Help with all the things.

[ohiopollworker]

I am soooooo not a Disney person.  Never been.  Why would I pay $$$ to see Disney characters when I can just go to Cedar Point?  

BUT, my parents are taking the kids next summer, and H and I will probably go as well.  So, here we are.  I am prepared to suck it up and have a good attitude, as I am sure we will all have fun regardless.  I tried to look on Disboards but got overwhelmed and ran away.

Background info:  

-We will fly into Orlando, presumably for a week. I'm sure we will rent a car.

-Kids will be 7 and 9.  9 year old has ASD and is somewhat timid- he won't ride big roller coasters even though he is tall enough, where the 7 year old is too short but she is chomping at the bit to go on the adult rides.  She is 47.5 inches right now so she should be 48 by next summer.

-Kids are used to early bedtimes and fall apart after 7 pm.  I know most people stay out later at night, and I'm fine with that in theory, but in practice I think the kids will fall apart.  Feel free to convince me otherwise.

-Neither kid has seen a ton of Disney movies- I don't expect them to care much about the characters.  Like I cannot imagine them giving two fucks about a character breakfast.  OTOH on the off chance they were to care, I would hate to take their one trip to Disney and not see characters.  But OMG the cost of those special meals give me a heart attack.

-We are vegetarian and food snobs, I can handle the higher dining prices at quick service type places because I know that's just how it will be, but I will be pissed if we shell out big money for sit down meals that suck.

-I suspect the kids will want to swim in the pool as much/more than care about Disney.

-DS's special interest is electrical stuff, so anything involving electricity would be a huge bonus for him.  

-We are undecided about staying on or off site.  I am leaning off site because no way can some little mermaid stuff hung on the walls be worth paying 2-3x the cost of a regular hotel.  But again, I have never seen a Disney hotel, and am clearly not a Disney person.  Also, full beds:  NOPE.  We will have 2 grandparents, 2 parents, 2 kids.  We could do any arrangement, but if we have 2 regular hotel rooms we would strongly prefer them to be connected in case some adults want to go out at night.

-My kids give zero fucks about animals.  Other than NOT AK, I don't know which parks we would want to go to.

-We will probably go to a few off site things like the space center, but I'm not sure what and for how many days.  Not Sea World of Lego land, but IDK what else besides the space center we might want to see.

Here is my long list of questions:

WHAT NOW.  HOW DO I DECIDE ANYTHING.

Ok seriously though.

1.  Will it be miserable in July?  We may be able to do the first week of June, but if that week doesn't work we are looking at July.

2.  Help me plan everything else.  Because I don't know and I am overwhelmed and don't know where to even start.

3.  Why is Epcot so cool?  I hear people talk about the food all the time, but why would I want to go eat fake Disney international food and not just go to an actual Mexican/Chinese/Swedish/whatever restaurant?  What else is there to do at Epcot?

[ilikedonuts]

Height requirements at Disney are nothing like Cedar Point. At 48 inches, she will be able to go on everything other then maybe a slide or two at one of the water parks.

What I would do is, go first thing in the morning for rope drop and then leave mid day. Swim and eat and then maybe do 1 late night if you think you can push them just 1 night.

I mean Disney food is probably not anything you will find all that great if you are a vegetarian and a food snob. They have vegetarian options, but overall the food is pretty much just "fine" everywhere.

[ilikedonuts]

If your daughter likes thrill rides, maybe do half Disney half universal trip? Disney stuff is very tame.

[Deleted]

Background info:

-We will fly into Orlando, presumably for a week. I'm sure we will rent a car.

-Kids will be 7 and 9. 9 year old has ASD and is somewhat timid- he won't ride big roller coasters even though he is tall enough, where the 7 year old is too short but she is chomping at the bit to go on the adult rides. She is 47.5 inches right now so she should be 48 by next summer.

48 inches is tall enough for ALMOST everything at Disney World. She will be able to do all of the rides except maybe 1 water slide at the water parks I think. I highly recommend getting a Disability Access Services Card at Guest Relations your first day in the parks. DAS. That link is all about services for kids in the parks 

-Kids are used to early bedtimes and fall apart after 7 pm. I know most people stay out later at night, and I'm fine with that in theory, but in practice I think the kids will fall apart. Feel free to convince me otherwise.

My kid can give me like 1 or 2 " later" nights. But then he falls apart. I would pick one evening show everyone wants to see and try to do it. I would NOT pay for anything extra in the evenings ( fireworks parties or cruises or shows) in case my kid freaks out.

-Neither kid has seen a ton of Disney movies- I don't expect them to care much about the characters. Like I cannot imagine them giving two fucks about a character breakfast. OTOH on the off chance they were to care, I would hate to take their one trip to Disney and not see characters. But OMG the cost of those special meals give me a heart attack.

Book 1 character breakfast. Cheaper than lunches or dinners. If you realize the day before that the kids don't care you can cancel up to 24 hours out with no penalty. I highly reccomend visiting Mickey in Town Hall ( he's the talking Mickey) in Magic Kingdom if he's the only character you visit. Regular meet and greets are included in your admission. 



-We are vegetarian and food snobs, I can handle the higher dining prices at quick service type places because I know that's just how it will be, but I will be pissed if we shell out big money for sit down meals that suck.

Are your kids' adventurous eaters? If so I would try to add in some resort dining in the early evenings since they have early bed times. Saana at AKL is the best meal I have ever had on property ( trust me just get the bread service), Kona at The Poly is known for it's sushi , The Wave at The Contemporary has really good " healthish" choices that are unique and yummy. 

-I suspect the kids will want to swim in the pool as much/more than care about Disney.

Do they need waterslides, the villas and the deluxes have the biggest slides.  Beach Club has the best pool on property. Your kids could spend days there. 

-DS's special interest is electrical stuff, so anything involving electricity would be a huge bonus for him.

Check out Ellen's World of Energy, and Test Track in Epcot. 

-We are undecided about staying on or off site. I am leaning off site because no way can some little mermaid stuff hung on the walls be worth paying 2-3x the cost of a regular hotel. But again, I have never seen a Disney hotel, and am clearly not a Disney person. Also, full beds: NOPE. We will have 2 grandparents, 2 parents, 2 kids. We could do any arrangement, but if we have 2 regular hotel rooms we would strongly prefer them to be connected in case some adults want to go out at night.

Put some consideration into renting DVC points for a 2 bedroom villa ( I know you said you don't like animals but I was totally going to reccomend AKL to you for all the good food choices there! LOL) Staying onsite is more immersive, and you get good perks like EMHs and Magical Express and package pick up. Plus you don't have to drive so if you want a few cocktails one night you are all set. 

-My kids give zero fucks about animals. Other than NOT AK, I don't know which parks we would want to go to.

Don't skip Epcot or Magic Kingdom. 

-We will probably go to a few off site things like the space center, but I'm not sure what and for how many days. Not Sea World of Lego land, but IDK what else besides the space center we might want to see.

Here is my long list of questions:

WHAT NOW. HOW DO I DECIDE ANYTHING.

Ok seriously though.

1. Will it be miserable in July? We may be able to do the first week of June, but if that week doesn't work we are looking at July.
Hotter than balls. Plan a mid day break for the pool and bring those cooling towels and fans. Plan an indoor show for every other attraction. 

2. Help me plan everything else. Because I don't know and I am overwhelmed and don't know where to even start.
wdwprepschool.com/ This site has a 5 step planning process that is very helpful. It will help you deciede when, where, where to eat, what to ride etc. 

3. Why is Epcot so cool? I hear people talk about the food all the time, but why would I want to go eat fake Disney international food and not just go to an actual
It has rides that are more based on science and culture. The food is good at some of the restaurants. An abundance of booze for sale, shopping for stuff, Kids can do Phineas and Ferb world showcase adventures while Mom and Dad drink. 

Read more: pandce.proboards.com/thread/546830/help-all#ixzz4H3AmF7ZP

[Deleted]

Aug 11, 2016 12:50:42 GMT -5 ilikedonuts said:

If your daughter likes thrill rides, maybe do half Disney half universal trip? Disney stuff is very tame.

Yes. It sounds like this is a good idea for your group. 

[was5]

We are undecided about staying on or off site. I am leaning off site because no way can some little mermaid stuff hung on the walls be worth paying 2-3x the cost of a regular hotel. But again, I have never seen a Disney hotel, and am clearly not a Disney person. Also, full beds: NOPE. 

Read more: pandce.proboards.com/thread/546830/help-all#ixzz4H3GyPfx6

The standard rate for a Little Mermaid room is about $188 on the Disney website. If you saw the $350-$400 price range that is for a suite at Art of Animation. The other value resorts (All Star Music, All Star Sports, All Star Movies and Pop Century) are closer to $150/night. However, if you want queen beds instead of full sized, then value resorts are not for you. The moderate and deluxe resorts have queen sized beds.

[was5]

Also, we went at the beginning of August 2 years ago, and the heat and humidity were the worst part of the trip. I think on average July is even hotter than August. If you live in Ohio it will probably take a couple days just to get used to it. I say this as a fellow mid-westerner who also lived in Houston for many years. There are 2 water parks on site. You might want to do a water park day. Our time was really limited and I regret not being able to go to one.

[ohiopollworker]

Aug 11, 2016 13:51:19 GMT -5 @savestheday said:

Aug 11, 2016 12:50:42 GMT -5 ilikedonuts said:

If your daughter likes thrill rides, maybe do half Disney half universal trip? Disney stuff is very tame.

Yes. It sounds like this is a good idea for your group. 

So part of my question, is that I don't quite understand what the Disney rides are even like.  Like what about Space Mountain?  Everything I know about DW I learned from reading the Babysitters Club DW trip book.  

[ohiopollworker]

Aug 11, 2016 12:49:33 GMT -5 ilikedonuts said:

I mean Disney food is probably not anything you will find all that great if you are a vegetarian and a food snob. They have vegetarian options, but overall the food is pretty much just "fine" everywhere.

If we are eating quick service, whatever, I don't care.

I feel like the trip report descriptions I've read of sit down places are very "food was ok".  This I will be annoyed about after paying $$$.  

So if we down breakfast for characters, I think we would not do any other restaurants.  Is there something special about the Disney restaurants other than meeting characters, that I should be considering?  ETA:  just read the specific restaurant recs that may be of interest to us.  TY!

[ohiopollworker]

Question about the disability thing: Overall DS "passes" just fine and doesn't "need" special accommodations. However, he will not handle waiting in long lines well. But, OTOH, NO kids likes waiting in long lines.

Have any of you been borderline on using the disability card? How did you decide?

[TBM]

disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/magic-kingdom/space-mountain/ It is time consuming, but you can go throught he list of attractions there for descriptions and pictures. You can also just google the ride names and get good descriptions and even find videos.

[was5]

Aug 11, 2016 15:03:54 GMT -5 ohiopollworker said:

Aug 11, 2016 13:51:19 GMT -5 @savestheday said:

Yes. It sounds like this is a good idea for your group. 

So part of my question, is that I don't quite understand what the Disney rides are even like.  Like what about Space Mountain?  Everything I know about DW I learned from reading the Babysitters Club DW trip book.  

I have been to Cedar Point several times but I'm not a regular there and it's probably been 4 years since I was there. I don't go on any of the new coasters because I don't like to be so scared I don't enjoy a ride. With that being said, I thought Space Mountain was fun without being scary and DD loved it when she was 7. She rode it twice. If you are looking at a direct comparison to a ride at Cedar Point, I'd probably put it in a class with the Gemini.

We didn't spend much time at Hollywood Studios but I get the impression that the coaster there is a little more thrilling.

[ilikedonuts]

Space Mountain is kind of like disaster transport from Cedar Point years ago. (am I dating myself? lol)

ETA: I've lived in Cleveland my entire life so I've been to Cedar Point almost yearly since I was born.

[ilikedonuts]

If you want sit down dinners, I would look at the various restaurants in the world showcase at epcot and i ditto Sannaa at AKL. Other then that you'll be paying $$$ for mediocre food.

[alleinesein]

Aug 11, 2016 15:12:32 GMT -5 ohiopollworker said:

Question about the disability thing: Overall DS "passes" just fine and doesn't "need" special accommodations. However, he will not handle waiting in long lines well. But, OTOH, NO kids likes waiting in long lines.

Have any of you been borderline on using the disability card? How did you decide?

We used the guest assistance pass in May at Disneyland.  My friends mom is 83 years old and has trouble walking so we got her a wheelchair.  The cast members at both DLR and WDW will explain everything to you and answer any questions that you might have.  

As for the food reviews you are seeing- you need to take them with a grain of salt.  Disney has some great restaurants and some average ones so you might end up with a meal that is 'just okay' at one point during your trip.  I've seen reviews where people complain that the Italian food tastes nothing like what they get back home at Olive Garden and they rant about how horrid it is.  Yeah...if the reviewers standard for good italian food is Olive Garden they aren't going to like what they get at Disney.  There is also a huge difference in not liking what you ordered and straight up bad food.  I have a friend who is vegan and he has always managed to find great stuff at both WDW and DLR when he visits.  If a vegan can go there and find foods that he raves about you really shouldnt be worried.

I'll be back later with more info- have to head out now!

[Deleted]

Oh & if you want to learn about eating vegetarian @ Disney check out Disney Hipster Blog

[Deleted]

@savestheday speaks the truth

the quick service food is meh to me...but most (all?) of the sit down food had been really good (though i'm not a food snob). only a few are character meals and MOST of your day at disney does not have to be meeting characters--there is PLENTY to do without ever meeting one character.

like pp said, your dd can do 99% of what disney offers

it's fine if your kids are done at 7. we do that too. start early...but enjoy your time. it's vacation! do whatever you all need to do to relax!

july is FREAKING hot...so plan for the pool midday or for june...but if you must go during the summer...try to find those crowd calculators and pick whatever the lowest week is.

disney is great about helping guests with the assistance passes. when you call to book you can ask for more details.

we LOVE staying on site. the theming is nice, but really--you get extra magic hours, bussing to and from the parks, a food court at each hotel, if you only plan to do disney, you can take the magical express from the airport and you never need to rent a car...they even have a special service where if you purchase something in the park, they will send it to your hotel so you don't have to carry it around all day--it will just be there waiting for you when you get back to your hotel in the evening (all these are "free")

hope you all have fun and feel the magic. I know disney is $$$ but we certainly believe it's worth it.

[lala]

I consider us low key foodies and our oldest kid is, too. We find plenty of great food in DW. There are some fantastic restaurants and some crappy ones. Just like everywhere else.

Unless you live in an area with a hotbed of authentic ethnic restaurants - the food in world showcase is often no different than what you'd get at your local ethnic restaurant. There are exceptions. There are also some great counter service options.

I think you'll need to embrace the experience and have a positive attitude - or like any travel or vacation - it will such. Realistic but positive expectations.

I highly recommend staying onsite, using Disney transpiration, getting to Parks before rope drop, long afternoon breaks (naps/pool) and heading back out late afternoon. You don't have to be out late ever night but definitely don't miss the nighttime entertainment.

AK is more than a zoo. There are still great attractions & shows.

[alleinesein]

Aug 11, 2016 15:03:54 GMT -5 ohiopollworker said:

Aug 11, 2016 13:51:19 GMT -5 @savestheday said:

Yes. It sounds like this is a good idea for your group. 

So part of my question, is that I don't quite understand what the Disney rides are even like.  Like what about Space Mountain?  Everything I know about DW I learned from reading the Babysitters Club DW trip book.  

They are just like any other rides but with better theming.  You can pop on YouTube and find videos of Disney rides to get an idea of what they are like.  The dark rides in Fanstasyland tell an abridged version of the story/movie they are based on.  Disney roller coasters are tame compared to Cedar Point.  Expedition Everest and the Rock N Roller Coaster are the wildest of the bunch; the rest of them are fun but relatively tame (speeds of 35mph, etc).

[alleinesein]

1. Will it be miserable in July? We may be able to do the first week of June, but if that week doesn't work we are looking at July.
 Summers in Orlando suck.  You will be hot and sweaty if you go anytime in the summer but if you plan your days the right way you can minimize your exposure to the heat.  Get to the parks when they open, have lunch at a full service restaurant with A/C, hit up indoor shows in the afternoon.


2. Help me plan everything else. Because I don't know and I am overwhelmed and don't know where to even start.


Find a Disney travel agent to help you with the big stuff.  We have one on the board who can help you out.  While things do need to be booked and you have to have a rough itinerary for your days you determine how how complicated your trip will be.  Many times people get caught up in the "I have to do everything" mentality and they end up not having a very good trip.  Have each of your kids pick 3 things that they absolutely have to ride/see/do at each park and make it a priority to do those things.  

3. Why is Epcot so cool? I hear people talk about the food all the time, but why would I want to go eat fake Disney international food and not just go to an actual Mexican/Chinese/Swedish/whatever restaurant? What else is there to do at Epcot?
EPCOT is my home park since it was my first location that I worked at when I was with the house of mouse.  I love it and can talk non stop about it!  It is cool for many different reasons.  They have made it more kid friendly in the past decade so now it is a good park for all ages.  EPCOT has some of the best park dining options at WDW.  And yes you may be able to find Chinese, Mexican, Italian, Japanese, etc where you live but Disney has to cater to everyone and for some people those cuisines are exotic and new.  Disney also staffs the World Showcase pavilions with people from those countries so it is a great opportunity to meet young people from other parts of the world.  You can get a little culture while you munch on your churro.  EPCOT might be a great park for your son- Innoventions would be a good thing for him to check out.  

You don't have to be a Disney fan to enjoy the parks.  The Magic Kingdom is really the only park where you will be overloaded with Disney Disney Disney.  

Character meals are fun.  One advantage to a buffet is that you can grab a quick bite or have a leisurely meal.  Some of the character meals also have interactive stuff for the kids to do.  

Stay on property.  The biggest advantage to staying on property is that if you have issues with any of your kids you can hop on a bus and go back to the hotel.  If you stay off property you have to deal with everyone heading back if you drive to the park.  

Not all the hotels are character themed.  The Art of Animation resort is the only one that is really 'charactered out'.  The resorts are themed but the character presence is minimal; you might find a hidden Mickey in a pattern on the carpet, bedspread or wallpaper.  You will not be inundated with characters 24/7.  My favorite moderate resort is the Port Orleans French Quarter- it is New Orleans Mardi Gras themed and the only thing that indicates that it is a Disney hotel are the toiletries in the bathroom.  When you look at hotels check out the Deluxe Villa category.  These rooms are the DVC (Disney Vacation Club) rooms that you can book directly through Disney.  A 2 bedroom villa would accommodate your group of 6 and it has the added bonus of a full kitchen, multiple bathrooms, and a washer/dryer in the room.  It can sometimes be cheaper than booking 2 separate rooms.  

Don't totally eliminate the Animal Kingdom.  It is more than just a zoo.  There are some fun rides (Expedition Everest and Primeval Whirl) and some great shows.  

Water parks and pools.  Disney has some great pools at their resorts and 2 water parks.  If your kids love the water I would allocate 1 day to a water park.  

Kennedy Space Center would be a good day trip and you can add on some time at the beach.

Food.  I have only had 2 bad meals at WDW and that was at Tony's Town Square in the Magic Kingdom and at the 50s Prime Time Cafe.  They weren't horrid but they did not live up to the usual Disney standard.  Disney has some great upscale dining options- Victoria & Alberts and Jiko are 2 of my favorites.  You can find anything you like and they will cater to your food needs.  I know plenty of "food snobs" who love some of the restaurants at WDW.  Check out the menus online so you can get an idea of what they have.

A few sample itineraries
-Day 1 fly into MCO.  Check into the hotel.  Hit up the pool and grab dinner at one of the resort restaurants or at Disney Springs
-Day 2 Magic Kingdom
-Day 3 Hollywood Studios
-Day 4 Pool/Water park day
-Day 5 EPCOT
-Day 6 morning at Animal Kingdom, afternoon at another park
-Day 7 Fly home 

-Day 1 fly into MCO. Check into the hotel. Hit up the pool and grab dinner at one of the resort restaurants or at Disney Springs
-Day 2 drive to Kennedy Space Center and the coast.
-Day 3 Magic Kingdom
-Day 4 EPCOT
-Day 5 Pool Day
-Day 6 Animal Kingdom in the am and Hollywood Studios in the afternoon
-Day 7 fly home

If you do a Sat-Sun (7 full days) you can add in Universal or another park day.  Your arrival and departure days are all dependent on your flight times.  If you have a short flight you can probably do a park on the day you arrive and if you have a late departure flight you can easily do a park in the morning and grab lunch before you head home.

[ohiopollworker]

This is seriously so helpful. Thank you guys!

I am going to hash everything out with my mom this weekend.

Another option is now being considered- spring break (the week right before Easter- ugh I am sure it is the busiest week). Then it would at least be cooler. I looked at a crowd calendar and it says that week is the busiest- but it also says heavy summer crowds. So which is worse? If you had to make the trade-off between super busy park and summer heat, which would you choose?

[ilikedonuts]

Which week in July? 4th of July is pretty crazy too.

[ilikedonuts]

I think spring breaks will be not as crazy as previous years because Easter is so late this year that spring breaks vary a lot more then usual

[lala]

Aug 12, 2016 6:56:33 GMT -5 ilikedonuts said:

I think spring breaks will be not as crazy as previous years because Easter is so late this year that spring breaks vary a lot more then usual

This is a good point and it will depend on which week in the summer. Like late August the crowds die down a bit b/c kids go back to school some places. But July will be pretty busy, especially July 4th week. 

I might lean towards that April week - but I think it will be $$$. SaveSave

[was5]

Aug 11, 2016 23:23:57 GMT -5 alleinesein said:

Aug 11, 2016 15:03:54 GMT -5 ohiopollworker said:

So part of my question, is that I don't quite understand what the Disney rides are even like.  Like what about Space Mountain?  Everything I know about DW I learned from reading the Babysitters Club DW trip book.  

They are just like any other rides but with better theming.  You can pop on YouTube and find videos of Disney rides to get an idea of what they are like.  The dark rides in Fanstasyland tell an abridged version of the story/movie they are based on.  Disney roller coasters are tame compared to Cedar Point.  Expedition Everest and the Rock N Roller Coaster are the wildest of the bunch; the rest of them are fun but relatively tame (speeds of 35mph, etc).

ohiopollworker, You can have a lot of fun at WDW even if you want no "thrill" at all. My sons went on several rides when they were just over a year old. My 7  yo DD went on just about everything at MK. WDW isn't all about the roller coasters like Cedar Point is. The rides are fun, but they don't necessarily give you an adrenalin rush. There are even a couple of roller coasters at MK specifically for younger people - one is in Fantasyland near Dumbo and one is in Tomorrowland.

A lot of the rides are in enclosed (dark) areas with a good amount of stimulation/animatronics. I don't know if that is a concern with your son. I did a search for WDW on the spectrum and got quite a few results. This is a really simple web site from one mom's perspective. You might find some helpful tips disneyonthespectrum.weebly.com/tips.html and this from at allears.net allears.net/pl/dis_aut.htm.

[TBM]

My choice would be April. Both times could be quite crowded, but the life sucking heat of summer here in Central FL along with crowds is just not fun to me.

[ohiopollworker]

Talked to my mom, and we are pretty firm on arriving the Tuesday after Memorial Day, for 1 week. That is the very end of May, and first couple days of June. I think it will be less busy since our schools get out super early.

She is supposed to be talking to a TA (She was going to use the Southwest one- any opinions?) and pricing out different options.

She will look at Disney hotels (I can promise she will have zero desire to mess about with DVC points, lol, and since she is paying half the room costs and all the kids ticket costs, I am keeping my mouth shut) and then I want to research some off site options.

So, next question: Any help narrowing down what off-site hotels to look at? I think I have heard people mention there are a couple that you can walk to MK from- this seems like a huge win as we would be basically "on site" in terms of arriving at the parks, but for a lower cost.

[momof2]

I've been to Disney 3 times with my kids -- one of whom has profound autism. If you are worried about your child's ability to deal with lines and heat, you are eligible for the Disability Access Card. We have used it twice (the third time my other kid was a Make a Wish Kid, which is the most awesome way ever to experience Disney -- not that anyone wants their kid to be eligible for MAW). We were never on the fence about getting the pass, and it has always been incredibly helpful to avoiding meltdowns. Plus, we get more done earlier in the day, which helps get our kid out of the heat faster, which is huge for her. DO NOT STAY OUT LATE. Stick with their regular bedtimes.

Also, we never stay on site. We get on offsite 2 bedroom villa at Caribe Royale. If your kid needs his own space to recharge, this will be very helpful and much, much cheaper. My kid also only eats a few things so this also helps us with eating. We eat breakfast in the villa. Head to Disney. Power through with snacks and grabbing a quick bite (hot dog, pizza, etc). Then, we have dinner at our own villa (I cook there).

The only time we did a character meal was when it was free through Make a Wish. Honestly, it was not worth it to us. If we had been paying, I would have been REALLY ANNOYED, and I LOVE Disney. You can see plenty of princesses and characters without paying an insane price for a meal.

Our kids are younger (one is 4 and the older one is 12 months cognitively). They love MK and HS. Star Wars stuff at HS was cool to my husband. My oldest could care less about animals, but the rest of us love AK. We have never taken the kids to Epcot, but probably will next time. If you get the passes that let you park hop, then the parents can go to Epcot for dinner once you take the kids back to hotel with the grandparents. That is how my husband and I roll!!! :-) We love Epcot, but your science kid will likely also like it.

[momof2]

Oh, also look for the Guide for Guests with Cognitive Disabilities on the Disney site. It is a million pages long, but somewhere in the middle (I think) is a list of rides with what to expect on each one. Loud noise, dark areas, flashing lights, etc are all laid out for you so you can decide what might or might not word for your ASD child. It is SUPER HELPFUL.

[alleinesein]

Aug 21, 2016 13:02:16 GMT -5 ohiopollworker said:

Talked to my mom, and we are pretty firm on arriving the Tuesday after Memorial Day, for 1 week. That is the very end of May, and first couple days of June. I think it will be less busy since our schools get out super early.

She is supposed to be talking to a TA (She was going to use the Southwest one- any opinions?) and pricing out different options.

She will look at Disney hotels (I can promise she will have zero desire to mess about with DVC points, lol, and since she is paying half the room costs and all the kids ticket costs, I am keeping my mouth shut) and then I want to research some off site options.

So, next question: Any help narrowing down what off-site hotels to look at? I think I have heard people mention there are a couple that you can walk to MK from- this seems like a huge win as we would be basically "on site" in terms of arriving at the parks, but for a lower cost.

All of the hotels that are walking distance to the Magic Kingdom are Disney hotels.  They are not off-site.  When people here say that something is off-site they are referring to hotels that are off Disney property.  Those hotels require that you either drive (and pay to park) to the parks every day or they might have some type of bus service (some properties do it for free and some charge for it).

The only non Disney hotels that are walking distance to any park are the Swan and Dolphin; you can walk to EPCOT or the Studios from there.  

Since you mentioned that you are wanting to be cheap when it comes to food you really should consider getting a DVC villa. You can book them directly through Disney and they are listed on the website as Deluxe Villas.  This will help keep food costs low because you will have access to either a kitchenette or a full kitchen.  You could easily eat breakfast and dinner in your room everyday.  Cooking in a standard hotel room sucks and do you really want to be prepping and washing dishes in the bathtub??  You can also join various Disney FB groups and try to snag someone's leftovers.  Before you say "gross, nasty, etc" realize that you aren't getting actual leftovers.  There are lots of people who give away their UNOPENED, UNUSED food and beverage items instead of tossing them in the trash.  I've seen everything from bottles of waters, alcohol, yogurt, eggs, cereal, snack foods and fruit.