BeckyScott
<font color=magenta>I am still upset that they don
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2007
- Messages
- 1,127
We are planning a trip to WDW summer '08, probably late May as soon as school gets out. Four of us, DH & I, oldest son, 10, ADHD, and youngest son, 8, autism & asthma. High-functioning but I can see the potential for him to get over-stimmed.
I lived in Sarasota some years ago and went to WDW many times as a day-trip, but we've never gone as a family. I am probably totally overplanning this thing! But it is important for the DS's to have predictability, and from what I've read, reservations for food are also key. Let me run this by you all and see what you think, and I have some questions too....
8 days for vacation. One day on each end for flying, no plans to hit the parks on those days, the flight and hotel will be entertainment enough. Buy 6 days of ParkHoppers. Plan one day each at MK, MGM, and AK. Two at Epcot (from what I remember of Epcot, it took way too much stamina to hit all in one day). One day in the middle to just hang out, with Chef Mickey's for dinner. I guess we really only need 5 days of tickets but just in case...
If the kids are still rockin' we can hit a park instead, but I don't want to count on that, and even though we're planning one park per day I want the ParkHopper to cover if there's a last-minute change.
I know about the Special Assistance Card and will get one of those.
Having lived in Florida, I know the weather, and we are planning on going as soon as school gets out, I don't want to push into the summer a day later than necessary.
We are going to stay on-site in a budget hotel, and we're doing the meal plan, it will save us some hassle. Kids have no dietary restrictions, but youngest is really picky, but typical-kid picky (chicken nuggets are an entire food group). DH, however, will eat anything and everything, so I think we can come out even on it. On-site hotel so we can bail out in the afternoon.
I want to do a couple of character meals. Know how to call up for those when the time comes. Chef Mickey's on our "off" day or on AK day, and the one in The Land. Not going to try for Cinderella, the boys will be old enough, okay, if it was just me going I'd try for it, but I live in the Land of Testosterone here, and I don't think they'd appreciate it enough for me to go thru the total horror of trying to get a table. German place in Epcot, for DH. Haven't figured out the rest of them.
Going to try to arrange the days somehow to take advantage of extra morning hours before it gets too hot.
My questions: I had read to buy tickets in advance, because the prices will go up, go ahead and get them early because they won't expire until you start to use them. Called Disney today to double-check (we were literally on the website getting ready to buy them) and were told-- because we want the dining plan, it's a "package", and so if we got the tickets in advance, when we went to pay for hotel and dining, we'd have to buy a one-day ticket at that time, too. DH suggested we order tickets in advance, but short it one day, and then when we reserved the other stuff to buy the one more day. But this doesn't look like the best option, since to go from a 5-day to a 6-day is only $5 difference, but to buy a 1-day is $100. Does that make sense? What should we do?
#2 question. When we get closer, know exact dates and can reserve hotel and plane, I will need to start reserving dining. From what I can tell, some of the restaurants require a CC# when you reserve? What if you're doing dining plan? Do you just tell them that, or are they still going to want a CC#? Would a Visa Debit Card do the trick?
#3 Are reservations as hard to come up with at the other character dinners as they are (from what I've read) at Cinderella's?
And please, any other tips for doing this w/ a special needs kid, I'd appreciate. This is obviously a big deal for us since I'm starting to plan so far in advance. (money & DH's work schedule won't let us do it this summer) I'm trying to hit the right level of pre-planning vs improv, but it seems Disney prefers alot of pre-planning.
Thanks!
I lived in Sarasota some years ago and went to WDW many times as a day-trip, but we've never gone as a family. I am probably totally overplanning this thing! But it is important for the DS's to have predictability, and from what I've read, reservations for food are also key. Let me run this by you all and see what you think, and I have some questions too....
8 days for vacation. One day on each end for flying, no plans to hit the parks on those days, the flight and hotel will be entertainment enough. Buy 6 days of ParkHoppers. Plan one day each at MK, MGM, and AK. Two at Epcot (from what I remember of Epcot, it took way too much stamina to hit all in one day). One day in the middle to just hang out, with Chef Mickey's for dinner. I guess we really only need 5 days of tickets but just in case...
If the kids are still rockin' we can hit a park instead, but I don't want to count on that, and even though we're planning one park per day I want the ParkHopper to cover if there's a last-minute change.I know about the Special Assistance Card and will get one of those.
Having lived in Florida, I know the weather, and we are planning on going as soon as school gets out, I don't want to push into the summer a day later than necessary.
We are going to stay on-site in a budget hotel, and we're doing the meal plan, it will save us some hassle. Kids have no dietary restrictions, but youngest is really picky, but typical-kid picky (chicken nuggets are an entire food group). DH, however, will eat anything and everything, so I think we can come out even on it. On-site hotel so we can bail out in the afternoon.
I want to do a couple of character meals. Know how to call up for those when the time comes. Chef Mickey's on our "off" day or on AK day, and the one in The Land. Not going to try for Cinderella, the boys will be old enough, okay, if it was just me going I'd try for it, but I live in the Land of Testosterone here, and I don't think they'd appreciate it enough for me to go thru the total horror of trying to get a table. German place in Epcot, for DH. Haven't figured out the rest of them.
Going to try to arrange the days somehow to take advantage of extra morning hours before it gets too hot.
My questions: I had read to buy tickets in advance, because the prices will go up, go ahead and get them early because they won't expire until you start to use them. Called Disney today to double-check (we were literally on the website getting ready to buy them) and were told-- because we want the dining plan, it's a "package", and so if we got the tickets in advance, when we went to pay for hotel and dining, we'd have to buy a one-day ticket at that time, too. DH suggested we order tickets in advance, but short it one day, and then when we reserved the other stuff to buy the one more day. But this doesn't look like the best option, since to go from a 5-day to a 6-day is only $5 difference, but to buy a 1-day is $100. Does that make sense? What should we do?
#2 question. When we get closer, know exact dates and can reserve hotel and plane, I will need to start reserving dining. From what I can tell, some of the restaurants require a CC# when you reserve? What if you're doing dining plan? Do you just tell them that, or are they still going to want a CC#? Would a Visa Debit Card do the trick?
#3 Are reservations as hard to come up with at the other character dinners as they are (from what I've read) at Cinderella's?
And please, any other tips for doing this w/ a special needs kid, I'd appreciate. This is obviously a big deal for us since I'm starting to plan so far in advance. (money & DH's work schedule won't let us do it this summer) I'm trying to hit the right level of pre-planning vs improv, but it seems Disney prefers alot of pre-planning.
Thanks!
to the Dis!!! 
