Hi Lori, and welcome to planDisney! October is a spooktacular time to visit Disney World, when Main Street, U.S.A. is filled with festive pumpkins. I’m excited for your family to experience it, and I would be happy to chat about making sure your grandson has the best time ever!
Disney World tries to make visiting the parks as welcoming and inclusive as possible through a number of different programs, including Disability Access Service (DAS). This is designed to support guests who are unable to wait in a regular standby line for an extended period of time due to a developmental disability, like autism.
I’d recommend visiting the
DAS page for more on how the program works and who typically qualifies for the service. If you have any questions or would like to start the registration process, you can click the Request Live Video Chat button on the DAS page.
There’s also a lot of great information on available accommodations in the parks and other tips in
Disney's Accessibility Planning Guide & Recommendations and on the
Accessibility at Walt Disney World Resort page.
And, as someone who also doesn’t do well in extreme heat, I wanted to pass along a few tips for staying cool at Disney World! When the weather is hot, I’ll usually get to the parks as early as possible, when it’s cooler and lines tend to be shorter. And then I’ll take a midday break when the sun is at its strongest. This usually means doing a table service lunch in the air conditioning or heading back to my resort hotel for a nap or swim in the pool. After relaxing a bit, I’ll return to the parks later in the day when it’s cooler. Evenings are such a magical time in the parks, with all of the bright lights and nighttime spectaculars. And the pumpkins on Main Street, U.S.A. will be glowing this time of year!
Some of my other strategies include using a small shade umbrella along with a handheld fan, and putting together a touring plan that groups nearby attractions together (for instance, eating a waffle at
Sleepy Hollow, then watching
PhilharMagic and riding
Peter Pan’s Flight). I try to avoid walking across the park multiple times a day as much as possible.
I’m wishing you and your family a BOO-tiful time at Disney World later this month! And if you have any other questions, you’re always welcome back at planDisney.
JoAnna