours getting in room childcare so I can hang wth the big kids for a bit too
Thank you for non judgmental thoughts

Do ask for a DAS card, it is designed for ASD people even the high functioning ones. I would reconsider RD every day, between pre scheduled fast passes and DAS RD isn’t a must.

 

[gap2368]

Do ask for a DAS card, it is designed for ASD people even the high functioning ones. I would reconsider RD every day, between pre scheduled fast passes and DAS RD isn’t a must.

Please remember the DAS is NEED based not DX based. Many people with ASD would need a DAS card not all do. The op will need to explain why her son can not wait in the normal standby line and how waiting out side the line will help him

 

[Lauren in NC]

You've got a pretty big age spread. If you think the two older kids would do well together (and one has a cellphone so you can check in with them), then I think it's perfectly reasonable for them to go off on their own while you do things with your 6yo and 4yo. For the 6yo - each ASD kid is different. What things bother him (loud noises, dark spaces, crowds?) and what things are comforting to him? How does he do with crowded malls and that sort of thing? Will he feel better if he knows the routine for each day (with our son - we go over what park we're doing each day, and then give him a general outline of the day - ie "we're going to ride things until 12:30, then we're going to eat lunch, then we're going to see this show, then we're going to do more rides, then we have an ADR here")? I keep an eye out for meltdown signs and if we're getting close, we'll take a break and do something to help him decompress (sitting in the stroller, having a snack break in a quiet part of the park). With you by yourself and all the kids, a stroller may not be a viable option, but it's something that helps my kid when he needs a quiet space to retreat to.

If you can give us an idea of where you think he'll struggle, we can certainly give you more ideas for things that will help!

 

[danielocha30]

Thanks Iam reconsidering and am hopeful both EMM at Holllywood and magic and an thinking if they have any late hours getting in room childcare so I can hang wth the big kids for a bit too
Thank you for non judgmental thoughts
Sounds like a plan!

 

[SpecEdismyLife]

I think you will have a great trip no doubt, but you may need to adjust your expectations as far as rope drop goes. I totally agree with Lauren In NC, having the things you will need to prevent any meltdowns will be key. Does he normally wake up early enough to make rope drop as part of his regular routine? My son is 20 now and we are returning in Feb after a ten year break from WDW after a horrible trip with him. Looking back, most of the issues were our fault. We had been to WDW many times with him before but didn't anticipate how he had changed between trips and what the upset in routine would do to him as far as sleep schedule (we were not living in EST then). Additionally, we didn't do a good job of predicting how he would react to things like ride break downs etc. We should have taken more breaks in the parks rather than hopping back and forth to parks and to the resort and then back out at night. This trip we are letting him set the pace and making sure he gets plenty of "decompression time". We will only do one park per day and when we notice he is getting overstimulated we will head back to the room. You know your kid's better than any of us do and you know what they can handle, but I think your two oldest will be fine on their own. Just a tip, ignore any comments or rude behavior from other guests should a meltdown happen. I wish I had thicker skin back then. I had more than a few tears during one meltdown in front of Spaceship Earth where my son dropped to the ground and just yelled at the top of his lungs when I was alone with him and my DH was at the resort. Ironically it was because he wanted to wait in the long regular line and I was trying to take him through the alternate entrance back when the GAC were in place!! A very nice lady came up to me and offered to help me with him after asking me if he had Autism. Her kindness was something I will always remember. We heard a lot of rude comments from people back then because at that age he looked like a completely normal 6 year old (even though he was 10!) and people just thought he was a brat (doesn't excuses people's comments on our parenting skills) and there is much more awareness of ASD now. I think it would probably be a good idea to rent a double stroller, jogging type that he could possibly fit in with the 4 year old? I know some of the rental companies have good ones if you need one and you can have it stickered as a wheelchair so he could stay in it all the way through the que until getting on the ride. You CAN do this! Oh and pick the time of day that he struggles (we called it "the witching hour") and ask that your older kids stay with you during that time to help, or make sure you are back at the resort by then!!

 

[cmwade77]

We were there on Easter about 10 years ago and did epcot instead of MK on Easter Sunday, and it was empty. I took all these random pictures of the sidewalks just 5o show how empty it was, literally not a person in sight. It got busier as the day went on, but nothing crazy. I've heard MK gets insanely busy Easter weekend; maybe plan to do MK during the week and do two of the less popular parks for Easter weekend to avoid the worst crowds

Unfortunately, I would not expect Easter to ever be a low crowd day again for any of the parks.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I've taken my DS to WDW at least 25 times since he was one (he's now 11) and this is what has worked for us:

1) Request a DAS at guest services at your first park. Explain to the CM why your DS will have difficulty waiting in the standby lines. We use DAS in conjunction with FP+ and, sometimes, we only get 4 rides in in a day because that is all DS can handle.

2) Stagger later nights with late mornings. Planning to watch the evening fireworks followed by rope drop the next morning does not work for DS. If we are out late one evening, I make sure we don't have plans the following day until late morning.

3) Consider half days for DS. My DS does best when we only do half days in the parks and find alternate activities for the rest of the day - pool time, strolling the Boardwalk, going for a boat ride, etc. For DS, going to a fun restaurant is just as enjoyable (and sometimes more) than riding rides.

4) You had mentioned leaving your younger child with the older kids - yes, you can do that. As long as children under 14 are accompanied by someone aged 14 or older, they can be in the park. This may be a great strategy to be able to balance your other kids' desires to stay in the parks a little longer with your DS's need to take a break if he gets overstimulated.

5) Look into Kids Nite Out babysitting service (the only WDW authorized, in-room sitting service) so you can tour the parks with the bigger kids at night. We've used KNO twice and they were fantastic.

6) Be prepared to abandon your plans. IMHO, there is nothing worse than trying to muscle your way through a planned park day with someone who just can't handle a park day any longer. If I were alone, I would be a total WDW parks commando, but my DS just can't handle it. He has shown me all the other, more low-key things you can enjoy at the WDW resort - the pool, mini-golf, watching the entertainment on the Boardwalk, enjoying a nice dinner, doing all the interactive games in the parks - and I have learned to slow it down and I have definitely discovered lovely things to do in WDW that I might not have, otherwise, explored. Perhaps put some non-park, lower-key activities into the mix that would still be enjoyable for everyone. The boardwalk at night is a lot of fun. DS also loves visiting Ft. W to see the horses and play on the playground.

I think the fact that you already recognize there may be challenges going in and you are being proactive now to come up with strategies is great! You got this mom!

 

[Rach3975]

Your 2 older kids are so much older that if they're generally able to take care of themselves and helpful with the 4 year old, I think you'll be okay. Like others have said, though, a lot depends on the specific personality and needs of your child on the spectrum. Mine loves WDW. There are things that would bother him at home that he can roll with at Disney. He also likes shows as much as rides, so when lines are long we can switch to doing shows and give him a break. We get a DAS for him and use it when we need to. (For us that means when lines are longer than 30-40 minutes, but if it works best for you to use it all the time, then do that.) My advice is not to push him too hard. For my son, who's a morning person in the extreme, that means we RD and leave early. For your child if that means arriving later and leaving earlier, then do that and use the DAS as needed.

If you think EMH will be too early, another option to consider is deliberately going to a park that doesn't have EMH that day. That's what we tend to do. EMH is great during those exclusive hours, but the parks with EMH often end up being the most crowded parks that day. Since we don't buy Hoppers, we avoid EMH parks and just Rope Drop at the regular opening.

 

[Bete]

Our great grand kids, now 5 in preschool, just had their first trip this last November. We were not there with them. Our granddaughter, their mother is a morning sleeper. She would not think about rope drop, especially early extra magic hours.

Her strategy was to do the opposite and go to the park that didn't offer extra magic morning hours; so, she could sleep in. She diligently booked all her advanced fastpasses. Then, she did even additional fastpasses at the park. There were days she did a total of 7 Fastpasses. She was very satisfied. They did more counter service meals. She feels and I feel this is quicker and easier allowing more time for rides and shows. Eating at the resort food court was quicker, too. Besides, it's cheaper to do counter service.

I think fastpasses are more of a key element then doing early extra magic hours.
Shows are pretty easy to do as standby, as long as, you are not too fussy about where you may sit; so, concentrate on rides for your fastpasses.

You do not have to do Disney commando style to enjoy it. We've been there over 50 times through the years and it's not necessary. Just plan carefully. Try to book your advance fastpasses in a row; so, you can be eligible to get more fastpasses after the advanced booked ones are done. Another key factor is to follow a logical order through the parks and not do too much backtracking; that wastes time.

Sometimes, taking a nap in the afternoon can help, too.

 

[TammyLynn33]

Omg thank you so much that was all I needed to hear.. I work so hard to give the kids everything I can and sometimes especially being from a single parent home having a little brother whose let’s say extremely quirky and isn’t into the same things they are ( older two are competitive athletes .. littlest following their footsteps) it gets old for them sometimes not making them sound like jerks but it’s challenging to keep him in his happy space without the others missing out and resenting him .

I’m just overwhelmed with Disney info .how do we use DAS with Fastpass I’m sure there’s a whole bazillion pages somewhere I just can’t atm

Thank you so much xo

I've taken my DS to WDW at least 25 times since he was one (he's now 11) and this is what has worked for us:

1) Request a DAS at guest services at your first park. Explain to the CM why your DS will have difficulty waiting in the standby lines. We use DAS in conjunction with FP+ and, sometimes, we only get 4 rides in in a day because that is all DS can handle.

2) Stagger later nights with late mornings. Planning to watch the evening fireworks followed by rope drop the next morning does not work for DS. If we are out late one evening, I make sure we don't have plans the following day until late morning.

3) Consider half days for DS. My DS does best when we only do half days in the parks and find alternate activities for the rest of the day - pool time, strolling the Boardwalk, going for a boat ride, etc. For DS, going to a fun restaurant is just as enjoyable (and sometimes more) than riding rides.

4) You had mentioned leaving your younger child with the older kids - yes, you can do that. As long as children under 14 are accompanied by someone aged 14 or older, they can be in the park. This may be a great strategy to be able to balance your other kids' desires to stay in the parks a little longer with your DS's need to take a break if he gets overstimulated.

5) Look into Kids Nite Out babysitting service (the only WDW authorized, in-room sitting service) so you can tour the parks with the bigger kids at night. We've used KNO twice and they were fantastic.

6) Be prepared to abandon your plans. IMHO, there is nothing worse than trying to muscle your way through a planned park day with someone who just can't handle a park day any longer. If I were alone, I would be a total WDW parks commando, but my DS just can't handle it. He has shown me all the other, more low-key things you can enjoy at the WDW resort - the pool, mini-golf, watching the entertainment on the Boardwalk, enjoying a nice dinner, doing all the interactive games in the parks - and I have learned to slow it down and I have definitely discovered lovely things to do in WDW that I might not have, otherwise, explored. Perhaps put some non-park, lower-key activities into the mix that would still be enjoyable for everyone. The boardwalk at night is a lot of fun. DS also loves visiting Ft. W to see the horses and play on the playground.

I think the fact that you already recognize there may be challenges going in and you are being proactive now to come up with strategies is great! You got this mom!

 

[gap2368]

.

I’m just overwhelmed with Disney info .how do we use DAS with Fastpass I’m sure there’s a whole bazillion pages somewhere I just can’t atm

Thank you so much xo

The best way for me to explain how to use both is with the FP you can book then either 30 or 60 days before your trip. So let’s say you have space Mountain FP at 11 7DMT at 12 and Peter Pan at 1 pm. You would go and get a buz DAS before you go on space let’s say buz is a 30 minute wait your return time is for 20 minutes you then go on space with your FP and when you get off you go on buz. Then you can go pick another ride for your DAS. so you go and get a return time for Pooh and so on

This is how some use the DAS some can do some waits so some will only use the DAS if the wait is over 45.

Some will use there time between FP to find a quite place where they can get away from all the stimulating at the park and then use there DAS for rides with out FP left for the day

Some people do a combination of these or something different

I hope this helped

 

[TammyLynn33]

So is the DAS a paper pass you select or it’s added to my sons magic band? Do we tell them at the start of the question we want to use his DAS or? Do we return to Fastpass line ?
Way too much to process lol ..
thank you for your patience

 

[gap2368]

So is the DAS a paper pass you select or it’s added to my sons magic band? Do we tell them at the start of the question we want to use his DAS or? Do we return to Fastpass line ?
Way too much to process lol ..
thank you for your patience

It is attached to the MB or card you used to get in the park. When you would like to use the DAS you go to the ride and ask the CM for a DAS return time the CM will scan any one bad in your group and give you a return time to come back the return time is wait time -10 minutes then you can come back and go in the FP line

So if it is 10am and buz is 30 minute wait your return time will be 10:20 you can return as late as you want before the park closes but you can only have one at a time

If you have not seen this thread I would read it but only the first post all other was before the Das started https://www.disboards.com/threads/wdw-disability