Resort question for parents familiar w/Autism spectrum

[Hasil72]

I'm hoping to take DS (8) and DD (4) on a surprise "long weekend" to WDW in January or February to hold us over until the next family trip. (DH won't be able to join us.)

Issue is this, DS is on the Autism spectrum so I'm concerned about choosing the right resort. We'll be spending more time than most at the resort since my plan is to tour a couple hours at a time and take a break when I see the mood meter rising on either child. POP would be great on the budget but maybe a little overwhelming to DS, I know the budget can handle a mod, and a deluxe might be pushing the budget to the outer limits but I can try. I'm trying to pick the most well rounded choice...not too stimulating, reasonable transportation, etc. Although I've stayed at WL, CBR, and POR, neither of the children have ever stayed on-site before.

Anyone have any experience and/or suggestions?

Thanks so much!

 

[DisneyMomx7]

I have a son (24 now) with Asperger's. When he was little we stayed at the Poly and he loved it. I also think the WL would be a good option. The boat to MK is a nice perk when you need to get back to your room. CBR also has a "laid back" feel to me. Good luck with your decision.

 

[HayGan]

My son (7) is diagnosed as PDD-NOS. I took him to WDW for his 7th birthday back in May. POP was all that was in the budget and that is where we stayed. He absolutely loved it!

As you know, each child on the spectrum is different. But I wouldn't hesitate to recommend POP to any parent of a spectrum child. If they are able to handle the parks, they should do fine at any of the resorts including POP!

 

[Hasil72]

Thanks to the moderators for moving me where I belong! DS is somewhere between Asperger's and PDD-NOS (depending on which doc you ask) with ADHD, Sensory integration disorder, and anxiety issues thrown in for good measure.

He has been to MK and Epcot (2005) and seemed to handle them well in small doses. I'll have to do some more investigating. How is POP's transportation?

 

[leanan]

I actually like POP for my daughter (or any of the value resorts for that matter) because you walk on outdoor paths to get to the rooms. So if she does have a melt down on the way in she wont have her voice bounce through the hallways.

Also do not be afraid to ask for a GAC at the Guest Services in the park to allow your child's special situations to be taken care of if needed. My Nyssa hates being in lines that are crowded for long periods of time so they have a GAC that helps us minimize that problem. We adore Disney for making her experience better for her. We had our first great trip this summer with her. No melt downs on her part. Her typical child cousin was another story. ROFLMAO.

 

[AJKMOM]

If your child is really "in to" Disney, check out All Star Movies with the Disney icons every where.

 

[HopperFan]

Autism is not DS primary diagnosis but he has many autistic tendencies. He has many other issues including severe anxiety and panic attacks.

We return in two weeks for our 3rd trip to POP. I went with concerns but fell in love with the resort, and while we can afford moderates and deluxe....I chose to return here again. He thought is was "fun" and visual, yet we could easily relax there.

* It has the big Disney Icons (mogli, baloo, lady, tramp, roger, mickey) in addition to lots of really fun ones like foos ball, potato heads, etc.

* Three pools, two of which are were much quieter than the main pool.

* We always request a room on upper floor FACING lake. They are quiet, peaceful, nice view, yet still close. (and these are not preferred so less $)

* Lake has a path all along it, with benches great for winding down. Can also go out on the bridge across the lake and enjoy looking back at all the lights at the resort. He loved doing that.

* Great transportation which doesn't share with another resort.

* Great food court. I tend to find a booth closer to gift shop/bar because it is quieter. Booth backs come up high so we actually can have a relaxing meal. Pizza delivery if you need some room time.

The last trip and this we requested 50's. Upper Floor/Lake. Puts us by bowling pin pool which is quiet and perfect for my son to truly relax. Walking through building to back side to our room was an instant change in his anxiety. Was great !

 

[Disneylvr]

I would show him photos of the resorts you are thinking about. allearnet has some great photos of the resort and Your Tube has some videos as well. Maybe let him have some say in the selection. My DD is only 4 year old and we stayed in the Contemporary last year (a big PUSH on our budget) because of the monorail. Next year we are hoping to give the WL a try. I think the Polynesian, Port Orleans Riverside, Caribbean Beach, Beach Club...would all be good choices too. If the budget allows, maybe a DVC resort? Personally we will avoid the budget resorts (although my husband and I love them) because we think for DD it would be best to escape from the larger than life decor when we are away from the parks. No matter what resort you stay in prepare him for the trip with social stories.

***Opps, nevermind some of my advice. I see how that you are planning a "surprise" trip.

 

[fakereadhed]

These are all great suggestions.

The biggest factor for me(as a mom of an ASD kid)would be travel time as DD hates to ride on the bus, especially if you are taking frequent breaks. There is a lot of stuff to process on a busy bus, and some extra waiting involve. I think a value would be fine, but if you aren't near the parks you might consider a car for a faster quieter ride.

 

[pcparamedics01]

I'm hoping to take DS (8) and DD (4) on a surprise "long weekend" to WDW in January or February to hold us over until the next family trip. (DH won't be able to join us.)

Issue is this, DS is on the Autism spectrum so I'm concerned about choosing the right resort. We'll be spending more time than most at the resort since my plan is to tour a couple hours at a time and take a break when I see the mood meter rising on either child. POP would be great on the budget but maybe a little overwhelming to DS, I know the budget can handle a mod, and a deluxe might be pushing the budget to the outer limits but I can try. I'm trying to pick the most well rounded choice...not too stimulating, reasonable transportation, etc. Although I've stayed at WL, CBR, and POR, neither of the children have ever stayed on-site before.

Anyone have any experience and/or suggestions?

I have a HFA son. Although I have never stayed at CBR it might be a good one for you!

 

[leanan]

Cause we think for DD it would be best to escape from the larger than life decor when we are away from the parks. No matter what resort you stay in prepare him for the trip with social stories.

***Opps, nevermind some of my advice. I see how that you are planning a "surprise" trip.

It is funny how different our ASD kids are. My daughter adores the larger than life decor. Although I hate that she likes to climb on the numbers outside of pop century.

 

[SueM in MN]

The DIS site has lots of pictures and info too.
Go to the www.wdwinfo.com page and click the link on the left side for resorts. There are also a lot of pictures that posters have put on the site. You can get to them from the same address - just look for the pictures.

The one thing that is interesting about this discussion is how different everyone is - what might be best for one child may be worst for someone else.
One thing that might help the OP would be to come up with a list of things that are positives and negatives (things like "doesn't like xxxxx", "does like yyyyyy") for your child and then try to find the resort that has the most postives and the least negatives.

You may have already thought of this, but might want to consider how your child will react to a surprise trip going to a resort he has no information about. I know just the idea of that would be enough to give my nephew who has Asperger syndrome so much anxiety that he would be worrying the whole trip and not enjoy himself.
Also, if you need a break somewhere less stimulating, one thing that works well for some people is to visit one of the resorts near the park you are at. You can ride the monorail or boat to one of the MK resorts or the boat to one of the Epcot/Studio resorts. The 8 yr old might enjoy looking at the resorts if you have some 'fact sheets' for him about each one. I know my nephew would like knowing the size of the resort and some of the special features to find (and maybe take pictures of himself).

 

[Disneylvr]

It is funny how different our ASD kids are. My daughter adores the larger than life decor. Although I hate that she likes to climb on the numbers outside of pop century.

Oh DD would love the decor but then we would never get her to rest or have some quiet time. Bright colors and lots of activity tends to over excite her. We will get enough of that in the parks so I want the resort to be more calming. If that makes any sense. They don't call it a spectrum disorder for nothing! LOL! Our kiddos are all so different from each other.

 

[Earstou]

We stayed at the Dolphin our last two trips. We had a very quiet room overlooking MGM and the water, plus we rarely saw anyone on our floor when coming or going. Very quiet hotel!

My teen ds (between Aspergers and PDD) enjoyed walking around the water, especially watching the ducks swimming around while waiting for the boat transportation to MGM and Epcot. He also enjoyed the huge seashell waterfall on the back of the hotel and the dolphin fountain in the lobby.

You can rent swan paddle boats between the Swan and Dolphin, but we haven't ever done that. Also, the Boardwalk is close by, you can either walk or take a boat over for something else to do.

My ds informed me part way thru the trip that he HATES the buses. We did need to take the bus to AK, but we only spent one day there as that park feels so crowded. We would ride the bus to MK early in the morning, when it wasn't crowded yet, then ride the monorail back to Epcot, get lunch and walk to the boat back to the Dolphin, avoiding one bus ride.

The Swan and Dolphin have discounts for teachers/educational staff, government employee/Military and Nurses. Plus they run occasional
specials.
You might miss the Disney touches, since this isn't a Disney hotel, but the change was good for my ds.

 

[Hasil72]

You all are great!

The kids know that there is a family trip in the works for a later time; DS has been involved in the rental home selection and they are both adding to the "Disney Jar" that we collect spare change in. He also has the Disney for kids by kids. But if I were to tell them about this trip DS would obsess asking every day when we are leaving. While I think POP is adorable, I think it will over stimulate him visually. With the ADHD, he'll be bouncing from building to building with "look at that! check that out!" constantly. I've narrowed it down to a mod or WL. While it's pretty and peaceful, I had a negative experience at CBR so that's low on the list. Any insight on CSR? DS likes to watch reruns of this old kids gameshow called Legends of the Hidden Temple where the set of the show strongly resembles the play area at CSR and it's spread out enough to not overwhelm him. I like the idea of both boat and bus @ WL, and the idea of letting him chill out on the upper floor rockers for some downtime.

Sometimes it's so hard to anticipate how he will react. Depending on the day, the same stimuli could elicit totally different reactions. I am very blessed that he can articulate very well so sometimes he can tell me "Mommy, I'm feeling very aprehensive." (one of his favorite words) but often he doesn't realize the warning signs until it's too late.

Thank you all for such great suggestions.

 

[leanan]

Oh DD would love the decor but then we would never get her to rest or have some quiet time. Bright colors and lots of activity tends to over excite her. We will get enough of that in the parks so I want the resort to be more calming. If that makes any sense. They don't call it a spectrum disorder for nothing! LOL! Our kiddos are all so different from each other.

It actually makes complete sense. My little girl gets so over stimulated by all hotels that the little differences do not matter. We could be at a Marriott Courtyard and she desperately wants to hang out in the lobby, the exercise room, and the computer room. Even if we have the computer in our bedroom. I wish I could say this hotel is better than this one.

The only upside is I can talk her out of swimming if it is an outdoor pool VS an indoor pool. I tell her oh the pool will be dirty and that drops that. Indoor pools are always a loose if I want to stay in the room. However it does calm her to get into the pool. Double so for a perfectly heated one.

 

[leanan]

I like the idea of both boat and bus @ WL, and the idea of letting him chill out on the upper floor rockers for some downtime.

I wish all hotels had rockers. If your little one enjoys rockers like mines does that is worth a ton on its own. Rocking chairs calm her down so well. She also loves bean bag chairs. Memory foam on the bed helps her sleep easier. She desperately wants this expensive bean chair that uses Memory foam in it's core but it is nearly $300. I do not know how to afford it with everything else. However I would have no issue buying it for her if I could spare the money.

 

[mamaminnie]

My DS (9) is also PDD-NOS and we've stayed at many disney resorts. I think that if the budget is for POP that POP would be fine. Ask for a top floor, facing the lake and you will have a quieter room

If you can get a great rate at a moderate, the POFQ would be my choice. It's smaller and a little quieter than the others.

 

[SueM in MN]

I wish all hotels had rockers. If your little one enjoys rockers like mines does that is worth a ton on its own. Rocking chairs calm her down so well.

I don't know anything about them except that they are listed on the website, but all-about-kids lists rocking chairs as one of the items they rent.
A Baby's Best Friend also rents rocking chairs.

 

[Hasil72]

Our beanbag has been a lifesaver! I didn't know they made them with the memory foam. I'll have to look into it. If I'm able to find them for less $$, I'll post it. I'll check w/DS's OT, she has been such a fabulous source of information.

Thanks for all the great advice! DS can be so hard to predict.