First trip with special nephew need advice please.

[orlandonewstarts]

Taking our family to WDW for a first trip (well for 3 of them and 2 were there 30 years ago). We are staying offsite and doing 5 days in the park. Thought maybe offsite was best option to give him some down time away from the hype. Looking to skip the hopper option and driving each day in case we need to leave.

Need advise on best options for my nephew age 6 and first visit. He is Autistic and the doctor, therapist, and teachers all agree the Disney Disability pass would be the only way he could handle the adventure. We have read there are quiet areas to remove the stress but are they easy to find? Trying to keep the visit as calm as possible. Do you suggest the touring guides I see online? Is there 1 geared to his age etc? They are driving and we are flying (IL) and they are open to renting a stroller there if he gets tired. Is it best to go in the AM? Sorry forgot to mention going the week after Thanksgiving 11/27.

Would really appreciate any advice from families who have done this as we want to make this trip as special and happy as possible for him. Oh and any advice on helping his dad enjoy this one? Picture a farmer who doesn't love rides and is all about tractors. He's a great guy and a good sport about this trip but want him to have fun too!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Have you read the extensive DAS FAQ? https://www.disboards.com/threads/w...15-digital-das-on-tickets-magicbands.3178976/

 

[mamabunny]

There are many discussions here about strategies for autistic kiddos - out on the main "DISabilities" page, use that "Search..." box towards the upper right hand corner of the page; It's kind of like Google for DISBoards!

And for the farmer? He might get a kick out of seeing all of the different transportation options there at WDW; there are multiple kinds of boats to ride, the Monorail, the steam train at MK... and although some people can't understand going to WDW and not going on rides, I can - I have a family member who sits out most rides (usually waits outside, occasionally goes and sits at Starbucks for a while if we are going to be going on rides back-to-back-to-back) He does enjoy the shows, and some attractions - so Philharmagic is interesting to him, but Haunted Mansion is not his thing. He loves "One Man's Dream" at Hollywood Studios, but Toy Story Midway Mania (my personal all time favorite!) is a nightmare for him. He just isn't a "ride guy", but that's OK. He still enjoys going, and seeing all the sights, and going to the shows, and he loves the food! There are some days when he just stays at the Resort, and enjoys a swim, and then he typically takes his laptop or iPad down to the lobby, and soaks up some atmosphere, and just relaxes.

The farmer may even find that he enjoys having a "task" - like being the photographer for the group, or being the "navigator" and finding things on the maps (you can still get free paper maps at the front of each Park) or he might even enjoy just doing a "hidden Mickey" photo safari on his own! And Animal Kingdom might be very interesting to him; Disney has a well-respected animal husbandry program that has recently paid dividends in the form of 2 adorable baby tigers, and a new little baby hippo as well.

However he decides to "do Disney" is great - and I hope everyone in your family has a wonderful trip!

 

[gap2368]

the quiet areas that they have listed in the guide can be crowded sometimes and some of them do not exist anymore ( unless they just updated it) If you find you need a quiet place you can go into first aid and have him lie down or ask a CM if they know of any quiet area ( they used to be very good at this but every now and then you get one that has no idea what you are talking about.

 

[redberyl]

make sure you schedule your fastpasses, the DAS works best together with fp!

 

[Aladora]

We took our son to DL for the first time when he had just turned 6. He had also just been dx as autistic 3 months prior to our trip so it was a world of discovery for us!

A few things that we learned on that trip and have used every time at Disney since then.

1. Go at his pace.
2. Take a mid day break. DS is 12 and we still take a break after lunch to go back to the hotel and rest.
3. Make sure he eats and drinks. I'm not sure about your nephew but DS gets super cranky and sensitive when he gets hungry so we keep an eye out and make sure he snacks during the day. He is not one for 3 big meals but instead could happily graze on snacks all day!
4. Don't try and push him for "one more" anything. If he lets you know that he is done, then leave. Our biggest meltdowns at Disney have been after DS says he wants to go back to the hotel but we try and stay a bit longer.
5. I'm not sure how verbal your nephew is but using social stories might help him understand what to expect.
6. Plan the FP+ for "must do" rides and get DAS return times in between.

This guide should help with things such as where some of the rest areas are.

Hope that helps and please do not hesitate to send me a pm if you have any other questions I might be able to answer. We are mostly a DL family but have taken DS to WDW a few years ago and are heading there again in August.

 

[k8Davies]

*was writing list when @Aladora did it an amazing list - mostly in agreement with a few extra suggestions*

Just back from a trip with my 4 year old Autistic little boy - Obviously all autistic children are different, also we stayed on site in the boardwalk area (so could walk to Epcot and DHS) and we were there for 14 days so we had a lot more time to split the parks.

My advice would be:

1) Definitely enquirer about a DAS pass
2) do a lot of prep work of what to expect (Show ride video and pictures) this trip was slightly easier as he went when he was three so we kept showing him the pictures from last trip.
3) Plan and realize you wont be able to do everything - Pick the top things everyone wants to do on the trip and get those knocked off as if you try to do everything you're going to end up with one stressed out little person.
4) Down times are really helpful, As you're staying offsite I would suggest doing a little resort hoping - one day in MK we went over to WL for lunch at Geyser Point - it was a lot quieter than the parks and gave my son and us a rest before we headed back in.
5) Tell everyone - from the photopass CM, character handlers to the servers in the restaurants - CM are helpful anyway but when we shared that information they could help us in unique way - Like a booth in restaurant which offers some sensory help for my son, photopass CM taking that little bit more time to help us and Character knowing that they might not get a hug (Even though this trip unlike the last he wouldn't stop hugging character - last time the most the got if they were special a high five)
6) accept things might go wrong and have exit strategies

I'm sure you'll have a fantastic trip, I think Disney goes above and beyond with help for Autism issues

 

[Hoodie]

We've done WDW with my son many times. Here are the keys:

-schedule your FP and get the DAS. These will both help tremendously.
-get a stroller from the beginning from a vendor (they deliver to almost all offsite hotels as well). It is a LOT of walking - far more than most kids are used to. We found that we didn't use the stroller so much to relieve his walking but so he had his own "space." He preferred strollers that had a pull down hood so he could literally escape when he needed to. That also helped us a lot as he could decompress while we walked around.
-think about "stroller as a wheelchair" tag. My son doesn't need it - he's ok as long as the line is moving and isn't longer than about 20 minutes - but some have found that helpful. It allows you to take the stroller into the line with you, so he will still have his buffer. Again - it may or may not be helpful.
-take it at his pace. We usually go in the morning and go for as long as he can. Of course, he's also awake every morning at 6 so going later doesn't make much sense!
-Don't force character meet and greets. One year, my son loved them. The next he wouldn't go within eyesight of any characters.

For the farmer - Living with the Land. He can see all the farming techniques in the greenhouses. There's the Behind the Seeds tour too. Probably far too elementary for him, but his son may like the reactive plants and releasing the lady bugs.

 

[Aladora]

One other tip that I thought of while I was driving DS to school.

If your nephew uses any sort of electronic device then make sure you bring it! Our son loves his Nintendo DS so we let him bring it to the parks and play it whenever we had to wait. (Rule in our house is that if you are going to use anything electronic that makes noise, headphones are required!) We even let him use it while we were at restaurants waiting, something we typically do not allow.

 

[disneyfool_1202]

My son is now 14 with ASD, OCD, and Anxiety and has been going to WDW since he was 8 months old. He was diagnosed with ASD at 21 months, the rest followed as he aged but by the time he was 4 he had all of the above and quite obviously. Some things that helped us:

• TONS of preplanning. I always get Birrnbaums book and we used to read a little each night. Things he sounded interested in we would look up on You tube. Things he would questions we would look up on Youtube. Things that were a no stayed a no - for all of us.
• Sound cancelling headphones were a GODSEND. He was able to sit in his stroller for parades with them on (and sunglasses) and it was a little safehaven for him.
• Back then it was a guest assistance pass. We specifically would request alternate entrance with quieter wait then general queue if line longer than 20 minutes or could not accommodate stroller. By focusing on what we knew were his specific needs we made out fine.
• Snacks -we had plenty of his favorite while in a queue waiting. Also small toys and books that were light and easy to pack. Sometimes as simple as crayons and a notebook.
• Dinner reservations were a must and I would have DH check in ahead of us arriving, explaining that we had a child with ASD and when the table was ready he would text me and we would be there within a min. Sitting around doing "nothing" was like waiting for the turmoil. Strolling (moving), even window shopping was better than doing nothing.
• If you have other kids, find moments to accommodate their needs as well. the whole trip can't be about accommodating your child with ASD. Even if that means splitting up the adults for a few hours and going in two different directions. Depending on their ages, it's helpful and necessary.
• If you can find any adult time- take it. Disney is exhausting. Going with kids, super exhausting. Managing kids ont he spectrum - unbelievably exhausting but if successful one of the most rewarding moments of your life.
• HAVE FUN! don't sweat the small stuff. Don't stress over what you don't see. Focus on the things you can see & do. Sometimes the entertainment and the shows or almost as spectacular as the rides and won't be as overstimulating. Well worth it in my opinion. At this point my 14 year old says 'yeah, that's boring, can I go on Sapce Mountain and I'll meet you after?" Wow- when did THAT happen??

 

[Dr.JackieOgden]

I would definitely look into renting a stroller if you’re looking for calm. Our son is 8 and we still use one because he needs his own space and when he gets tired he gets “floppy”. Rent one ahead of time from a stroller co., not at the parks. The Disney strollers are hard plastic and look really hard to maneuver.
Noise cancelling headphones are good, too.
Also, I don’t know how this works out for your plans but we only do one day at MK when we go. It is always SO crowded there, much more so than any other park, and you just can’t seem to get away from people. AK can be a great park when the kiddos have just kind of had it; you can walk the animal paths and in my experience it’s pretty easy to find outside seating for having a snack.
Hope you guys have a great trip!!!

 

[lcataldimay]

These are all fantastic suggestions!
I would add one more: What is his favorite "reinforcer?" For example, if my son is having a difficult time exiting a park or handling sensory issues, I give him gummy bears to help calm him down.
What does your nephew use at home or even at school when he is rewarded for a particular behavior?

 

[FortForever]

Do you suggest the touring guides I see online? Is there 1 geared to his age etc?

Yes, I highly recommend Touring Plans site! It's super inexpensive to subscribe, although I know some things are available free. I'm not sure how much you can do without a subscription, since I've always had one. They have good crowd calendars on their site and you can do custom touring plans for exact days, based on your preferences. The site will figure everything out for you. The plans are fun to play with.

-get a stroller from the beginning from a vendor (they deliver to almost all offsite hotels as well). It is a LOT of walking - far more than most kids are used to. We found that we didn't use the stroller so much to relieve his walking but so he had his own "space." He preferred strollers that had a pull down hood so he could literally escape when he needed to. That also helped us a lot as he could decompress while we walked around.
-think about "stroller as a wheelchair" tag. My son doesn't need it - he's ok as long as the line is moving and isn't longer than about 20 minutes - but some have found that helpful. It allows you to take the stroller into the line with you, so he will still have his buffer. Again - it may or may not be helpful.

I strongly second this advice! As the mom of an ASD son, I speak from lots of experience. Rent from an offsite vendor - cheaper and more comfortable. Absolutely ask for a DAS and a "stroller as a wheelchair" tag so you can keep him in the stroller in lines. It will give him his personal space, that will make a huge difference in everyone's happiness.

If your nephew uses any sort of electronic device then make sure you bring it! Our son loves his Nintendo DS so we let him bring it to the parks and play it whenever we had to wait. (Rule in our house is that if you are going to use anything electronic that makes noise, headphones are required!) We even let him use it while we were at restaurants waiting, something we typically do not allow.

This too! We let our neuro-typical grandchildren bring electronics for lines as well. This can be a lifesaver.

Noise cancelling headphones are good, too.

I would consider this a necessary item to have for a 6 year old ASD child at WDW. Great advice!