Aspies at Disney World-any helpful resources?

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I am a 13 yr old Aspie headed to Disney World sometime in the near future, and while I consider myself well prepared in most aspects of the upcoming journey, except one.

How can someone with Asperger's have a good time at the loud, flashy, hot, crowded sensory hotbed that is Disney?

Any books, links, or just helpful ideas would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

I honestly couldn't tell you, I don't have the psychological strength to survive a plane ride let alone a day at Disney World.

Even that helps, actually. Thanks.

No idea... I hate Disneyland. I only like Magic Mountain in the off season when hardly anyone is around because the roller coasters are so much better. But I freak out if any of the "characters" come near me...

Yeah. I'm apprehensive about the whole "character" thing too, but I think (hope?) that they will leave you alone if you do them.

Pay the extra fee so you don't have to stand waiting in line as long. I forget what it's called, fast pass or something like that at most parks. Last time I went to a theme park was about five years ago, and my dad refused to pay the extra $130 for the six of us to be able to take the short lines. My siblings, my sister's boyfriend, and my brother's wife, and eventually even my dad thanked me for it after I paid the fee, since we were able to go on probably 3 times as many rides during the day as we would have been able to otherwise. Nobody ever paid me back, though.

Assuming you're not young looking for your age, the cast members in the costumes will leave you alone. If they don't, just walk away from them, it's not going to hurt their feelings and they won't follow you.

Try to get plenty of sleep, too, I guess. I always get irritable when travelling if I haven't gotten enough sleep, and usually end up acting in a way that in retrospect I realize was unreasonable.

Wow. Thanks.

Luckily, at WDW Fastpasses are free.

I didn't find Disney to be as packed as some amusement parks I have visited - it was the stores that affected me most.. you know.. those little memorabilia stores? They are tiny and packed with all sorts... too many people in such a small space with too many toys to look at. I did not like the lines either.. the too close proximity thing when people bumped me - but that is easily solved if you have a family member willing to stand behind you. You can bark at family to be careful - you don't have to swallow your displeasure as much lol

Also if you have any young ones needing a stroller - you have to pay for those and we ran into the issue of ours being taken by others while we went on rides. Oddly, I had issues with taking back what was rightly ours that we paid for. For one - people left things like balloons tied to it after taking it away from you... But the strollers are numbered so it is easy to tell which is yours.

Not once were we approached by characters - they kept their distance and only interacted when my son showed interest by approaching them. Hope that is the case for you too.

Hope you have fun!

I've been there and it's not too bad. It's busy but they have a lot of accommodations for all kinds of people and they're well organised and professional. The best thing you can do is to try to work around peak-times (meals, start and end of the day) and busy areas (the main street of little shops is always packed). Also watch out for after the night time show when everyone tries to leave via the same trains - it's a huge crowd and there is not much you can do except leave early or try park nearby if you can. It's also massive so it's not as intense as other theme parks.

They have a fastpass thing for everyone so the queues aren't too bad. If you have the money you can get better tickets or even stay at the park and go in at special times to avoid queues. The fastpass worked well for me and I can't wait in queues for too long without having a panic attack. You can also get these for free at other theme parks by just asking at the help center.

Staff generally won't bother you unless you go up to them, and I found them all to be professional and kind so it's not stressful.

Just be prepared and take your time to do what you enjoy and you will have tonnes of fun!

Amusement parks/roller coasters/height and safety requirements have always been a special interest of mine, so standing in lines there is actually enjoyable to me. It's fun to know that everyone around you ALSO loves amusement park rides, and it's a very thrilling experience to inch ever so closer to the loading station and know that you will soon be on the ride enjoying the experience. And Disney's lines usually have a theme to them, related to the ride's theme. Like, when I was a kid, when you stood in line for Space Mountain, they had TVs overhead that would loop a "news" broadcast that was space-themed. There was a weather girl who would say how it was going to be -300-and-some degrees on Neptune tonight. The Splash Mountain line, Tower of Terror line, and others also are very entertaining and help "tell the story" of the ride. So, just wanted to add that, even though I have lots of sensory issues and can't stand people, my sensory enjoyment of amusement parks overrides my sensory irritation of crowds. Maybe you'll be this way, too.

Thanks guys, this is really helpful!
Anyway, I think if i do go I might take notes for my own book about Disney World for us Aspies.

I read in the news once they give dissabilltiy passes for Asperger's and Autism to skip the lines. I never went when I had the chance becouse of the long line fear.

If you use the GAC (Guest Assistance Card) for those with disability to get in a shorter line, be prepared for looks of condemnation from those waiting in long lines. They will judge and condemn you with their looks from what I have been told. Some will even make snide remarks as you walk by them.

For those who can't wait in long lines though, it can be a great blessing, allowing them to experience the magic of Disney even with their disability.

If you want a GAC pass, while not required I believe, a doctor note saying you have Autism and will not be able to wait in long crowded lines, could still help and prevent them from claiming you are faking it.

I was just at Disney World two weeks ago (and I have Asperger's). From my own experience, these are my suggestions:
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1. Bring earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones if you don't like loud noises. If the weather is nice (meaning not raining), expect to hear a lot of noises, not just from the rides but from the massive amount of people who visit the parks each day.
2. If you visit the parks later in the day (around 2:00 or 3:00pm) the crowds tend to be less and the lines getting into the park are not so bad. Everyone seems to go to the parks early in the morning. Also, if you go a little later in the day, its not as noisy.
3. Every park as their own nighttime show which start between 8-10pm. Most of the shows have loud fireworks, tons of people, and parades with loud blaring horns and drums. If you don't like noise or crowds, I'd suggest skipping out on the nighttime shows (unless of course you love fireworks).
4. A "Fast-Pass" is a pass you can get early in the day so you can bypass the rides' lines later on in the day. For example, I got a fast-pass for Thunder Mountain in Magic Kingdom. I got the pass at 11:00am but I could not use the pass until 3:00pm. For me, it was worth the wait because I was able to see other attractions and head right back to Thunder Mountain at 3:00 and get on the ride immediately.
5. If you like routines (like I do), have a back up plan in case a ride you desperately want to go on is either shut down or not working.
6. Bring bottled water with you (don't buy in the park, it's very expensive). Staying hydrated is important; I tend to get grouchy if I'm dehydrated. There is a lot of walking in Disney so it is easy to become dehydrated.
7. Remember, there are rides and attractions that do not have a lot of noise. Epcot is probably the best park to visit that doesn't have too many rides which may cause motion-sickness. Epcot tends to have more educational attractions that may be a bit more subdued.
Hope this helps!