Just back from Disney with Autistic/Bi-polar child

[bradleysnana]

I learned quite a few things from this trip. Things to do and not do. Number 1 -do not go during Thanksgiving week. I also learned not to go for 10 days. The first 3-4 days were ok. We had a couple of meltdowns but nothing drastic. The last 4 days were too difficult even with a SAC (Special assistance card). We actually packed up and came home early. The bus rides to and from the park were terrible. Another thing I learned is to be sure to use your own car for transportation. We have decided that we will not go back to Disney for a few years. Too much stimulation for our 5 year old autistic/bi polar grandson. Last summer we went on a 10 day trip to New York, cruised to Canada, Washington DC, Pennsylvania, and to Carowinds theme park and had a great time. I believe too many people and too many sensory issues this trip to Disney. If anyone has any other tips, I would love to hear them for when we do go back again one day.

 

[s&k'smom]

Hi, sorry your trip didn't go well. We usually travel around the end of October which is nice and quiet for us. We also decided after our last trip we would splurge on a monorail resort for the many travel options (i.e. monorail, boat etc.) We also decided to maybe to less time at the parks and spend more time at the resort relaxing by the pool (autistic son loves swimming). You'll find lots of info here on these threads. Take care.

 

[SueM in MN]

Sorry to hear your trip didn't go so well.
You did learn some very important things though. I do think WDW is overstimulating even for kids who don't have special challenges. We've also found that the more people there are, the more negatively stimulating it is. It's a totally different place if you go during one of the slow times.
This website has a lot of good information about visiting WDW with kids who have stimulation/ sensitivity difficulties.

 

[mbb]

So sorry that your trip wasn't what you hoped

Our twin boys are both ASD, and we had MANY sleepless nights before we left...is this a good idea - spending all this $ for a trip that may very well be a huge disaster...we stayed at the Polynesian - they LOVED the monorail, and never stayed in the parks for more than two or three hours, and spent lots of time by the pool...we didn't get to see "everything", but knew that if this trip was successful, we would go back...I think it was reading the "Unofficial Guide"...they wrote that WDW isn't going to packup and move to Mongolia! and we realized that if the trip bombed, we could always do - like you will - something else...the important part is that we're out there - as a family - experiencing new things...

Would love to see you try Nova Scotia!!

 

[bradleysnana]

We have taken the grandsons to Nova Scotia and we LOVED it! It is on our list of places to return to! Canada was beautiful and peaceful!!

 

[SueOKW]

I definitely agree with you Nana, it is very overstimulating. We've learned so much after 6 trips. Our last one was for 10 days, and we didn't go into parks for 5 of those days. I really think that's the key. My little guy just lives for e ticket night, so we get as many of those in as we can.

Next trip for us? Feb 21 - 29.

Sue

 

[Poohnatic]

Sorry your trip wasn't the best.

We've done 6 trips with my Asperger's son, three were before his diagnosis. They were not the most pleasant experiences. I do recall saying "you're not coming back here until you can come by yourself!" at one time.

Most of our trips involve a stop at my Mom's first for 1 or 2 days (1 1/2 hours from WDW on the gulf coast). Since we go fairly regularly, we have learned to follow his cues. We'll do the pool in the morning a few times. We also make sure that we have at least one 'non park day' over the 5-7 days were there.

We also have had two days where my son spent the day in the room with Dad the past two trips, due to horrible meltdowns. We're hopeful that the new medications that are working so well will keep up at WDW.

Some things that help us with the sensory overload are: renting the disney strollers. They are covered on three sides, and cut down all that stimuli. We also bring a towel to drape over it, if my son wants 'alone time'.

Son also has a ball cap that he wears constantly at WDW. Normally, he doesn't bother with one (I think he doesn't like the feel of one) and he'll wear it all day. It cuts down on glare and more of that visual stimuli.

If you get new clothes for the trip, wash them first. My son will scratch the bejeezus out of himself when things are not softened up by washing!

Good luck on future trips.

Suzanne

 

[On Wisconsin]

We leave next Friday and all of this info is very encouraging. We will be there for nine days and are only buying tickets for four days at Disney parks, plus MVMCP, and one day at Seaworld. Our ASD son also loves to swim (and thankfully his siblings do as well) so hopefully we will have weather warm enough to swim a lot. Even though DS is ten now I'm sure he'll find a way to make himself fit into a stroller! He spent a lot of our last trip in them and they were very calming for him. His meds for anxiety and ADHD are working pretty well right now so I think this will be a good trip. We plan on just relaxing the last couple of days when the crowds start to swell.

The schools are never crazy about us pulling the kids out for vacation but I don't think it would be possible in busier times! God bless the people that can do it -- I won't even try!

Michelle

 

[SueM in MN]

Originally posted by On Wisconsin
Even though DS is ten now I'm sure he'll find a way to make himself fit into a stroller!

I wanted to mention that several WDW CMs have posted that they have a couple different sizes of strollers. The largest will reportedly fit up to a small 12 year old. I've seen some kids in strollers that fit that description, so I'd say it's accurate.
If the WDW strollers don't work, I've been told that http://www.all-about-kids.com/main.htm and
Care Medical:
http://www.caremedicalequipment.com/
rent special needs strollers. These look like either giant umbrella or jogging strollers and fit people up to 100-125 pounds. They are not so nice at blocking out stimuli as the solid side WDW strollers, but better than nothing.
Also, one of the messages on the Guest Assistance Cards (GAC - the SAC that the first poster mentioned) would allow the stroller to be brought into lines and treated like a wheelchair, which is very helpful for some people.
Hope you have fun (although you don't have that harsh of winter weather to escape from in Wisconsin this year).

 

[Kay1]

I agree about the buses and sometimes think it better to stay offsite. I really like the place we stayed last month - a Doubletree suite on 192. It was a two-becroom, two-bath with a full kitchen, living room/dining room, and it was very peaceful and quiet, with ponds with ducks and swans.
I know some people think cooking while on vacation is a terrible thing, we've started to like simple meal preparations, and often get take out on the way back from the parks, to be put in the fridge and reheated when we feel like it.
When the parks are busy and there are so many people jostling for a place to be, waiting for a crowded bus to ride back to a cramped hotel room, then have to go to a crowded food court or restaurant, can be stressful.

 

[mbb]

but we love onsite...which is why we purchased DVC..having the space, kitchen and proximity to Epcot and the Studios sold us - now we don't even have to "bother" with the buses...it gives us our dream vacation - with the downtime as close as we could get it

A little OT plug for DVC!!LOL

 

[Kay1]

Plug away as your point is well taken. We've tried DVC resorts and liked them a lot, especially OKW. I do enjoy driving past the Chinese, Thai, etc., restaurants, on the way " home " from the parks, though. Both ways are great.

 

[SueOKW]

When I realized that WDW was going to be the best and probably only place we could have fun as a family, we bought DVC too.

The kitchen alone has probably repaid our investment!!

Sometimes you can rent points on the DVC board for a stay. Of course, I'm particular to OKW for many reasons, primarily because it is so quiet and relaxing.

 

[chamonix]

My dd has some autistic like symptoms and behaviors. She does well at WDW and we stay for ten days each time. We take our cues from her, and follow her lead, do whatever she wants to do, only do what her schedule permits, etc. We never use the buses, we rent a car or use the monorail, boat, etc. Crowded buses after a day at the parks would make *me* unhappy and uneasy and crabby and I might even have a meltdown, LOL. How many "normal" adults have you seen getting short with one another after a day at the parks? lol If you can possibly afford it, stay at a place that will give him the best chance of happiness while there. For us, that means the Polynesian for the convenience to the MK...a rental car to avoid waiting for crowded buses, and lots of swimming, which she loves. Some days we ride the same two rides over and over. Who cares? She has a great time and we will always go back, because every time she trys one new thing, or says one new thing, or does one new thing. Disney is good for her, and us. Right now, I can think of no better place where everything is right where we expect it to be, and everything can be planned out, and there isn't any running around not knowing what will happen next, etc. It's a great safe place for us, hopefully for many years. I hope you have some more success finding places that you can enjoy with your grandson. Good for you for trying!
Oh, and the hat trick works well for us too. Just wearing a hat helps her feel hidden and removed from the hubub. Good luck trying again in the future.

 

[magic kingdom park]

Sorry your trip did not go so well, we took our ASD son who is six to Disney for the first time in Oct., I waited until then because it was less crowded, not this year though it was moderate crowds, we stayed off site and drove our own car, this prevented meltdowns at the end of the day, we also were able to pick up dinner at a restraunt on the way back to the room, while in the parks we let him pick and chose Magic Kingdom was his favorite so we spent time there each of our five days the guest assistance pass helped even though wait times were not much of a problem and he didn't mind waiting five or ten minutes, the only trouble we had of meltdowns was trying to get lunch in the parks he did not want to stop to eat, we carryed lots of snacks to tide us over, this was our best vacation ever, and I got alot of info here off of these boards so I went very prepared, and I fed all kinds of info into my son so that he would be prepared for our trip I done this for about five or six months. It is a magical place I do believe, and magical things do happen there, my son is proof. We are now planning this years vacation there also.

 

[leise]

Sorry to hear you didn't have a great time.

We took our sons to ASMo last January for two weeks. At the time DS1 was just four , he has ASD, and DS2 was 18 months.

Funnily enough the one single thing our DS1 loved most was the Disney Buses. Didn't care how packed they were. Still talks about them now. We got him a tshirt with a picture of one on and he wore it every day last summer. But then he is obsessed by anything with wheels.

We did have a wonderful time. We did everything at his pace , in short doses, starting with a couple of hours in the park, building up to 8 hours in the last few days! We had loads of breaks for swims in the hotel pool, or a trip on the monorail. We got a double buggy so they could both rest and nap when they wanted. And the one overriding thing we learnt was; if he says he doesn't want to do something, no amount of persuasion will make him enjoy it.

For us, staying on site was key. We could split the days up, go backwards and forwards between the parks, and the Extra Magic Hour meant we could go to the parks when they were empty, and try all the rides then. We had a GAC, but only needed to use it once. It was very quiet anyway, last week of Jan.
And his two favourite things were the buses and the WDW tour TV channel in the hotel room. He can still quote that a year later too!

We can't wait to go again. Hope you have better luck next time