Poly Consierge and autistic granddaughter?

[thumpersfriend]

Just wanted a little input on WDW next April. I have a 3 year old granddaughter (no other grandkids yet) and have been saving since the day she was born for our trip to see the mouse. She will be 4 when we go and her parents don't want to wait until she is older because they may try for another child, etc. etc. Anyway, we are going to stay at the Poly, figured the transportation would be good. Then I wondered if anyone used consierge there and if you would recommend it or think it was a waste of money. I am thinking it would make it easier on my son and his wife and after all they go through I would love for them to have a little easier time if only for 6 days. And if you had a choice would you ask for a balcony or a patio? Thanks so much.

 

[Disneylvr]

I don't have any first had experience with Poly Concierge but I do think you made a great choice of resorts. We too have a 3 year old daughter with autism and we chose the Contemporary because of it's location. There is a thread on the Resort board about concierge that you might want to check out. If your grandaughter is a climber I would choose the patio, if not then definitely the balcony.

 

[thumpersfriend]

Thanks for the reply. Do you think the Contemporary would be a better choice? I know you can walk to the MK and is that why you chose it? I really have been saving for awhile for this and concierge is quite alot of money more than just a room at the POly but I want to get my moneys worth. I would hate to pay for something we may not really need.

 

[Disneylvr]

Actually we chose the Contemporary because it was the least expensive (garden wings) of the monorails resorts. The Poly is just fine and would be my first choice.

 

[thumpersfriend]

I like the Contemporary too but my dd and I spent 5 days at the Poly and fell in love with it. We kept saying it would be great for my granddaughter but I think the Contemporary will be good too. Just still wondering if consierge makes a big difference with an autistic child. I would rather not spend that amount but would if it is more useful.

 

[mlwear]

We stayed Poly concierge last year with our autistic son and chose that again this year. Does it make it easier? It was our first Poly stay so I can't really compare, but I don't know if it made it easier -- other than having food nearby and handy. DS LOVES to stay at hotels that offer contintental breakfasts. He just so enjoys getting several things and lining them all up. I think that is honestly one of his favorite things about vacation Everyone in the lounge was very nice and very accomodating. They will go out of their way to get whatever you need. For ME, concierge is much less stressful. I just like turning over all the problems of making ADR's to them. They are not able to make any requests for exterior seating for DS due to autism, I have to do that at the restaurant check in. The merchandise delivery directly to your room, I guess is a perk, too, when trying to manage your child -- easier to not have a package to haul around. It is also just nice to have some of the extras provided for the adults. BUT, I LOVED having the lagoon view and that DS could watch fireworks from the room and not be afraid (because of the noise). Eventually, he made it outside with earplugs...he was 7 and the first time he ever enjoyed fireworks.
DS just loved the Poly. The volcano pool is one of his strongest memories (I guess being in the concierge building, it was esp. easy to access, if you are looking for reasons to stay concierge). I think the evening music and low lights were very calming for walks, not to mention the hammocks!
I am so exicted for your trip! I'm thrilled to read of your planning. I know how much this means to you.
I forgot to address the balcony or patio ?. You can make the request, but nothing is guaranteed...unless, as with my DS who had numerous doctors advise that we not stay anywhere with a balcony as they had great concern that he would jump. With that knowledge, we were given a ground floor/patio room. It is nice to be able to walk right out on the lawn and to the beach from your room, but we first had a very obstructed view and couldn't switch rooms for a few days. I think that would be more likely on ground floor than balcony. The kids loved having the ducks and other birds (a couple of bunnies, but called something else) come over to the patio, but it got rather "messy", if you know what I mean. It is my understanding that the second floor doesn't have balconies. This year all docs have said that a balcony will be OK (of course, we must supervise, but he isn't going to pull a Houdini and get out there when our back is turned for two seconds anymore) so we are really hoping to have a balcony view this year! I guess that didn't give you too much of an answer, but maybe some things to consider.

 

[Disneylvr]

I like the Contemporary too but my dd and I spent 5 days at the Poly and fell in love with it. We kept saying it would be great for my granddaughter but I think the Contemporary will be good too. Just still wondering if consierge makes a big difference with an autistic child. I would rather not spend that amount but would if it is more useful.

I would find out what kind of food/snacks they serve in the concierge lounge and if your sweet granddaughter likes it. My dd is extremely picky and if I had to run out and buy her chicken tenders at Captain Cook's because she refused to eat the concierge food then no concierge wouldn't be worth it to me. If she likes the food then I say go for it!!!! I think you are wonderful to do this for your dd and her family. Autism is not an easy situation but it is family members like you add so much pixie dust and take some of the stress away.

 

[thumpersfriend]

Thank you so much for your kind words. My granddaughter is so very special to me. I watch her at least once a week for the day, used to be 2 days a week but she had to start school. But I get to go with the field trips to go rollerskating every other week. I keep up with the teachers and offer any help I can. They are angels to me. So, sounds like concierge is good but not absolutely necessary. My dgd only eats a very small variety of foods so that would not impress her very much. I think your opinion of the lagoon view was very helpful. I know my kids will be exhausted at the end of the day and I would love for them to be able to experience seeing the fireworks from their room together as a family. The toughest part for me, and it shouldn't be is that my dgd doesn't seem to care at all about Disney anything. I hope she will love it down there, any other words of wisdom about the parks? Do you think she will really like the MK? I sure hope so! I hope you have a wonderful time at the CR also. Who knows, we may change resorts along the way but will want a monorail hotel.

 

[GretchGraham]

I wanted to address your concern that your granddaughter was not interested in Disney. I had the same concern before my autistic daughter's first trip 3 years ago. She did not watch any of the movies or care for any of the toys except the musical ones and those she liked strictly for the music. However, she had a blast at the parks and it was a far more magical trip than I ever could have imagined. She liked MK best of all because of the rides. We rode the Magic Carpets so many times I think the cast members thought we were crazy. She smiled and laughed more in that week than she had collectively in the six months prior. We were not able to do all of the things the families with "typical" kids were doing, but as long as I was mindful of her limitations and didn't try to push her, things went great.

She is a different child while on property and we save like crazy just to take her on that annual trip. I sincerely hope you and your family have a wonderful vacation.

 

[thumpersfriend]

GretchGrahm, I cried when I read your reply. I have been so worried about her not giving a care about WDW . This gives me so much hope you will never know. I want her mom and dad to experience the joy she will have there, I think they will be very happy and surprised if she enjoys it too. Thank you so much!

 

[mlwear]

I wanted to address your concern that your granddaughter was not interested in Disney. I had the same concern before my autistic daughter's first trip 3 years ago. She did not watch any of the movies or care for any of the toys except the musical ones and those she liked strictly for the music. However, she had a blast at the parks and it was a far more magical trip than I ever could have imagined. She liked MK best of all because of the rides. We rode the Magic Carpets so many times I think the cast members thought we were crazy. She smiled and laughed more in that week than she had collectively in the six months prior. We were not able to do all of the things the families with "typical" kids were doing, but as long as I was mindful of her limitations and didn't try to push her, things went great.

She is a different child while on property and we save like crazy just to take her on that annual trip. I sincerely hope you and your family have a wonderful vacation.

I have to second that. i was really worried about the trip last year. We put off going for so long. What a mistake. Dumbo was DS's favorite, but he did great on everything. We actually did a lot at the parks. DH is just like that with everything. Can't stand to sit still, go...go..go. I was exhausted for a week afterward DS kept up just fine. No need for a stroller. We used Fast Pass. Only used GAC once to wait in different location for line. We did have to find a few out of the way places to do some sensory activities and to be honest as the week wore on he started to rely on more oral stimulation. Not a problem though, I had his "chewy tube" (will explain, if anyone needs to know) on a necklace for him. NO TANTRUMS. It was like he was a different kid. I hesitate to say this as it was just our experience and don't want to get the hopes up of anyone else, but we noticed drastic decrease in autistic symptoms. Also, he was the happiest I have ever seen him. I have the most wonderful pictures of him. I don't want to speak of others, but DS has a look in his eyes that tells you that he has autism, it was different there. Again, this was our experence. The glazed look was gone. There was a sparkle. I have one picture of him with Mickey ears and one with Rafiki that just take my breath away. I don't know what it was. My best guess is the extreme vestibular stimulation over a period of time. We just HAD to go back this year. I have my hopes up so high that this trip will be like last year.
DS isn't a Disney kid either. He started watching Peter Pan a couple months before we went. His favorite character became Captain Hook. Even then, he doesn't have the attention span to watch TV for more than 10 minutes at a time. I started buying him Mickey stickers, just so he would know what it was about. His brother tried showing him pictures of WDW and he wasn't interested. He didn't get Mickey obsessed when we got there. He liked meeting the characters. I suspect he would have liked any characters whether Disney or not. The first thing he wanted to ride was the tea cups...he had no idea of how that relates to Disney. He didn't know who Dumbo was (I still don't think he does). It wouldn't expect her to go ga-ga over the princesses, wanting to dress up like them and such,(but you never know) but I feel sure that she will just be delighted with all that is going around.
It will be a wonderful trip. If your GD experiences anything near what my DS did, her parents will be heaven, too. Last year we were there for my BD. It was the best gift ever. Again, it will be my BD. It is my BD wish that he finds joy there. That give me more happiness than anything else.

 

[Disneylvr]

The tears are flowing as I read these stories! We leave in 2 weeks for our first WDW trip since Madelyn's diagnosis. I am not setting my hopes too high because I already know she will have a wonderful time since she loves/craves motion and activity so much. But one can make a wish for a little bit of extra pixie dust. Thank you for sharing!!!

 

[thumpersfriend]

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!!!!!! More hope than I ever expected. I hope for a magical time for us all. I was afraid I would jinx the whole trip if I wished for anything. Like I said before you don't know what these posts of encouragement mean to me.

 

[jbird327]

My daughter has Fragile X (she exhibits some symptoms of autism and that is what she was initially diagnosed with) and I first took her when she was 8. She had her second trip this past Dec at age 13. To address your concerns about the Polynesian - I never stayed Concierge and don't really see all that it offers as necessary. Hopefully you will spend time at the hotel outside and this is where the Polynesian really shines. Plenty of grounds and nice pools and very easy access from rooms to outside. The Contemporary requires a lot of travel to get outside (from a tower room), if you have a ground floor Poly room, you can just go out the sliding doors. The transportation to the MK is nice when using the small boat (my daughter will not get on the monorail) and you have the TTC within walking distance.
On both trips with my daughter, I was prepared not to go on many attractions. The first trip she rode the Jungle Cruise and the train only. She spent alot of time at the playground in Mickey's Toontown and the one in AK. I had two older daughters on that trip and they usually maintained their own agendas. She enjoyed watching the parade and meeting some of the characters. I keep my schedule according to her needs and did not feel bad that she or I went on next to nothing. The most recent trip she went on a few more rides, but not many. I had my Mom and a friend with me and we did take turns so that I could go on a few more things (I have been to the parks many times in the past so this was not too important to me, I just wanted to catch up on the new stuff and a few favorites). It was important to realize that it's the entire trip the matters and not how many rides we did. We enjoyed just being in the parks. She is now looking forward to going back and said that she may want to ride the monorail when she is 16.

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

We just got back from our first trip to WDW a week ago (wow--I can't believe it's been a week ) with our DD (7) and autistic DD (5). We stayed at the CR-garden wing so I cannot attest to concierge level but we had a FABULOUS trip! It is so worth the money to stay on the monorail and be able to keep our DD in her stroller for the pleasant ride to/from the parks. We had trouble on our two bus rides--one to MGM and one to AK--b/c we had to take her out of the stroller. She started freaking out on the buses after about 5 minutes so it was hard. But when we got to the parks and put her back in to the stroller, she was ok.

I think as long as you are at a monorail resort, you can't go wrong. Concierge level would be a fun splurge but not necessary. If your DGD has any food allergies, I would steer you away from concierge b/c I have read about some of the food offerings in the lounges and they often contain things like nuts, eggs, etc that are high on our scale of no-nos as my DD is highly allergic. I found it easier to have some groceries delivered to make many of her dinners (and DD (7) too) and DH and I would order room service. If your DGD does well in restaurants you may not need to do that but our autistic DD doesn't so room service was a Godsend. We could eat peacefully while the kids roamed the room, watched TV, etc. and we didn't have to worry that they were bothering anyone. I would probably just save your money and skip concierge so you can order in more room service.

Don't worry about her having fun in the parks...it really is magical. My DD is sensory-seeking and could not get enough of Big Thunder Railroad(?) and Splash Mountain. I would highly suggest getting a GAC if your DGD has sensory issues. We used ours whenever we felt it necessary but we didn't abuse it. It made all the difference for us to be able to keep her in her stroller until we boarded the ride at the handicap entrance and having the stroller right there when the ride ended as she would immediately start screaming and kicking when the ride came to a halt. She doesn't understand why she cannot just stay on it. She also has a mild muscular disease and tires easily so the stroller was a must. Yes, you do get rude comments from people as you walk by saying "no strollers allowed in here" and such but we just ignored them. The CMs were all VERY nice and the GAC informed them of our needs so we had no problem from them. It really is an invisible disease to people who are uninformed--until she starts freaking out or self-stemming and then they see

It really is a wonderful thing you are doing for your family and you will create magical memories that will last beyond all the frustrations and disappointments in life to create that shining star. I will go to my grave someday remembering my DD on my DH's shoulders during Wishes. Her eyes were gleaming, her body was so tense with excitement that she was shaking, and she kept repeating the words of the music saying "wishes DO come true." I get teary-eyed just remembering......

 

[SueM in MN]

I just wanted to mention that there is information about Guest Assistance Cards (GACs) in the disABILITIES FAQs thread (in case anyone reading this later doesn't know).

I hope those of you going soon have great trips. A lot of kids with special needs are taking in so much more than we can see, so even if they don't seem to be reacting to much/understanding much/able to respond much to what they are experiencing, I'm sure they are having a good time.

 

[thumpersfriend]

Thank you all so much for the wonderful story of a DD on her daddy's shoulders (thank you). I can't believe what wonderful people you all are and it feels like we are just one big family. I think paying extra for concierge just might not be worth it for us. The idea of her having her own food in the room is a great idea and then ordering room service. I think that would be much less stressful. You all have such good ideas and I can't wait to give this information to my son and daughter-in-law. If there are any other good ideas for making it easier, please advise. Thanks again.