Good mail.

i'm glad i'm not the only person who waited. i actually went for the first time (and only time so far)on my honeymoon! i would also recommend going to epcot: they have some great hands on stuff that would be great stuff for Simon(and they have tons of amazing food there too).

We went to Disney World last December and are going back this year. The park is absolutely beautiful. MGM has a section that is full of lights and fake snow. Caution - it was freezing last year - bundle up in layers.
My youngest daughter (5) has PDD and we were afraid that Disney would be too much for her. She absolutely loved it, and even cozied up to the characters. Her responses were absolutely amazing!
Have a great time - we might even see you there!
Debbie
Atlanta, GA

Hey Ali - so many great comments already! We've taken my 5yo son Sam (PDD-NOS, sensory issues) to WDW probably about 10 times (I have to go there frequently for work). A couple of things that were mentioned that I absolutely agree with:
(1) plan, plan, plan ahead - look at those books and figure out what you want to do and the best times to go there and then...
(2) be absolutely flexible and throw that plan away - we've spent 2 hours at an outdoor cafe in Animal Kingdom sipping beer and watching Sam play in a sprinkler - just because it made him happy.
(3) don't overdo - rest often, either on the "sidelines" or sit-down rides or back at the hotel - you will all be exhausted! You simply can't do it all - so do what you can and enjoy.
(4) all of the characters are trained to work with autistic kids and are so great - let them know as you approach and they'll spend that extra time (and you can also check with guest services to find out where and when they appear - we had to see Mary Poppins 3x/day for a week!)
(5) check height restrictions on rides before you leave home - no point in getting him excited about a ride he can't go on anyway
(6) be flexible (did i mention that?!) - there will be things you think he'll love - and he won't and vice versa. And it's so easy for them to get overwhelmed. Take a deep breath, don't let the breakdowns get you. (for instance, we thought Sam'd love the Crystal Palace character lunch because he adored Winnie the Pooh - instead he was completely overloaded with the noise and the kids and characters in his face)
(7) take crayons or tattoos or stickers and a little pad of paper with you - great for being in lines
(8) eat your meals "off hours" and seek out places that might not seem kid friendly but are (for instance, the Liberty Tavern in the Magic Kingdom has a section that serves the same burgers/sandwiches/nuggest but it's almost always empty!)
You're going to have so much fun - Enjoy!

mouseplanet.com for all the latest park info and schedules (ride closures, shows hours, etc)
disboards.com for all other kinds of stuff
Unofficial Guide to Disneyworld for great unbiased info on EVERYTHING at the parks

mouseplanet.com for all the latest park info and schedules (ride closures, shows hours, etc)
disboards.com for all other kinds of stuff
Unofficial Guide to Disneyworld for great unbiased info on EVERYTHING at the parks

Hiya, Ali! Here's my Disney suggestion: my daughter is 3 (and VERY shy) so before we went, I purchased a few disney videos for her to get a little familiar with the parks and characters. They are both sing-a-long videos - one is actually Disneyland (but it's very similar to the Magic Kingdom park) and the other was something like Flick's Animal Kingdom sing-a-long. When we got to the park, because my daughter was familar with how the child-actors in the video hugged the characters and rode the rides, she was braver than usual and it maybe wasn't so over-whelming for her. We just remembered to always go her speed and made sure we took time to just sit and relax (with a Mickey-head ice cream bar!!! YUM!) Enjoy your vacation - it really is the most wonderful place to go.

Ali,
We go to Disney World just about once a year. We went in Feb of this year and we are also going to be there in December.
- Fast Pass is great for reducing the standing in line time
- if you are staying at a Disney Resort you get in a couple of the parks early on certain days - be sure to take advantage of that - beat the crowds
- BEWARE - many of the attractions are very, very loud - we even bring earplugs to put in our kid's ears
Have a great time! ENJOY the lights! Lots of lights during the holiday season!

Ali, we are Disney veterans. The Unofficial Guide is a great resource. Take advantage of the early park entrances if you are staying in the park. Call TODAY to reserve any Character meals. (they sell out early). With a child in tow, get a good night's sleep or a nap if you are doing late night outings. If Simon has not been to the Rainforest Cafe before, he may get kick out of that (Downtown Disney). I made my own autograph book with scanned copies of the autographs and a photo of my boys with the character and a paper-piecing or some other embellishment. Have fun, you will feel like a kid again!

Prepare yourself for a blast! Take your own snacks and drink bottles because the food is very expensive. Make the most of the hotel breakfast. Don't buy the 'It's a Small World' CD - Lily LOVED the ride but there are only so many times you can listen to the song. They have signs pointing to spots where you can take good pictures! ENJOY!
Jude

the best advice i can give from both a former employee and former guest is to:
1.stay on property and use disney transportation
2. because you are on disney property come back to your room after lunch, swim if its warm enouph, play on the playgrounds, do some of the things the hotel offers, take a nap THEN go back to the parks and enjoy your evening.
3. make dinner reservations in advance so you know when and where you will eat, this makes a huge difference in planning what you want to see, and its always nice to know when the next meal is coming!
sorry if I repeated any advice, i'm not a comment reader.
Have Fun!
Rochelle

One of my favorite places to visit! Disneyland is number one on my list since I am a California girl, but Disney World has its' perks.
My number one suggestion is to take it slow. It will probably be crowded, and the little ones can get overwhelmed. Plan on lots of breaks. The hotels are usually fun places to hang out. I loved the little lake at Caribbean Beach Resort where you could rent water craft. The other hotels should have special features too.
Maybe try one of the character meals since it is easier to spend time with the characters. They usually stop by each table.
Epcot is good because there are interactive exhibits where Simon can play.
Enjoy,
Eileen
P.S. Looking forward to your class at Young Play Memories.

I didn't read all the above comments so you may have received this advice already, but we've done Disney about 14 times and we always bring our own stroller. Seems like a small thing, but the Disney ones are plastic and don't recline at all and if Simon wants a nap (he probaly will) you'll be happy you did.
Oh, and do Epcot before any other park, there aren't many rides there and if you do it before he gets spoiled by the amount of rides at the Magic Kingdom it'll still seem new and exciting :)

Don't try to do it all. Just enjoy the moment.

I am taking my Senior Performance Ensemble in March! (I am the Artistic Director for a school of the arts). We are performing in the Magic Kingdom, and I am GEEKED about taking my high schoolers!
I always use the Birnbaum's guide...I think it's the best and most comprehensive.
My best advice is not to try to do too much. There comes a time when you just have to enjoy the moments you have. Try to resist the pressure we all can feel to do IT ALL.
Have fun!

Congrats on all of the good things going on in your life.
My tip for Disney saves money. We went to the Disney store and Walmart before we left on our trip and bought souvenirs and much better prices. We bought some shirts, stuffed minnie and mickey, plus some other disney themed treats. We then shipped our box to the hotel we were staying at. The kids never knew about the box.
Each day one of us would take the kids to the car while the other was 'right behind us.' We would then take that opportunity to put one treat on each bed for the kids to find when we got back. We told them that Mickey and Minnie would leave them a special treat back at the hotel. Leaving the park was never a problem because they knew something special was waiting for them. As a bonus the kids didn't suffer from the gimmies so much.
Have a great time!

check out www.mouseplanet.com
they have all the menus of restaurants and reviews, if you are watching Simon's diet. What is more fun than Disney during the holidays? So jealous!

oh my gosh!! i am going to disney in dec too!! :D what a fun time to go!! i am taking my 7 year old daughter.
ps-have you seen the cool disney crocs that they have??

We just returned from an October first visit for my young daughters. Here's my advice:
1. Take it easy and tell yourself "This is just the first of MANY trips, and what we don't do this time, we can catch on the next visit." Even if that next visit is a few years away.
2. Keep it simple. Simon is young, so do as we did and just do the kiddie rides and character interaction, and a few rides on the train/monorail/buses. Don't pressure him to go on any rides that might be scary -- even fantasyland rides. You know your son, and if he's startled by heights, darkness, or speed, just avoid those rides. Challenging him to do them could ruin the whole day.
3. Stop often for snacks/drinks/bathrooms.
4. Write your cell phone number on Simon's belly with a sharpie and teach him to lift his shirt to show it if he is lost. Also, my 5 year old daughter wandered off just before the parade and got lost in the crowd. We'd discussed ahead of time who she should look for... and she did. She went up to a female Disney photographer (wearing the Disney uniform, Disney name badge, and carrying a gigantic camera) and we were reunited at "lost parents." I'd told her ahead of time that it was OK to go with the female employee to the lost parents place, and I'd pointed out where it was so she'd be familiar if she ended up there (which she did!).
5. Take lots of photos (I took 1100 in 7 days. Beat that!)

You're coming to my backyard!! Let's see...if you go to MGM Studios and see the Beauty and the Beast show, be sure to go a little early so you can catch the pre-show - an a cappella quartet called 4 for a Dollar. They come out dressed like techies and start singing instead. In the Magic Kingdom there is a Barbershop quartet called the Dapper Dans that sings on Main Street and in the candy store - keep an eye out for them too - they wear colorful striped vests and straw hats. If you go to Epcot and go to see the American Adventure - the Voices of Liberty sing before the show in the waiting area. If you are there to catch them beforehand, go right into the middle of the rotunda and sit at the edge of the red circle (with the entry doors from the outside at your left) - it's the best listening spot and they tell everyone to do that after their first song. There's a great percussion group at Animal Kingdom called the Beatniks. At every park you go to, you can pick up an Entertainment Guide that tells you when and where all the musical groups are performing. I wish you were going on Dec. 19th to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party - I'll be singing there that night in Liberty Square with a caroling quartet! :O)
Have a wonderful time! I'll be in your Favorite Photos class in Tampa on Dec. 10th. Woo hoo!

we went to WDW last December when my son was 3 and it was a blast. My tips: have a plan (not a minute by minute, but a general idea of what you really want to see while you are there so you don't go home disappointed because you never got to something), take naps (my husband and son napped each afternoon and it made the evenings more manageable), the Passporter and Unofficial Guides are super resources, make reservations (we used the dining plan which was a great savings for us, but you really need reservations - even if you don't use the plan - I saw people walk up to restaurants and get turned away because they were booked for the evening), prep Simon for anything that might be scarey (we covered the size of the characters, that they would be as tall as Daddy, which really helped with those experiences - we were NOT prepared for how much he disliked the 3D movies and Beast at the B&B show)
Have fun! Wish we were going again this winter!