What type of hotel accommodations work with your autistic child?

[brergnat]

So, I am wondering, for all you with kids who have an ASD, what type of hotel accommodations have worked well for you?

-one room

-two connnecting rooms

-a suite

-DVC

-offsite

I'd love to hear about your hotel experiences, specifically with younger ASD kids (5 and under).

Thanks!

 

[stampin_fool]

There is where we have stayed on all but one of our visits. Our son ASD loves having the cabin. It was his idea to stay at ASMo in the Herbie room (because he is a huge herbie fanatic) but after a long day at the park, coming back to the room and having a hard time finding a parking spot near our building, walking to the building up the stairs and to the room was just to much. Ft. Wilderness is like having your own apartment. There is also a full kitchen so if your child is a picky eater, this makes things so much easier because you can bring what they like to each and make it rather than fighting with them to try something on the menu.

There are also a lot of things at Ft. Wilderness to do, hay ride, petting zoo, trails to walk on, fishing, two pools, paddle boats to rent, etc.

I highly recommend this resort. It is expensive but well worth it because of less stress and fewer breakdowns. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to pm me.

Ronda

 

[stenickar]

We always stay at the value resorts. We have been staying at POP century since it opened. I love the pools at POP, they have a couple different pools and they also have a really shallow wading area for little kiddos. The theming at these resorts is great. I also feel like I don't have to worry as much about my kid's "different" behaviors at these resorts. If we stayed at a mod to deluxe I would feel self conscious about the kids and their "behaviors".
The POP food court is great.

 

[debbi801]

Last time we were there, we stayed at the Contemporary in a wing room. DS was 4 at the time. We liked the ability to get on the monorail right at the resort. There were many times we just rode the monorail for an hour or two in a constant loop just as a way for him to decompress. Also, he is very daring and loved the water slide (with a life vest on).

We're planning on going again in 2009 and I'd really like to do a split stay between BC and Poly. But, I'm iffy about how he'll react to the change mid-way though the trip. So, nothing has been determined yet.

Enjoy your trip.

 

[mamacate]

Our feeling about it is that it's not worth it to stay at a value. For us, I can't really see the bus transportation working out, and if we have to drive to and from POP, we might as well drive to and from a much larger and better-appointed room a few miles further down the road for the same price. That's just us, YMMV, yadda yadda.

The holy grail, really, is a monorail or boat-access resort. For this stay we're spending a week at a time-share resort offsite (with 1 bedroom, kitchen, giant pool and kids' programming). Then we're spending 3 days at WL. We took the boat to WCC last year and it was great--the idea of not having to negotiate the process of getting to your car from MK is very appealing.

I wouldn't worry at all about behavior at the deluxe resorts, with the possible exception of the GF. This sounds a little idealistic/naive, and perhaps it is, but my experience has been that Disney is one of the few places in the world where parents of ASD kids have a pretty good chance of feeling understood and supported in most settings. We did have the opportunity to move our rack-rate reservation at WL to a discounted one at GF for actually a little less money, if you can believe it, but we decided not to because I didn't think we'd feel as comfortable there with DS. (Plus it's totally not my style. I'm fine with swank but it's a little over the top. Didn't want to bring down the class of the place, lol.)

Now I don't know if it will be worth the money, or if it will be so worth the money that we'll swear never to stay offsite again. I'll be sure to report back in about 2 weeks! ;D

C

 

[mamacate]

One other question. Ronda, you said you really like the cabins. That has the benefit of also having a boat ride option. My concern was that once we rode the boat we'd have to then get on a bus to get to the cabin. How did that work out for you? I'd love to hear feedback, since while the cabins are far from cheap, they're also not as expensive as WL, and there's usually more discounted inventory there.

C

 

[Hasil72]

I'm interested as well, since I'm planning our next trip. Both have pros and cons. I want to preface this with the fact that on all my trips to "the world" (every year) before DS(ASD, SID, ADHD, etc) and DD, I swore I would only stay onsite. Don't remember how it happened, but when we took the kids for the first time, we ended up renting a villa off of 192. It was great! Here's our list of pros/cons:

Pros-DS had his own space to decompress, had the whole pool (complete with floaties, rafts, noodles, etc.) to himself, there was a playroom/game room for rainy days or nights when the parks closed early, full kitchen was a savior with a picky eater and we could freeze water bottles and juice boxes for the parks, DH was happy he didn't have lights out at 8pm, it was quiet, no waiting for over crowded busses, I could go on and on.

Cons-the only drawbacks we really encountered were 1. DD was only 18 months (and teething) at the time so it would have been nice to be able to split up and hop a bus so I could take her back to the room while DH stayed with DS in the park and 2. that little twinge I would get each night seeing the resorts all lit up wondering if I was missing out by staying offsite. But that's just me. And, my kids don't stay up late enough to use the PM EMH.

Now that the kids are a little older and DS can manage himself a little better, I'm wondering if we should try onsite next visit. Good luck deciding!

 

[brergnat]

Thanks for all the feedback so far. Keep it coming!

I guess the part that REALLY interests me is how your ASD child has done with the sleeping issue. My son is almost 4 (will be almost 5 when we go next May). He has his own room and twin sized bed at home. I also have a 2 year old son. They don't share a room yet because my older one sometimes takes an hour (of talking to himself) to fall asleep at night. He also occasionally wakes up and has a night terror type episode and totally loses his cool, screaming, crying, etc. He ALSO wakes up about an hour prior to the other kid, so for now, sharing is not an option.

We stayed at the Grand Californian hotel at Disneyland last October, all of us in one room. It only worked out b/c we got a bunk bed room (which DS had the bunkbed to himself, behind a "tent" we made of blankets to keep the light out) and we actually put the other DS in the pack and play INSIDE the closet w/ the door closed. It worked, but it was very difficult to get my older DS to sleep. It was a very stressful situation, one that we don't want to repeat for a long stay at WDW (we only stayed 3 nights at DL, but MAN were we exhausted!). Plus, the major con with that was that DH and I didn't have any "us" time. Once the kids were asleep, we couldn't even have the t.v. on or anything.

Right now, we're booked for the 1br Princess Suite at the Poly. The monorail is a HUGE plus for us. We do not want to rent a car (too much hassle involved with carseats and parking and such). We also do not want to rely solely on buses. The only (major) drawback to our current reservation is the price (can you say "ouch"?). However, the setup is perfect for us. I also like that it is concierge, which would be great for breakfast and snacks, and I like the idea of the concierge lounge to hang out in during the afternoon and to watch the fireworks either from the lounge or beach(both kids don't like loud noises, so watching them in park is not an option).

I keep going back and forth, though, between a DVC resort or 2 connecting rooms at Poly (non concierge) or one standard concierge room for all of us. At least at the deluxes w/daybeds, each child will have his own bed, which is a huge plus. On some days, I think we'd be fine in a standard room. But then, DS has a "night issue" and I realize how horrible that would be if it happened and we were all trying to sleep in the same room. It would wake everyone up. If we stay with the suite, we'd have him sleep on the daybed in the parlor, and put the other one in the room with us, so that if he woke up screaming, one of us would just go out and deal with him without waking the rest of us up. Same if we were in the DVC. I just can't seem to figure out what would be best. We are planning on 8 days, so it's not a decision to take lightly.

I have no desire to stay in the cabins. It's just totally NOT our style at all. I'm sure they're lovely, but I don't want to be that isolated from the parks and the bus system there is pretty annoying, from what I have heard.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm "deluxe spoiled". I won't stay at the values anymore either(too many negative experiences there) and my son really needs a hotel that at least has some peaceful areas to decompress (the hammock swings and the quiet flower lined walkways at Poly really seem great). I love the moderates, but I HATE the double beds. DH and I tried that once, and never again. Neither of us slept the whole week.

I just guess I'm hoping someone will come on and say that their child has horrible sleep problems at home, but at WDW slept like a log every night. Anyone?

 

[debbi801]

Thanks for all the feedback so far. Keep it coming!

I guess the part that REALLY interests me is how your ASD child has done with the sleeping issue. My son is almost 4 (will be almost 5 when we go next May). He has his own room and twin sized bed at home. I also have a 2 year old son. They don't share a room yet because my older one sometimes takes an hour (of talking to himself) to fall asleep at night. He also occasionally wakes up and has a night terror type episode and totally loses his cool, screaming, crying, etc. He ALSO wakes up about an hour prior to the other kid, so for now, sharing is not an option.

We stayed at the Grand Californian hotel at Disneyland last October, all of us in one room. It only worked out b/c we got a bunk bed room (which DS had the bunkbed to himself, behind a "tent" we made of blankets to keep the light out) and we actually put the other DS in the pack and play INSIDE the closet w/ the door closed. It worked, but it was very difficult to get my older DS to sleep. It was a very stressful situation, one that we don't want to repeat for a long stay at WDW (we only stayed 3 nights at DL, but MAN were we exhausted!). Plus, the major con with that was that DH and I didn't have any "us" time. Once the kids were asleep, we couldn't even have the t.v. on or anything.

Right now, we're booked for the 1br Princess Suite at the Poly. The monorail is a HUGE plus for us. We do not want to rent a car (too much hassle involved with carseats and parking and such). We also do not want to rely solely on buses. The only (major) drawback to our current reservation is the price (can you say "ouch"?). However, the setup is perfect for us. I also like that it is concierge, which would be great for breakfast and snacks, and I like the idea of the concierge lounge to hang out in during the afternoon and to watch the fireworks either from the lounge or beach(both kids don't like loud noises, so watching them in park is not an option).

I keep going back and forth, though, between a DVC resort or 2 connecting rooms at Poly (non concierge) or one standard concierge room for all of us. At least at the deluxes w/daybeds, each child will have his own bed, which is a huge plus. On some days, I think we'd be fine in a standard room. But then, DS has a "night issue" and I realize how horrible that would be if it happened and we were all trying to sleep in the same room. It would wake everyone up. If we stay with the suite, we'd have him sleep on the daybed in the parlor, and put the other one in the room with us, so that if he woke up screaming, one of us would just go out and deal with him without waking the rest of us up. Same if we were in the DVC. I just can't seem to figure out what would be best. We are planning on 8 days, so it's not a decision to take lightly.

I have no desire to stay in the cabins. It's just totally NOT our style at all. I'm sure they're lovely, but I don't want to be that isolated from the parks and the bus system there is pretty annoying, from what I have heard.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm "deluxe spoiled". I won't stay at the values anymore either(too many negative experiences there) and my son really needs a hotel that at least has some peaceful areas to decompress (the hammock swings and the quiet flower lined walkways at Poly really seem great). I love the moderates, but I HATE the double beds. DH and I tried that once, and never again. Neither of us slept the whole week.

I just guess I'm hoping someone will come on and say that their child has horrible sleep problems at home, but at WDW slept like a log every night. Anyone?

~Raising hand~ We did, actually.

Background, my DS "shares" a room with my 15 yr old DS, but has hardly ever slept there. his inability to sleep well has made it almost impossible for that. Generally, he sleeps in DH & my bed.

There are 2 places that he sleeps well, without any issues falling asleep. Disney World and at our camper. LOL In both cases, I think the non-stop fresh air and excitement have a lot to do with it. Mornings are tough 9when he gets up before the rest of us are ready to be awake, but we've honestly not had much difficulty getting him to sleep at night.

 

[mamaloya]

While my son is not ASD, he has some similar "issues". The best thing we ever did was buy a camper. We use it on every vacation. We also bring it when we visit family. He is always in his own bed and knows where everything is and is his own familiar surroundings no matter where we are. Whether we are at WDW, the smokies, the rockies, or Texas, he is at home. It has a children's bedroom with bunk beds. dh and I can shut the door and the kids are sleeping and we can have time to ourselves. Our kitchen travels with us. I can pack it up ahead of time and never have to unpack as we travel or when we arrive. We can stop along the way and use the bathroom if the public ones are not acceptable or near. We can have picnics with food from our own kitchen. We also don't have to deal with airports or airplanes, which are very difficult for my ds.

We love Fort Wilderness. He can run around outside and not bother anyone. He and the other kids like sifting in the sand and collecting pine cones. I also like that we park right at our site, no walks to the busses and then to the room. The bus ride to the marina and back is not bad at all, much better than the busses at the other resorts. We drive to the other parks, no crowded busses.

Of course, with the cabins, you have the same benefits of FW, but you don't have to have your own camper. You can have groceries delivered or bring yours from home. You also park right at the cabin. There is also a deck outside for them to play on.

If not FW, I would definitely go for a monorail resort. The convenience of the monorail would be wonderful. The Poly also has a beach where they can hang out and relax. We love Capt'n Cooks for quick meals.

 

[monkeysmamma]

We're going in a couple weeks, and both of my DSs have autism and sleep issues. Someone's always waking up over something. We're staying at POFQ because the rooms are supposed to be pretty decent sized for a moderate, and POFQ is supposed to be quieter and smaller than many of the resorts.

Unfortunately, there's the whole double bed thing to deal with, but I figured it wouldn't matter because there's no way the boys could share a bed. One is sensory seeking, while the other sensory defensive. So our game plan is for me to share with the 7 year old while DH will share with the 4 year old. Since the little guy is an occasional night wanderer, I'm bringing a magnetic door alarm too. (Sorry neighbors! )

Julia

 

[Frankiesmom]

My DS is sutistic and our fave resort and our best trips were with stays at the POLY-LVC. We also had nice times at the GF in their sugar loaf conceirge bldg; and the AKl -although we had a savannah view and he adored that! But the walk back to the room was very long! This time my 15 yr old DD is bringing a friend and DS picked POP- we need 2 rooms and so, for us it worked financially. We'll see how it goes; I am concerned with the extra stimulation he'll be seeing. But I think we'll be ok. But the POLY is our fave and they are so sweet to DS in the conceirge lounge; everyone going the extra mile! I really think you'll have a great time @ the POLY- and to have a suite too- sweet!!! LOL We, while at the POLY always stay LVC and only get 1 room; we are a family of 5; me, DH, DD 15 (she takes the daybed) and dear autistic son 6 and dear babyson 3- share the other bed! It has worked for us and we were never squashed. Hope this helps!

 

[scojos]

my ds never sleeps at home slept really well at wdw, i do make him walk out of his stroller after dinner every night this prob helped.
getting him to sleep took 10-12 mins rather than 2 hours, and he slept all night, which he does not do at home.
as an aside, bananas and milk contain trytophen (sp?) and naturally occuring sleeping aid, if you can get them into him...
might help
tracy

 

[bookwormde]

I am in the process of buying into DVC for the following reasons.

More room (to let loose)

Closer to the parks so we can come and go easier, (for tiredness, overly hot or crowded mid days and those just general “I have had enough” times).

More laid back environment.

Lets us travel with extended family and friends with limited additional cost for accommodations.

Can cook some of the time to accommodate a limited diet.

The economics allow us to go more often.

(We plan to go only on weekdays 1st or last summer week or the week after super bowl and occasionally the fist week of Jan. to be able to see the decorations). This combination keeps the crowds to a minimum with limited disruptions to the school schedule

Oh yea no problem with sleeping other than they pile into our bed!

bookwormde

 

[stampin_fool]

One other question. Ronda, you said you really like the cabins. That has the benefit of also having a boat ride option. My concern was that once we rode the boat we'd have to then get on a bus to get to the cabin. How did that work out for you? I'd love to hear feedback, since while the cabins are far from cheap, they're also not as expensive as WL, and there's usually more discounted inventory there.

Actually it wasn't that bad and the "purple" bus became a favorite ride for Jacob. We had to buy on toy purple bus to bring home with us he liked it so much. This last year we rented a golf cart and didn't have to use the bus at all. Jacob really loved driving around in the golf cart every night when we got back and periodically through the day.

Another reason we love Ft. Wilderness is the boat ride to MK. I think Jacob likes the Disney transportation as much as the parks, goofy little boy!!!! On one of the boat rides from WL to FT. Wilderness the captain actually called Jacob to the front of the boat and let him drive it almost the whole way. Talk about a wonderful memory. Hope this helps.

Ronda

 

[stampin_fool]

[/Unfortunately, there's the whole double bed thing to deal with, but I figured it wouldn't matter because there's no way the boys could share a bed. One is sensory seeking, while the other sensory defensive. So our game plan is for me to share with the 7 year old while DH will share with the 4 year old. Since the little guy is an occasional night wanderer, I'm bringing a magnetic door alarm too. (Sorry neighbors! )
QUOTE]

The cabins at Ft. Wilderness have a double bed, bunk beds and a murph bed in the living room so your kids wouldn't ahve to share a bed. Just a thought.

Ronda

 

[Starr W.]

I am in the process of buying into DVC for the following reasons.

More room (to let loose)

Closer to the parks so we can come and go easier, (for tiredness, overly hot or crowded mid days and those just general “I have had enough” times).

More laid back environment.

Lets us travel with extended family and friends with limited additional cost for accommodations.

Can cook some of the time to accommodate a limited diet.

The economics allow us to go more often.

(We plan to go only on weekdays 1st or last summer week or the week after super bowl and occasionally the fist week of Jan. to be able to see the decorations). This combination keeps the crowds to a minimum with limited disruptions to the school schedule

Oh yea no problem with sleeping other than they pile into our bed!

bookwormde

You'll love DVC. No way would I put my Aspie in bed with his 6yr old brother. So we get a 2br, both boys get their own beds, we get some privacy with our own room. My Aspie, who's 11 helps plan out the trips. He absolutely adored Vero Beach and the ocean.

 

[PatMcDuck]

We have used the 2BR villas at DVC for years. Because we have a big group, lots of times we put him to bed on an Aero in the master bedroom. Then, when we go to bed, he is already asleep and we just quietly come in and join him a few hours later. We have found that he needs to be a room alone to fall asleep (WITH a nightlight!). So, even as our older kids age out, we will have to get 2 rooms when travelling with Sean. 2 connecting Values work, too. I would like to try those Value suites perhaps someday.

We are DVC members and usually stay there when at WDW.