Accommodations for autism

[MicheleLeDouef]

Hello, everyone. We have a son with Asperger's disorder (a high-functioning kind of autism) and he has had some great challenges at Disney in the past. Previous visits have been to the Pop, and while we love it, it's also very overwhelming from a sensory standpoint.

We are thinking of going right before Christmas and are considering Port Orleans French Quarter for quietness. What do you all think? By the way, I read other sites that suggested the Swan/Dolphin for easy access to DD, but you can't get DDP with it. Other suggestions were hotels on Monorail, which we can't afford. Another mom suggested Fort Wilderness cabins, but again, too much $$$$.

One mom said her son with autism loved the All Star Resorts, but DS definitely would not like that. By the way, DS will be 12 at Christmastime.

Also, we wondered about taking same cabs instead of the buses. Can we use Disney gift card from Chase for that?

[faline]

We found Port Orleans French Quarter to be a relatively quiet location. By sensory input, I'm not sure if you are speaking to visual, sound,or touch but I would need to warn you that French Quarter has some very large and colorful statues and masks spread around the grounds. Some folks have even stated they thought the large masks were "creepy" looking. I found them to be charming but don't know how that would translate for your son.

I don't believe you will be able to use Disney gift cards to pay for cab fare. The cab operators are independent and are not employed by Disney.

For a quieter moderate, you might also consider Coronado Springs - it has a more calming presence, overall, and, being it is spread out over lovely grounds, your son may not find it too overwhelming a presence.

[faline]

And, I forgot to say....Welcome to Intercot!!

You may also want to check out the forum for Guests with Special Needs.

[MicheleLeDouef]

Thank you very much for your quick reply. In answer to your question, the biggest sensory issues were visual and auditory. The food court at the Pop is really awesome in terms of food choices and quality, but it's extremely noisy, and although our room itself was quiet, I felt like as soon as we stepped into public areas, even just walking around the grounds, DS was overwhelmed with the giant fun statues, the music being piped everywhere, etc. I realize music is everywhere at disney, but I felt like there was nowhere he could shut down except actually in the room. I like the idea of a "quieter" landscaping with softer music, not so much bold color... hope this makes sense.

[BrerGnat]

I have two sons on the autism spectrum. My older son is high functioning autism. We took our first trip as a family a few months ago (our boys are 6 and 4). We stayed at the Beach Club. It was a great choice! I know you said money is an issue, but have you looked into the resort discounts (as deep as 40% at the deluxes...) Might be more affordable than you think.

Anyway, my son has a lot of sensory issues too. I can relate on how he would probably react to the value resorts (NOT good...too loud, too much visual overkill).

What my son loved the MOST about WDW was its various fountains. He loves water features, lakes, ponds, etc. Fountains have a soothing quality that he likes. Water, in general, is good for my son. Walking is also soothing for him, as long as the environment is rather calm/serene. He liked Epcot park the most, because of its large lake, numerous fountains, and interactive activities. We loved being at the Beach Club where we could simply walk to most everything we needed (restaurants, Epcot, etc.) The Crescent Lake area is very peaceful, especially at night. He loved sitting in the swing chairs on the beach and having me push him at the end of the day.

With that said, I think if you are considering a moderate, CORONADO SPRINGS would be an ideal choice. It is a rather quiet resort, has lots of beautiful scenery, flowers, fountains, a lake, and a playground with SWINGS (my son is big into swings...very soothing for him). These are the ONLY swings on WDW property besides the ones at Ft. Wilderness. You could use the buses mostly, and cabs when you need. CS is pretty centrally located, for the most part.

I'd probably stay away from POFQ. While it's small, it also sort of lacks "outdoor" space, and most of the good amenities are over at POR. I like the sprawling nature of POR and resorts like CBR and CSR more for their "outdoor" feeling. POFQ just feels like a bunch of buildings and sidewalks, sort of squished close together, sort of claustrophobically, IMO.

[Tick-Tock]

I would look at POR over POFQ. The food court at POFQ is themed to a Mardi Gras warehouse - lots of oversized stuff hanging from the rafters. The decor at POR seems more low-key to me. And the landscaping is more natural in the Alligator Bayou section of POR.

[Mickey'sGirl]

Welcome to INTERCOT!!

I have two autistic sons, the eldest is 12 and has Aspergers, and the youngest is 6 and is High Functioning Autistic, with extreme sensory issues.

We have stayed at all levels of Disney Resorts and there are plusses and minuses for us at each. At the All Star Sports for example, we had a great big lawn right outside of our room. Our kids were able to go out there with a ball and burn of some steam in a nice big open area. At the Moderate hotels, you get a water slide at the pool (very popular with my children), and as Nat pointed out, there is a swing at Coronado if your son seeks that kind of stimulation.

We own Disney Vacation Club, so now we usually stay at a Villa, but if my kids were to choose, I am confident they would choose the All Star Sports over ANY of the Moderate or Value resorts. We request a room off in the distance (Hoops for example) and we have a car for coming and going to the parks. We find the food court selection at Sports is quite decent, and the pools are great. Our only challenge at the Values now is the size of the beds for sharing (DH, DS12 and I are all over 6 feet tall).

Our DS6 manages some of his auditory stress with an IPod. He listens to music to block out ambient sounds (even hearing other people's conversations can cause stress for him), and he ALWAYS wears his sunglasses and a brimmed hat out of the house to reduce some of the visual strain. Perhaps utilizing some tools such as these could help your son?

Whatever you choose, I hope you have a fabulous holiday! Disney makes it VERY comfortable for those with special needs.

[faline]

DS was overwhelmed with the giant fun statues, the music being piped everywhere, etc. I realize music is everywhere at disney, but I felt like there was nowhere he could shut down except actually in the room. I like the idea of a "quieter" landscaping with softer music, not so much bold color... hope this makes sense.

In that case, I definitely think Coronado Springs would be a better moderate resort choice for your family.

[MicheleLeDouef]

Thank you. It does sound very relaxing. And I love Mexican architecture and DS loves Mexican foods! However, I am worried about all the walking there, plus I like the idea of staying at POR because of the boat. Is there a boat at Coronado Springs? I'd like to come up with some alternatives to the bus, which is a big trigger for DS.

Sorry if I am asking too many questions!

[faline]

Thank you. It does sound very relaxing. And I love Mexican architecture and DS loves Mexican foods! However, I am worried about all the walking there, plus I like the idea of staying at POR because of the boat. Is there a boat at Coronado Springs? I'd like to come up with some alternatives to the bus, which is a big trigger for DS.

Sorry if I am asking too many questions!

Ask away! Folks here love to share their knowledge and help others with their plans!

Unfortunately, the only transportation from Coronado Springs to all other Disney locations is by bus. Have you considered renting a car to avoid using Disney transportation?

[BrerGnat]

At the moderate level, you're going to be limited to the bus. The boat at POR only goes to Downtown Disney which is not that useful.

If buses are a big trigger, you would be best served by renting a car. However, that cost can get high very quickly. You might do better at a Deluxe in the Epcot area where you can walk or boat to TWO parks. You can use the taxis as needed. Even MK can be reached by using the monorail from Epcot, rather than a bus.

[Briansmom]

Well, I am going to jump in here against the grain of what has been said already....our DS12 has autism (not high functioning nor Aspergers) and we have found that POFQ is a great place for us. The grounds are quiet and while there is music, which trust me, is a HUGE problem for our son, it is very low key and in the background...hardly noticeable. The only music that would bother him (our son)is the entertainer that is in the lounge near the lobby on certain nites. We keep an MP3 player and small headphones handy at ALL times that is loaded with our son's music so when we think he is going to have an issue or if he gets upset, we can just pop them on his head and it works great. (I know....it sounds strange that he is ok with 'his' music, but not the music in other places...but....I'm sure you can totally relate...after all, we are talking about autism )
The statues that were spoken of are on the way to the pool and are small, mostly the size or smaller than an average size adult. The only really large one is the jester at the entrance to the pool and of course the dragon slide...which by the way, our DS LOVES!
It is just a very peaceful and relaxing place for us after being at the parks all day. Also, the hot tub is a BIG plus for us as DS loves this as well...good to calm down at the end of the day too.
Since POFQ is compact, you don't have to walk very far anywhere. I have a friend that has been to CS and said it was too huge for her and she doesnt have a special needs child! POR is a nice resort as well, but it is much bigger than POFQ. The smallness of the resort works to our advantage with our son.
The boat to DTD and POR is great as well...a very relaxing ride. We've never had any issues with the buses....wait time is usually no more than 10 minutes and most of the time (unless you are catching a bus mid day), when they pick up at POFQ, they go right onto the parks instead of going to POR. In our stay just last week, out of the 8 days that we rode the bus, there was only one time they went to POR after they picked us up at POFQ and that was in the middle of the day. If you would like to talk to me more about POFQ, just PM me and I'll be glad to answer any questions you might have. This last trip was our third time staying there and I am going to be booking our trip there again next year...that is how much we love it. I would really like to try the other resorts, but with our son, POFQ is best suited to us and if he's happy while we're at Disney....you know who else is happy!! We waited a long time to be able to take him to WDW (he wasn't ready before then....music tolerance, etc) and POFQ suits the bill for us perfectly.

[Briansmom]

The statues that were spoken of are on the way to the pool and are small, mostly the size or smaller than an average size adult. The only really large one is the jester at the entrance to the pool and of course the dragon slide...which by the way, our DS LOVES!

I am sorry....there are the hanging masks in the food court but our son doesnt have an issue with them....he just looked at them the first time (2008) with curiosity. Of course, I know how each child with autism is different. Look up some pictures online to give you an idea of what is in the food court to see if you think those masks would be an issue.

[MicheleLeDouef]

Thank you so much. I doubt the masks would be a trigger -- I just don't want so much visual stimulation, like they have at the Pop! Or auditory stimulation either. Both times at the Pop, as much as we loved it, our whole family felt like after awhile, we needed a break from the high-pitched mania; I remember one night I had to go to the lobby for something and just at that time, they started the hustle. At other times, I would have joined in, but I'd had so much at that point that I just wanted to run out of there. That's why I like the idea of someplace like Port Orleans -- something more along the lines of a charming small town like the places where we have quiet vacations on the beach. I like the idea of being able to leave a park and the noisy bus and feeling like we could really get away from that stimulation at the hotel grounds.