Hi Denise,
Welcome to planDisney! How wonderful of you to assist with planning your friend's visit to the Walt Disney World Resort.
When I have stayed at
Disney's Port Orleans Resort - Riverside, it has always been a gorgeous and peaceful resort. Your instinct is perfect. I have loved walking the grounds of this resort in the morning and in the afternoon. While the main pool, Ol' Man Island, is lovely, there are five other leisure
pools throughout the resort.
As you seem to know, the parks can be overwhelming for young people with autism. If your friend has not already seen the
Services for Guests with Disabilities, I think the resources will be helpful. Take a few minutes to review the Guides for Guests with Disabilities -
Magic Kingdom,
EPCOT,
Disney's Animal Kingdom,
Disney's Hollywood Studios.
Consider other ways to manage your friend's time in lines with her son. If he may have trouble standing in a traditional line queue, have her explore the
Disability Access Service (DAS). Pre-registration can occur via online chat. My family has used DAS. We did the pre-registration prior to our most recent trip and were able to pre-select two attractions per theme park day. Having those advanced DAS selections really made our time in the parks so much more manageable.
Also, make
advanced dining reservations. Having those reservations will create some structure during the day and will give your friend's son time away from the park activity. Just pick dining locations carefully. Rose & Crown Dining Room in EPCOT is one of our favorite restaurants. We love to dine outside on the patio. Grand Floridian Cafe, Steakhouse 71, Space 220 Restaurant, and Coral Reef Restaurant are all options I would suggest. Also consider Tony's Town Square Restaurant at Magic Kingdom. The indoor patio area might be good for your friend's son!
Denise, I hope this helps! On our last visit I also made breakfast and lunch reservations for times when the restaurants opened for those meal periods. Those reservation times turned out to be great because we were often the first ones in the restaurant, were able to request certain seating, and were able to dine before the restaurants reached capacity. Finally, make sure she reviews
Disney Genie service and Disney Genie+ service.
Magic and memories,
Donyell