Tentative DAS plan/ A few ASD questions

[Danadanes]

Hi all,
We are heading to Disney in June (2nd week) for my ASD son's 11th birthday. This will be our first trip with our neurotypical 4 year old son. We are going for a week and have parkhopper/Waterpark tickets. WE are staying onsite.

We have not been since 2008, when we always had a GAC. Which was wonderful, and for our son's issues, was with some exceptions a FP for all rides.

I know it will be quite crowded and really want to avoid as much as I can. My tentative plan is to do early EMH park at 8am, and leave that park by 11. Use DAS for this park. Head back to hotel/maybe hit waterpark for a couple hours and rest. Then go to most recommended park at 5 or 6 for dinner and use FP+ for this second park. Is this an efficient use? Is there a better plan?

Second, we are booked at Coronado Springs. We need a "restful" hotel. Is this a good fit?

Can you walk to Blizzard Beach from CS?

Last time we were there, DS was obsessed with the Buzz ride. It was not crowded (went in Feb.) and we just looped it about 5 times. I don't know if he will still be crazy about this ride, but I think so. Any strategies to help make this happen? If we go there right at Early EMH, will we be able to go on it several times in a row?

DS is horrible at restaurants so we will not do any ADRs, too stressful for us all. We are straight room/QS eaters, if that matters.


Thanks for any tips!

 

[Schmeck]

Hi all,
We are heading to Disney in June (2nd week) for my ASD son's 11th birthday. This will be our first trip with our neurotypical 4 year old son. We are going for a week and have parkhopper/Waterpark tickets. WE are staying onsite.

We have not been since 2008, when we always had a GAC. Which was wonderful, and for our son's issues, was with some exceptions a FP for all rides.

I know it will be quite crowded and really want to avoid as much as I can. My tentative plan is to do early EMH park at 8am, and leave that park by 11. Use DAS for this park. Head back to hotel/maybe hit waterpark for a couple hours and rest. Then go to most recommended park at 5 or 6 for dinner and use FP+ for this second park. Is this an efficient use? Is there a better plan?

Second, we are booked at Coronado Springs. We need a "restful" hotel. Is this a good fit?

Can you walk to Blizzard Beach from CS?

Last time we were there, DS was obsessed with the Buzz ride. It was not crowded (went in Feb.) and we just looped it about 5 times. I don't know if he will still be crazy about this ride, but I think so. Any strategies to help make this happen? If we go there right at Early EMH, will we be able to go on it several times in a row?

DS is horrible at restaurants so we will not do any ADRs, too stressful for us all. We are straight room/QS eaters, if that matters.


Thanks for any tips!

I like your rope drop/rest/FP+ at second park plan.

There is a sidewalk from your resort to Blizzard Beach, but it will be a long, hot walk in June.

I think you need to prepare your son for not being able to ride Buzz (or any other attraction) multiple times in a row. People are talking about long waits for FP+ so I don't think the CMs will be letting anyone stay on during the day. Now, if you went for a late night EMH, you might be able to do it near the end of park closing. We once stayed on Splash for 4 cycles.

 

[aaarcher86]

My suggestion for multiple rides would be to line up a FP and DAS return time. You'd still have to get off and get back in line. If the standby line is short you could hop into standby, use a FP+, and then use a DAS return time for a third ride.

 

[bookwormde]

Hi,

We will be down the same week. I was thinking that AKL, VWL or OKW might be a better fit, but with you wanting to do the water park think that Coronado Springs is a good pick. It also has a good QS with lots of variety, although it was better when it was open buffet style.

6 year is a lot like starting over for our ASD kids, so I would read up on some of the ASD threads in this section, although your base plan sound good.

Just a note if you are at WDW on the 7th or 8th it is star war weekend in case he is a fan.

We ended up buying DVC resale to have a Kitchen due to our son's limited diet and how difficult that makes TS (plus I like all the $ we save). We will do an occasional TS just to have him "practice".

 

[Lisa71]

Just wanted to suggest the Tusker House buffet if DS likes characters and you want one TS meal..it is open and cool on a hot day at AK and we found it not too stimulating. Our DS has CP but had trouble at restaurants a long time. He is now almost 7 and we visited there at ages 3 and 5 and both great experiences.

 

[Disneychick75]

Coronado Springs is restful.

I read a letter from Meg Crofton stating you can return to speak to CMs at guest services have if you need additional assistance. It can't hurt to ask when you get your son's DAS about his ability to ride Buzz a few times. It was on a site that dealt with kids with autism and those on the spectrum and basically the letter said that Disney wants to work with you to make your family's trip enjoyable.

 

[clanmcculloch]

My biggest piece of advice is to cut back on your plans. You say you need a restful resort but meanwhile your plan is jam packed full. A water park is not a break. You're basically go-go-go from morning EMH until evening. Even a neuro-typically child will be melting down from this. A child with ASD will have even more trouble with it. If you just go back to your resort and rest that whole time then it might be fine. For many it is. I only know that my own Aspie can't handle it. We can only be away from our resort for a certain amount of time each day so we almost never go back to a park in the evening.

At morning EMH RD yes you'll be able to ride Buzz over and over. There will not be any wait time at that time of day. This does not require a DAS or FP. There just won't be a line. You could show your DAS to ask if you can ride without having to get off then back on. I don't know if the CM will allow it or not but I would think that they would as there will be plenty of empty cars going through the ride at that hour of the morning.

 

[Danadanes]

You make a good point...I am probably overly optimistic about what we will be able to do. The waterparks are DS's favorite thing. That is what he wants to do on his actual birthday!

We want flexibility, so we got the PH (in case one park is too crowded, or if DS wants to go do one ride at night).

I will check in to Tusker House - thanks for the tip!