We fly out to Disney on the 4th April from the UK and have two weeks in the world. It's me, my DH, my mum, DS 10, DS 7, DD 5. Our plan is for early starts and finish around 3 each day for some swimming. We have a few late nights where we'll head back to the park for Wishes, Illuminations and Fantasmic. We've got two days in DHS, Epcot and AK and two full days and an evening in MK. My eldest son has autism, he usually copes pretty well but waiting is one of the hardest things for him so hoping to utilize the
DAS to help with that.
Here are my touring plans for the first 4 days in the parks.
DAY 1 - MK
http://touringplans.com/plans/print?id=1734440'>http://touringplans.com/plans/print?id=1734440
DAY 2 - DHS
http://touringplans.com/plans/print?id=1580265'>http://touringplans.com/plans/print?id=1580265
DAY 3 - Epcot (will be doing world showcase the second day)
http://touringplans.com/plans/print?id=1660879'>http://touringplans.com/plans/print?id=1660879
DAY 4 - AK
http://touringplans.com/plans/print?id=1597443'>http://touringplans.com/plans/print?id=1597443
Thanks for you thoughts/help on this
Here's my advice: stop making touring plans. For starters, I see several issues. But, the biggest thing is - it is very hard to make touring plans when using a DAS, because you have to try and factor in the time spent going to physically get the DAS, and things can definitely change. But also, a touring plan doesn't account for the many, many variables you're going to be faced with: bathroom breaks, snack break, "I'm overwhelmed!" breaks, rides that your children want to do again, rides they don't want to do, things they see that interest them, characters they want to meet that aren't on your plans... the list goes on. And sure, you can try and negotiate to keep them "on plan", but let's face it, often when a child with ASD gets something into their head that they want, and it doesn't happen, when they're already overloaded to begin with and their coping skills are maxed out, it often doesn't end well. Here's what I learned traveling to Disney with my daughter with ASD and my son with SPD - everything you think you know about your child and their disability and how they react to things, goes out the door when you get to Disney. They may do better than you think, they may also do worse. Disney is an amazing place -and it's also very, VERY overwhelming and exhausting. It is a full blown assault on the senses with regards to visual and auditory and even olfactory input, which can make it much harder for your child to cope as they normally would.
Also, while I like your idea of rope dropping till 3 or 4 each day... even in April it's going to be pretty hot, and again, Disney can be tiring. The kids may do great with your plan, but you may also find they need an afternoon break, so be prepared to adjust your plans. IMO, I would make your FP+ reservations with an "afternoon break" in mind. Make them for before 2:00 pm. IF you get them all done and decide to stay longer, then try for a 4th FP+ for when you come back.
So, instead of making detailed touring plans (which is likely to end up having been a waste of your time), instead do this. Look over maps of the park ahead of time and get an idea of the general lay out. Plan on at least 2 days at MK. On each day, do one half of MK - this way you aren't wasting time running from side to side for rides. Make your ADRs and FP+ with this in mind. Arrive at rope drop and just start at the front and make your way back, going on rides as you come to them, saving your FP+ for the big rides. Or, you can arrive at rope drop, hit all the "big ticket" rides first, then go and do the smaller ones in that area and save your FP+ for the bigger rides you weren't able to rope drop/ones you want to do again. If you are staying onsite - take advantage of the morning EMH, you'll get a surprising amount done in that hour.
Bring ear plugs AND noise canceling headphones. Even if your son isn't typically bothered by noise, Disney is LOUD. The noise is constant, and after awhile it can get overwhelming. We used those moldable wax ear plugs for our son and daughter every day in the parks. Then we used noise canceling headphones for the bigger things like fireworks, certain shows (Indiana Jones) etc... It really helped a lot. Other things that may help: a hat and sunglasses. The sunglasses can help with the visual stimulation by taking a bit of the edge off of the bright colors and glaring sun, a hat can not only a) provide a bit of proprioceptive (calming) input, but can also shade them, again help with visual input and then also give them a bit of a feeling of being hidden. You may also want to bring a small backpack for your son with a weight in it. The feeling off the weight/pressure on the straps as he wears it can again offer proprioceptive input. I strongly suggest you
rent a stroller - a) don't be surprised if your 5 year old needs it, Disney is huge and a lot of walking and even kids that old get tired and b) it can offer you a place to stash your "supplies" like the backpack when not in use, hat, headphones etc...
So, as for the issues I see with your touring plans:
MK:
- You have not allowed any time for getting your DAS return time. You have written it down, but not worked any time into your plan. Now, if you plan on having someone go get the DAS time while you go on the ride, that's fine, but if you will all actually want to go on a ride together, this is a problem. Allow at least 5-10 minutes for each DAS time retrieval (you need to allow for time to walk to the ride, wait your turn, get the time and walk back).
HS:
- Depending on how busy it is, 15 minutes may not be enough for JTA sign up. Some people report waiting 30 minutes. But I'm not sure what the crowds are going to be like when you're there. That said - if you can be at DHS in line by 8:15 (assuming 9:00 am opening without EMH), you should be good (make sure you bring something to occupy your son while he's waiting for the park to open).
- Your plan for TSMM and Jedi won't work. The children have to be at Jedi Training Academy a FULL 30 minutes before the show start time, which means they need to be there by 10:30. Also, the whole thing will take longer than 15 minutes, it's 15-20 minutes long, and then you need to allow another 5 minutes for your child getting back to you, getting your card for your photos and then out of the area. I'd plan on an extra 10 minutes on top of the 15 that TP gives.
- Warning on "Great Movie Ride" - there will be sudden, loud noises, so if that bothers your son, plan on using the headphones. Same with Indiana Jones - it is EXTREMELY loud. My son couldn't handle it, even with his headphones (but it really is a great show, lol).
- You're likely not going to make the 1:30 show of Frozen. I would plan on the 2:00 Indiana Jones and the 3:30 Frozen. Do TSMM again in between the two.
EP:
- Test Track takes MUCH longer than TouringPlans allows for (it's a flaw in their program, they only factor in the 4 minute ride, they forget about the pre-design room etc...). It's easily 20 minutes for this ride, and easily add on another 15-20 minutes if you plan on doing the post-ride games, photoshoot etc... (which my kids 8 & 5 LOVED), which I think you'll want to plan on doing at least once. So, with that in mind, you really need to readjust this entire day.
AK:
- This day actually looks pretty good. You may want to get a DAS time for Lion King, but that's up to you.
In these four days you have nothing planned for Fanastmic and Wishes. I'm assuming you're doing those on different days? If so, I would plan on taking an afternoon break on those days, and then coming back to the park after supper for the evening shows. Also, you may want to plan "down days" or at the least, rest mornings for the days right after an evening show. Those would be good days to just take off and enjoy the pool, or perhaps do a water park late morning/afternoon, so you can sleep in, and have more down time to let your children recuperate from the late nights. The big thing is to allow for rest time every single day, and on a long trip like that, take at least a couple days off.
