Park Reservations with a Cognitive Disability

[disneyfreak89]

As much as my DH and I would like to plan a trip to Disney World for next spring, the one major thing holding us back is having to book park days in advance.

With DHs disability, we never know how he will be feeling from day to day so we usually decide that morning what he is capable or willing to do.

I've emailed Disney about this and still waiting for a reply but was wondering how others with similar issues are dealing with this?

I know we can reserve then cancel a park day but what if the day we decide he feels well enough to go to a park, there are no reservations left?

I sure hope Disney is able to accommodate those with extenuating circumstances otherwise I can't see us ever being able to return.

 

[lanejudy]

I know we can reserve then cancel a park day but what if the day we decide he feels well enough to go to a park, there are no reservations left?

If you reserve your parks in advance, no worries. It can be canceled or simply hold the reservation in case he feels up to going later in the day.

Not reserving a park in advance could leave you without access to any park. Though recently it doesn’t seem as though park reservations are a problem even day-of. Maybe if you go around a holiday/peak time.

 

[disneyfreak89]

If you reserve your parks in advance, no worries. It can be canceled or simply hold the reservation in case he feels up to going later in the day.

Not reserving a park in advance could leave you without access to any park. Though recently it doesn’t seem as though park reservations are a problem even day-of. Maybe if you go around a holiday/peak time.

I should have mentioned later in the day isn't an option. He has most of his energy in the morning, by noon he starts to fizzle out. When we do go to a park we go in the morning and he's usually done shortly after lunch so we end our park day and head back to the resort.

It's good to know some parks day of might still be available. We never go during holiday or peak times because of the crowds.

 

[disneyfreak89]

Add on......my concern is if we get a 5 day ticket I believe we only get like a 7 or 8 day window to use all 5 days unless I misunderstood the website. So if we reserve all 5 days but can't fit them all in that 7 or 8 day window because of his health, we lose out? Am I understanding that right?

 

[lanejudy]

So if we reserve all 5 days but can't fit them all in that 7 or 8 day window because of his health, we lose out?

Will you be staying on-site with a package? If so, the onsite package overrides the ticket use window, and the 5-day ticket can be used anytime check-in day through and including check-out day.

Off-site or tickets purchased separately will have a specific use window based on the designated start date. A 5-day ticket must be used within 8 days or it expires, losing any unused entitlements. This has been true for several years now, unrelated to the park reservations.

 

[disneyfreak89]

Will you be staying on-site with a package? If so, the onsite package overrides the ticket use window, and the 5-day ticket can be used anytime check-in day through and including check-out day.

Off-site or tickets purchased separately will have a specific use window based on the designated start date. A 5-day ticket must be used within 8 days or it expires, losing any unused entitlements. This has been true for several years now, unrelated to the park reservations.

Thanks for the clarification. We don't usually buy a package but might have to for the flexibility. We plan on staying on-site because it's so accessible friendly.

We haven't been to the parks since 2016 but do recall if we were staying 10 nights and had a 5 day Park ticket we had 14 days to use them. So the new window is definitely more constrictive than before.

Thanks for your help!!!

 

[StageTek]

I know we can reserve then cancel a park day but what if the day we decide he feels well enough to go to a park, there are no reservations left?

Don't cancel the reservation at all. That way if the day you decide he feels well enough to go to a park you can go. And if he doesn't feel well enough to go you don't have to go.

Since the reservation system was put in place there have been only two or three days when a park (MK usually) has been closed to reservations. There has never yet been a day when all four parks are closed to reservations. The day you decide he feels well enough to go to a park there will be a park open.

 

[lanejudy]

We haven't been to the parks since 2016 but do recall if we were staying 10 nights and had a 5 day Park ticket we had 14 days to use them.

Tickets have changed. You designate a “start date” which then determines the expiration date. Pricing is based on the start date and number of theme park days. Theme park reservations are separate but you must have both a valid ticket and a theme park reservation to enter a park.

There has never yet been a day when all four parks are closed to reservations.

Yes, there has. This past spring had several dates with no theme park reservations available and ticket sales were suspended as well. Presumably capacity limits are sufficiently lifted now that it shouldn’t be a problem except maybe for some holidays/peak times.

 

[disneyfreak89]

Tickets have changed. You designate a “start date” which then determines the expiration date. Pricing is based on the start date and number of theme park days. Theme park reservations are separate but you must have both a valid ticket and a theme park reservation to enter a park.

Yes I know. I was just saying before you had 14 days to use your tickets and now the window is even smaller making it that much harder especially for those with disabilities.

 

[disneyfreak89]

Don't cancel the reservation at all. That way if the day you decide he feels well enough to go to a park you can go. And if he doesn't feel well enough to go you don't have to go.

That's right. Thanks.

 

[OneMoreTry]

First, I was told by the Disney CM on chat that you can change your start date as long as you don't use the ticket. You would just have to pay extra if there is a different price for tickets on the days you use in the future (and lose the money if the future dates are less expensive). I think I understood this correctly.

Second, we have the same problem with our daughter with the added problem that some days her epilepsy can be quite bad with multiple seizures. Fortunately, she tends to do a little better in the afternoons. Unfortunately, she can usually only tolerate 6-7 hours in a park so we rarely if ever get to watch the fireworks. -- and rope drop is impossible. We usually ride our first ride around noon and leave 6 or earlier. We have found no solution to the problem. In addition to helping with her other needs, the DAS enables her to ride 1-2 more rides than we would otherwise be able to, which only leaves about 5 rides per day. We've just learned to go with the flow. We've been to WDW enough that we don't stress about not riding a lot of rides. For our next trip I'm planning to start even later in the day so we can see the new fireworks shows -- if my wife allows. She's a real advocate for our DD and keeps me from over-stressing her - so we'll see what happens.

 

[disneyfreak89]

First, I was told by the Disney CM on chat that you can change your start date as long as you don't use the ticket. You would just have to pay extra if there is a different price for tickets on the days you use in the future (and lose the money if the future dates are less expensive). I think I understood this correctly.

Second, we have the same problem with our daughter with the added problem that some days her epilepsy can be quite bad with multiple seizures. Fortunately, she tends to do a little better in the afternoons. Unfortunately, she can usually only tolerate 6-7 hours in a park so we rarely if ever get to watch the fireworks. -- and rope drop is impossible. We usually ride our first ride around noon and leave 6 or earlier. We have found no solution to the problem. In addition to helping with her other needs, the DAS enables her to ride 1-2 more rides than we would otherwise be able to, which only leaves about 5 rides per day. We've just learned to go with the flow. We've been to WDW enough that we don't stress about not riding a lot of rides. For our next trip I'm planning to start even later in the day so we can see the new fireworks shows -- if my wife allows. She's a real advocate for our DD and keeps me from over-stressing her - so we'll see what happens.

Thanks for the CM chat info. I think I understand that correctly also about the price difference.

Thanks for sharing about your daughter's issues and what works best for you guys. It's definitely a family/team effort. We don't stress about rides now either, our priorities have definitely changed. We're just happy to be in the parks.

 

[disneyfreak89]

Will you be staying on-site with a package? If so, the onsite package overrides the ticket use window, and the 5-day ticket can be used anytime check-in day through and including check-out day.

I haven't been able to find this information anywhere yet. Can you direct me to it please?

 

[lanejudy]

It will show up when you get into the package booking. For example, I did a 10-night stay with 4-day base tickets:

A 4-day ticket would usually only have a valid window for use of 7 days from the start date (so thru 2/25 in the example).

 

[disneyfreak89]

It will show up when you get into the package booking. For example, I did a 10-night stay with 4-day base tickets:
View attachment 612684
A 4-day ticket would usually only have a valid window for use of 7 days from the start date (so thru 2/25 in the example).

Oh ok. Thanks.

 

[HappyDisneyWife]

It will show up when you get into the package booking. For example, I did a 10-night stay with 4-day base tickets:
View attachment 612684
A 4-day ticket would usually only have a valid window for use of 7 days from the start date (so thru 2/25 in the example).

I didn’t know this! Do you know if there’s a way to extend tickets for DVC stays (since we can’t do “packages” per se)?

 

[JenLT]

The difference in ticket prices per day once you pass 4 days is much lower. We are getting tickets for every day even though we will take days off but that way we have more flexibility. If someone isn’t capable of going that day we can skip and still have enough days. And if we get to the park and have to leave 30 minutes later we can make up the day.

 

[lanejudy]

I didn’t know this! Do you know if there’s a way to extend tickets for DVC stays (since we can’t do “packages” per se)?

Not that I am aware of, sorry. But I don't stay DVC so maybe someone who stays DVC with regular tickets will know.

 

[SueM in MN]

I am a DVC member and have never heard of anyone doing it.
I’m not sure who you would call - maybe try Member Services. They may say that they can’t answer because it’s ticketing, not DVC. And ticketing may say it’s a DCV question.

 

[HappyDisneyWife]

Thank you both!