Will we need to buy a ticket for my son?

[violacjw]

My 6 year old son has Cornelia de Lange syndrome, and mentally he's at about a 1 year old level. He is non-verbal and tube fed, and although he can walk he tires quickly and we have a chair for him.

He will not be able to ride any of the rides (severe sensory issues) and generally doesn't take much interest in what's happening in his environment, so my husband and I are wondering how much money we want to spend to bring him into the park each day. We are debating taking turns each day, one staying home with our little guy while the other goes with our neurotypical 7 year old to the park. But if they don't charge us to bring him in we could all be together in the park and just take turns on the rides.

I'm assuming they go buy age and not mental facility when deciding whether to charge for tickets or not, but I thought I would ask!

 

[SDSorority]

My 6 year old son has Cornelia de Lange syndrome, and mentally he's at about a 1 year old level. He is non-verbal and tube fed, and although he can walk he tires quickly and we have a chair for him.

He will not be able to ride any of the rides (severe sensory issues) and generally doesn't take much interest in what's happening in his environment, so my husband and I are wondering how much money we want to spend to bring him into the park each day. We are debating taking turns each day, one staying home with our little guy while the other goes with our neurotypical 7 year old to the park. But if they don't charge us to bring him in we could all be together in the park and just take turns on the rides.

I'm assuming they go buy age and not mental facility when deciding whether to charge for tickets or not, but I thought I would ask!

This is a great question. CF will know the answer to this for sure (I'm sure!) but my assumption is that they go by real age for ticket prices. One thing you might want to check out is the YES program for your 7 year-old. You might be able to get discounted tickets for a few of you if you enroll him or her in an educational program at EPCOT. I don't know a whole lot about it since I don't have kids, but there are threads on the Budget Board that can help. It might not make it a 'break even', but it would offset the cost some!

 

[deegack]

Yes you will have to purchase a ticket for your son. It is by age.

 

[minkydog]

Hmm, never thought about this. My 16yo, Christian, is profoundly mentally handicapped, at the level of a 1yr old. He can walk, but cannot talk or in any way take care of himself. He does eat soft food, so he was able to manage in the restaurants. Mostly, Christian just wants to be wherever his family is. We have taken him to WDW 3 times, even though he responds to it as a baby would ( IOTW, he could care less!). We have always paid full price.

 

[violacjw]

What is the YES program? I'll look it up - thanks for the tip!

It sounds like we're in a similar situation Minkydog. We briefly considered leaving him at home with his nurse but I just couldn't bear the thought of leaving him out, even though he really couldn't care less. There's also always the possibility that he will respond to something there and enjoy it - he has severly autistic characteristics and sometimes his lack of communication covers up moments where he really does understand something. He's a wild card!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

He would definitely need a ticket for Park entry.

Also, if he will be staying in a stroller you can get a Guest Assistance Card and sticker from any Park Guest Relations Office that will allow you to use the stroller as if it were a wheelchair and taken it into queues where a stroller would normally not be allowed.

If you click on where it says "disABILTIES" at the top of this page it will take you to the Index. One of the top items is the "disABILTIES FAQ" which will gives lots of useful information, including in Post #2 where people rent Special Needs Strollers or Pediatric Wheelchairs, and Post #6 which gives information related to the GAC.,

Or, if you want an easier route to the FAQs, click on the link in my signature.

 

[HowdyHeidi]

Are you a member of the CdLS discussion boards?

Why not take him to the park and see how he does? Our son had a great time at Disney although most people would probably have thought he wouldn't have cared whether he was there or not. Sometimes as parents, we even underestimate our child's abilities and awareness.

Plus, if you utilize child swap for the rides your CdLS son doesn't want to go on, or is too small for (since he is likely small), your typical son will be able to ride twice in a row since the child swap pass is good for more than one person. It is a win win to be together as a family.