My little guy (9 years old, non-verbal, not toilet trained, and a runner) LOVES Mickey and his Oh Toodles too!
We have been doing family trips for 6 years. A large family (8 total with one other 21 years old with autism) and stay in a two-bedroom. We flew for many years and it became too much a couple of years ago so we started driving. We plan to try flying again next trip. I may even be purchasing an airline approved big kid car seat that accommodates his weight.
The biggest thing for us is a monorail or Epcot resort worked best. If a meltdown occurs I can be back to the resort in little time. I usually leave the rest of my family behind at the parks to enjoy their time. The busses are always too much for my son. He had few meltdowns in our past trips and they always occurred on the busses.
This trip we will have temporary alarms on the doors just in case he tries to escape. We have always stored our luggage and heavy items in front of the door when we head to bed as a precaution. Also, I typically stop at the front desk and let them make note that we have a son on the spectrum who can get happy stimulated and likes to happy scream occasionally. I request placing us at the end of a hallway if is available, it works best. I hate to worry about him being loud for the neighbors.
We pack lots of little misc items to keep him entertained when waiting. He likes paper to "flick" so dollar store Mickey Playing cards are great. Anything you can think of that can help during a challenging waiting time (sometimes the wait for getting into the park past security can be longer than my little guy likes to hold still). Snacks and drinks can also help.
As far as rides, when my son was younger I could hold him on my lap and wear a carrier to keep him next to me (even know he was too big for it, lol). I used a waistband type harness on the busses to help if he tried to getaway. He is not a ride kiddo at all. He likes to stroll and look at everything from a distance. We have used the
DAS pass a couple of times in all of our trips. Mainly our 21-year old who "needed" to ride something a second time. It is a great thing to utilize if you need it. We mainly utilized fastpasses in the past.
If you are going during a time that a special event party is available, those are the BEST. But do cost $$'s. The parks are light on occupancy and so every calming. The Christmas party is our favorite.
We have done many character meals and finally the last couple of trips he has taken an interest in them. He even said "Hi" to Donald at Cape May Breakfast our last trip. Tears (happy and sad) and memories have always been made on our Disney trips. Quick service at the resorts usually has an outdoor dining area. They are our favorite because we can have food quickly and he is able to take in the sights outdoors without as much noise.
For us, a stroller as a wheelchair (he has an umbrella style special needs for ease of use) is a MUST. I can wheel him around to keep him entertained and it can go right on the monorail) Ours has a canopy so he can feel sheltered and less overwhelmed. Maybe start looking for a stroller another special needs parent is passing on or heavily discounted (the lighter weight, the better).
Have fun with the planning. It can be stressful with so many unknowns. For us, we love that Disney has worked well for our large family and even purchased DVC to enjoy it yearly.