Sensory Disorder

[gramma4]

New to dis, but veteran to Disneyworld. Starting to plan a trip in two years. There will be three families. My daughter has three children, one has sensory processing disorder and other issues. They want their own space and she thinks a monarail resort just in case he has a melt down they want to get to room ASAP. My question is, not sure I can afford three rooms at the poly. Are there any other suggestions for us with easy transportation ?

 

[deegack]

Are you going to spend most of your time at mk? You may want to also consider the wilderness lodge. There are ferries to mk.
Also using a stroller with a stroller as a wheelchair tag will allow her to have her own space.

 

[blue65829]

I wonder if they could rent a car instead? Even with the monorail there's no real guarantee of getting back to your room ASAP.

I do agree that the Wilderness Lodge might be a good fit, the ferry from the MK is very nice.

 

[gramma4]

MK is the favorite, and Epcot Is the ferry pretty fast loading? A car is a great idea. Thank everyone. I'm so glad I have help but mostly excitement about Disney

 

[LilyWDW]

Honestly, I would rent a car. The monorails can get busy, can be stopped for periods of time on the rail, and can break down. If the child is already in melt down mode, then a car would give it's own type of "personal space" while heading back to the hotel that you can not get with the monorail or any other sort of public transportation.

 

[Schmeck]

I don't think I'd bring my child having a meltdown onto a ferry - especially the smaller ones that service WL.

There really isn't any easy way to get out of MK and back to a resort - even if you bring a car, you have to take the monorail or ferry to the TTC. If you stayed at the Contemporary, there's a walking path back to the resort.

 

[ttintagel]

It might be worth pricing renting DVC points at the Bay Lake Tower (Contemporary resort). I was really surprised at how reasonable it was when I checked into it. And it's walking distance from the MK.

 

[gramma4]

Where can I get info on renting DVC points. Sounds good. Thanks

 

[ttintagel]

Where can I get info on renting DVC points. Sounds good. Thanks

I don't know if we can post links, but if you google "dvc point rental" the top result will be the one I looked at.

 

[lanejudy]

I don't think I'd bring my child having a meltdown onto a ferry - especially the smaller ones that service WL.

There really isn't any easy way to get out of MK and back to a resort - even if you bring a car, you have to take the monorail or ferry to the TTC. If you stayed at the Contemporary, there's a walking path back to the resort.

I agree, if a child is already in full-blown meltdown mode, then the best option is really to find one of the quiet spaces (yes, there are some) at the park and wait until he/she has regained some control. The key is in trying to prevent the meltdown from occurring. Suggestions include bringing whatever the child uses at home as a comfort object, noise-cancelling headphones can be a great help, a hand-held electronic game or other object/toy that can be used as distraction, frequent breaks with some favorite snacks (you can bring them with you to save $$), and I strongly recommend a stroller-as-wheelchair tag to provide the child with a "safety-zone" and buffer from the stimulation - a stroller with a canopy is even better because it creates more of a hide-away. You might want to plan to arrive at rope-drop, do what you can in the morning, and head back to the resort (whichever resort, we have never stayed deluxe) for a rest/swim/change-of-scenery in the afternoon. Then you may want to return to the park for the evening (unless the kids have early bedtimes). Speaking of which - I know it's vacation but we have always found that trying to stick to "normal" daily schedule (get up, meal times, bedtimes) goes a long way towards preventing overstimulation and meltdown.

Good luck and enjoy your vacation.

 

[wendow]

It might be worth pricing renting DVC points at the Bay Lake Tower (Contemporary resort). I was really surprised at how reasonable it was when I checked into it. And it's walking distance from the MK.

This is exactly what we are doing and staying at BLT. I have 4 kids and one of my sons has sensory issues. We absolutely wanted to be able to get back as quick as possible in the event of a meltdown so buses were not an option. The least expensive option is staying offsite and renting a car but we really wanted to be onsite (first trip) so we rented points through a broker. We went through a guy named David and if you google, his site will be one of the first to come up.

We are also going to do a schedule like another poster mentioned...be there for RD, stay until lunch, back to room for some resting and then back to the park for the evening. My son just could not handle Disney all day without a break.

 

[Redheaded Sunshine]

I agree, if a child is already in full-blown meltdown mode, then the best option is really to find one of the quiet spaces (yes, there are some) at the park and wait until he/she has regained some control. The key is in trying to prevent the meltdown from occurring. Suggestions include bringing whatever the child uses at home as a comfort object, noise-cancelling headphones can be a great help, a hand-held electronic game or other object/toy that can be used as distraction, frequent breaks with some favorite snacks (you can bring them with you to save $$), and I strongly recommend a stroller-as-wheelchair tag to provide the child with a "safety-zone" and buffer from the stimulation - a stroller with a canopy is even better because it creates more of a hide-away. You might want to plan to arrive at rope-drop, do what you can in the morning, and head back to the resort (whichever resort, we have never stayed deluxe) for a rest/swim/change-of-scenery in the afternoon. Then you may want to return to the park for the evening (unless the kids have early bedtimes). Speaking of which - I know it's vacation but we have always found that trying to stick to "normal" daily schedule (get up, meal times, bedtimes) goes a long way towards preventing overstimulation and meltdown.

Good luck and enjoy your vacation.

THIS. I was going to say exactly all of these things. The strollers there are perfect (and I personally found them easier to push than most strollers) and you can even drape a light sheet over the front if they need less outside world. I brought my DS's Nintendo DS to the park and didn't feel even a little bad about it. He needs that chill time. Also, with regard to the quiet areas, the Baby Care Center does cater to kids with infants/toddlers, BUT you can go in there for a quiet rest. They have coloring pages, Disney movies/cartoons playing quietly and it's air-conditioned. Good luck!

 

[of2dbeach]

My son is now 19 Autistic/ epileptic. He had full melt down in Mk before. Couldnt make him stop for anything. Then Hubby and I got into it So I decided we all needed to chill a bit and remembered the Contemporary was nice and quiet downstairs and they have a game room etc. I thought If I can get Mike there he would be able to chill and we could both recover. I asked Mike if he wanted to ride on a "train" and he said yes!! Lucky me . So we somehow got him up the ramp to the monorail, of course people stared at us , pointed made commenst etc I didnt care I was doing what i had to for him ( and My sanity) . I got him to the Contemporary and downstairs. And low and behild they had a HUGE tv with blk/white Disney cartoon and Huge comfy bean bag chairs. He was in love . I sat dranks a soda hubby walked around and I stuck up a covo with a Super Nice lady. Mike started clapping his hands when a "good part" of the movie came on. I appologized to the lady and she said no worries she understood , She taught Autism !! Sometimes you have to think out of the box with our kids. It worked out very well and we got him back into the park. The lady and I echanged hugs and hubby and I didnt kill each other. if you can just get them to chill and regain control and find something that "they " want to do even if for a few mins it will help you all out. I hope you have a great trip !
Also ment to mention we always stay off site and we have our own cars. Some people say it is better to stay off site but I cant afford the cost of it.

 

[tcufrog]

What sort of sensory issues does your grandchild have?

 

[reagansmom]

DD has some sensory issues. We definitely take a break in the middle of the day and try and avoid the crowds so she doesn't get overwhelmed. Use whatever works at home. We've seen lots of kids with headphones because it helps with the loud noises. The key, for us, is making sure she is rested, fed and not dehydrated.

Good luck!!

 

[gramma4]

What sort of sensory issues does your grandchild have?

He has sensory processing disorder with oral disphasia he is eating puréed food now, he doesn't like lots of people and bed places. But hard to tell what his needs will be in three years.
Thanks for asking.

 

[momofkids]

Perhaps your daughter should spend some time pricing out monorail resorts so she has an idea about the cost. I don't know the details of your arrangements, but I would think that she would offer to pay some of the costs since her requirements are so costly. Maybe she doesn't realize how costly her requests are?

I would also look at pricing DVC points for BLT. If you are trying to meet your daughter's needs within a reasonable budget, this seems like a great option.

My son also has a sensory processing disorder and autism. We stayed at the Fort Wilderness Cabins on our last trip. The boat ride was very calming for him. Having a separate bedroom there really worked for us. Plus, the excitement of Disney helped keep him from melting down in general. Children with these types of disorders are all very different from each other. It can truly be a struggle for parents when the kids are young. That said, your grandson's needs could change drastically in 2 years. I would never have even considered taking our son to Disney at 4, but it was a great idea at 7. Therapies can work miracles in a couple years.

My biggest advice would be to definitely go during one of the slower periods. Our last trip was in February. By the end of the trip, the crowds started rolling in due to the holiday. That was the hardest part of the trip for my son (the crowds). My son also has trouble with high temperatures. Picking a month with cooler temps. might be very helpful for your grandson. There is no way my son could handle the heat in summer.

Hope you have a great trip and lots of fun planning for it.

 

[origin62]

Agree with previous posters, especially about going during cooler, less crowded months. BLT and Contemporary would be great options for you, since you could choose the monorail or the walking path, depending on your needs. Also, be aware that the standard rooms at the Contemporary are quite large compared to other Disney resorts (with large bathrooms, too). They sleep up to five, so maybe you could get by with 2 rooms instead of 3?