Planning Tips? About This Page:

[melissat]

Questions, questions, questions...
We are trying to plan our first trip to WDW in late January and are so overwhelmed. Our son (6) has Down Syndrome and sensory/low tone issues ans we were wondering what hints others had about planning for the trip. Any suggestions on resorts, scheduling, dos or donts? We have so many questions I can't even think of them all!


Any info greatly appreciated, Thanks, Melissa

[Teresa]

I forget to say - Welcome!!



1. Sit back, breathe, and remember, this is a VACATION for all of you.



2. What resort are you staying at? If you haven't planned one yet, I would go for a mono-rail resort if possible (Grand Floridian, Polynesian, Contemporary) These are Deluxe resorts, and so are the most expensive. They are the closest to Magic Kindom, which is where most first timers and young children prefer to go.

Or, an Animal Kindom area resort might be good if your son is really into animals and will like to spend most of the time at Animal Kingdom.



Do you have a Passporter or other guide that gives you travel times from resorts to Parks? If not, let us know, we can let you know in general. (Us as in the people here)



Basically, I would suggest that you arm yourself with as much info on WDW as possible, make a touring plan that seems doable to you, and then, be ready to pitch it.



We went the first time with no plan, a handicapped child, a baby, and MY MOTHER! It was a wonderful time, as we had no expectations, and were willing to walk away from anywhere if one of the kids couldn't "hang"



Just keep remembering, it is supposed to fun for Mom and Dad, too.



Oh yeah, schedule a character meal. A face one (Princesses or Mary Poppins) is good, the kids get a lot of interaction.

[stonewall]

Excellent advice!
Do try to stay on-property, and remember to take those mid-afternoon breaks; you'll all feel better for having a little "quiet time"

[Teresa]

My daughter is sitting here telling me more things:

A character meal that is good for boys - 1900 Parke Fair (in Grand Floridian) for dinner has Peter Pan sometimes, and other characters that may appeal to boys more than the Princesses. Otherwise, I would go to the breakfast there. The Mad Hatter, Tigger, Alice, Mary Poppins, Bert from Mary Poppins, and sometimes others. These are both buffets.

Take a pair of magic sunglasses. These are sunglasses that you buy while your child is not with you, and pull out when he is scared. When he has them on, the "scary people" can't see him, and therefore will leave him alone

Take a stroller. The strollers in the parks vary from okay to downright horrid. And, it helps to have one for the trip from the resort to the transportation.

Small toys to play with on line.

If he gets sensory overload, maybe some ear-plugs and/or a walk-man?

Take him to The Honey I Shrunk the Kids Playground in MGM, it is just the coolest place. the playground in Animal Kingdom is much larger, and easier to lose kids in. Also, in HISTK, most of the activities do not require climbing or co-ordination.

Take a Mouse boat out! It feels like you are going fast, but you aren't.

Plan an hour a day or so to trade off "child duties", it really helps keep the stress down.

I always talk to my kids ahead of time about just how big the characters REALLY are! Taking them to Chuckie Cheese (I know, gross!) seems to help with at least the idea.
Mickey is a 6 ft. Rat, I love him and all his friends, but he is a huge rodent and tends to scare kids. I keep telling my kids that Mickey is as tall as Daddy.
Jafar is the tallest (and Scariest)

Go to the Tiki Room, under new management. My 6 yr. old loves it!!!! And, the 3-D movies (Honey I Shrunk the Audience, Mickey's Philharmagic, It's Tough to be a Bug, and Muppets 4-D) can be very scary. Kids sometimes do better without the glasses. There are some surprises in them, In HISTA - there is a scene where there are a lot of mice released, there are "feathers" that come out, tickle your feet, and make you think there are mice crawling up your leg (listen for the screams to start in the front, and lift up your legs! And, in It' TTAB, at the end, when there is a comment about "let the smaller guests out", or something like that, you get the feeling of bugs walking across your seat, while you are sitting. My 6 yr. old hates those.

[blondie]

My oldest son has Down syndrome (age 14) and a heart condition. We did not take him to WDW for the 1st time until he was 10 and my youngest was 8 (he has autism).

He also has very low tone in the torso, so I was mostly concerned with his stamina and the heat. We always go in the summer so heat is an issue. There are many rides that should be avoided due to the low muscle tone, but there are also many that are good. It all depends on what your son likes.

I also vote for staying on site if possible. We did this for the 1st time last month and it really helped a lot. Also get a pass at guest assistance so you can take a stroller with you in lines, avoid lines and/or give your child a better experience because he won't have to walk so much and get his energy used up.

By all means, if you are planning on renting a stroller while there, Do Not Do It! Take your own stroller from home, if you have one. Your son will be used to that and the strollers at Disney are not very supportive for someone with low tone.

If you would like more hints, and more on our experiences, just send me a private message and we can talk more.

[Laughaholic]

Make sure to get a Special/Guest Assitance Pass. If you would like more information about that let me know.

Bring your own stroller, or rent a wheelchair. The strollers in Disney are horrible!

Go to the parks later in the day, (late morning, early afternoon) and start at the front of the park and work your way back. Usually people start at the front early in the morning, and usually some of the people are heading around in order. I know that sounded very confusing!

If your son like to carry things around, make sure he doesn't drop it in a ride. A couple years ago my brother dropped a plastic shovel (it was small) he was carrying in the track of Journey Into Imagination (yes the original before they ruined it!) they had to stop the ride (he got very impatient!) and get it out.

Also, I suggest trying to avoid rides that break down a lot. If you are either waiting in line it may be difficult to get out and if the ride does not resume soon your son may tantrum (not sure about your situation, I know my brother would) also, if you are on the ride it may pose a dangerous situation, especially if you are on a ride such as Splash Mountain where you are not securely fastened in. I suggest thinking about these rides for different reasons:
Splash Mountain (breaks down a lot, no seatbelt or lap bar)
Test Track (breaks down a lot, longest lines at WDW)
Haunted Mansion/Snow White's Scary Adventures (might be scary)

There's more, just use your judgement.

If you need any more help let me know!