Your day's itinerary?

[berries]

Trying to come up with a plan. Should we do one ride, one show, one ride, one show? Something exciting, then something low key? Will this even work because of the long lines at WDW? We will be there 7 days and will go to all 4 parks. One park each day.

Staying at a resort so can go early or stay late at times. Do plan on going back to the room around lunch to rest, swim, watch tv, have down time. Want to see the parades and outside shows if we can catch them!

Also since we will have the GAC, will we even use the fastpass?

What has worked best for you in the past?

Thanks for your help! I am getting excited and 2 weeks seems a long time off!

 

[bookwormde]

We pre brief but do not overly preplan. Fast pass is actually better that the GAC for lines where it is available so we generally get a set when we first arrive (typically at or just after rope drop) and are typically able to get a second set later and use them before we leave around noon.

bookwormde

 

[fausz4]

My son has Asperger's and we loosely plan the day but do some

We are planning on doing a park a day, resting in the middle of the day, and maybe catching Wishes or dinner - same as you.

This is how we deal with the schedule and preparing him for what is going to happen that day. Everyone chooses at the beginning of the day one thing they really want to do and he makes a list and he is the keeper of that list - this way he knows the things that we need to do and the fact it is not all about him. This is not saying that we dont split up during the day (which saved some melt downs).

On our last trip we didnt have a GAC (my Dad was in a wheelchair - so we used that entrance) we used FP when we could. There really werent alot of long lines - we went in early Sept.

Our big save was the bag of tricks I had with me that kept him busy. Little pens and a small pad of paper, a small book (he's a reader). I bought the Hidden Mickey book and we tried to find the HM in the queuing areas.

What I had to make sure was, MY expectations werent too big for the day. I had to be ok if I had to change plans up to make it work. I always make sure we did the things put on the list - that was my expectation of the day. I did try and use a touring plan loosely.

You are going to do fine - just apply the same techniques/rules/etc. at WDW as you do at home.


Have a great time!

 

[berries]

I told Grandma this trip is all about dd. We don't really go on vacation ever. Sure we do trips and day trips and water parks, etc but not a true vacation spot like WDW! (Grandma has been to WDW numerous times but never stayed at WDW so she is thrilled not to be driving there!)

I am thinking we will do one park each day and then let dd decide what parks to visit the last days. Once she has seen all the different parks.

We may decide to have a plan. If dd has to leave a show and Grandma wants to stay, we could meet up closeby. We both have cells so surely we won't lose each other!

I have seen youtube WDW shows where the children sit in the front and I am already preparing dd not to do this. I told her she needs to sit with me in case she gets scared or upset and needs me. She seems okay with it. I didn't tell her WDW shows but "shows".

 

[SueM in MN]

If you are going in 2 weeks, you should not be going at a time that is typically very busy.
By doing things like going to MK early (like when the park opens), it's possible to ride everything in Fantasyland, plus a few things with very short wait (like 5-10 minutes). This is true even in busy times like Spring break. Knowing where to be and when helps you avoid the crowds in the lines and also just generally out in the park. By the time the park gets busy, you will have spent a fair amount of time in the park and will probably be ready to go back to your resort for some rest and/or swim time.

I agree with the others that Fastpass is better for those attractions with it, unless you need some special seating for shows. You can send someone else in your party ahead with all your park passes to get Fastpasses. Then, when it's time to use the Fastpass, you can just enter the fastpass entrance. It's very predictable.
Because GACs are not meant to shorten or eliminate waits in line, you may not have the same experience using the GAC, even at the same attraction on the same day. It's possible that you may go in fairly quickly, but you could also be given a hand-written sort of Fastpass and asked to return at a certain time to the Fastpass entrance or somewhere else. So, if the attraction has Fastpass, it's more predictable to use that.

ALSO, using a GAC or a stroller as a wheelchair can sometimes even mean a longer wait. Some places this is especially true are Small World at MK, the Safari at AK and Spaceship Earth at Epcot. On our last 3 trips, we went on all these attractions seveal times during the trip. For Small World, at the time we went, the regular line had a posted 15 minute wait, but people were basically walking in as fast as they could and some boats were being sent out 1/2 full. So, the 15 minute posted wait was not accurate at all - the actual wait time for people entering the 'regular' line was about 5 minutes - the time it took them to walk from the entrance to the boat.
Meanwhile, we were at the handicapped entrance. We waited over 25 minutes - and that was only after I started timing after we had been waiting what seemed like a long time. The people who had been ahead of us in line had ridden and gotten off way before we even boarded. We had no choice because our DD uses a wheelchair and needs the wheelchair accessible boat.
The people I felt sorry for were the people who were using GACs with ambulatory kids. They ended up trapped in the line with us and could not leave, even though they didn't need a special boat.
The same thing has happened to us many times on the Safari and Spaceship Earth.

 

[berries]

Thank you for the tips. I will keep that in mind. We are arriving around noon the first day so can't go in early that one day. I did end up telling dd already today and she has been reading all of the guide books I have on WDW. She is SO excited! It is all she has ever wanted she said.

We have been practicing the harness too and she is much more willing when I told her it is required at WDW! The crowded conditions worry me about her getting lost. She promises not to lose me.

 

[Talking Hands]

Thank you for the tips. I will keep that in mind. We are arriving around noon the first day so can't go in early that one day. I did end up telling dd already today and she has been reading all of the guide books I have on WDW. She is SO excited! It is all she has ever wanted she said.

We have been practicing the harness too and she is much more willing when I told her it is required at WDW! The crowded conditions worry me about her getting lost. She promises not to lose me.

I used to tell my older daughter to hold Daddy's hand so he wouldn't get lost. She loved that job. LOL. And she never lost him either.