I'm an aspie and travel to WDW often. Definitely check the crowd calendars if crowds are an issue for you - and avoid holiday weeks, like Easter, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
I would also utilize rope drop to fit in rides without having to deal with longer lines, taking a break at the hotel in the afternoon if you feel you need it, and then returning to the parks for the evening entertainment/activities that interest you.
My biggest advice is know your limits. Even when I know I'm pushing myself too hard I tend to get wrapped up in the wonderful world of Disney which can bring me crashing down hard if I don't take breaks or get a good night's rest. Build in whatever breaks you need, whether it's for food, rest, or just time away from the crowds. If you need assistance at any point, the Cast Members should be more than willing to help you.
As far as other guides, I agree that most is geared toward parents of autistic travelers. My suggestion would be to do a search on the forums at WrongPlanet regarding others who have also taken trips and see what advice was given, as most people on those boards are on the spectrum themselves.
Information on the Disability Access Service Card can be found here if you decide you need to utilize it:
https://wdpromedia.disney.go.com/me...Disability-Access-Service-Card-2014-04-10.pdf . Unfortunately I've never used it myself, so I don't have much knowledge in that particular area. I've found that strategic planning and using Fastpasses has worked well enough for me where it hasn't been necessary.
One thing specifically I'm concerned about is that, while it thankfully doesn't happen often, there have been times when I get so overstimulated that I have a panic attack and I'd rather that not happen while I'm in the parks. I read somewhere that each park has "quiet spots" where people can go if they need a break from all the noise for a little while. Is that true?
Disney's website also offers a downloadable guide that details different attractions and potential sensory issues, which you may want to take a look at:
https://wdpromedia.disney.go.com/me...bilities-services/wdw_cognitive_guide_rev.pdf. The guide also has a list of potential places in each park that are good for "breaks" if you need to get away for some quiet time. (I think it's pages 43-46).
Another thing is if I use the Magical Express to skip baggage claim at the airport, I'm not so worried about my bags getting to the hotel for check in, but I would be a little worried about making sure my bags get back on the plane after I check out and also making sure I get to the airport with plenty of time before the flight home leaves.
I've used Magical Express every time I've traveled to Disney in recent memory and never had any issues with luggage either coming or going. When you go to take your return trip to the airport, the luggage porters will load your bags onto the bus in the under-storage compartments. Usually I've watched them do it before boarding myself. If you are concerned about that I would just mention your concern to the cast member present and they should have no issue with you watching your bags board the bus before you.
Also, I'm not entirely sure how dining will work. Do I really have to make reservations months in advance or would the night before be sufficient, for example if I wanted to have lunch at the Coral Reef while I'm at EPCOT? Having to plan everything so far ahead would kind of suck all the fun out of it for me.
Unfortunately planning ahead is somewhat imperative if you have specific locations or times you want to eat, or utilize your Fastpasses. Don't wait until the night before to make reservations or you will find yourself locked out of some of the better dining experiences at Disney. That doesn't mean that you'll be locked out of eating
anywhere, but it does mean that many table service restaurants will be lacking in availability, or have extensive wait times for walk ups. You can begin booking up to 180 days in advance of your trip. You might want to just reserve the top places you
really want to go to and then wing it for the rest, but I wouldn't leave your dining completely unplanned until the last minute. I know it can be a pain to plan out that far in advance, but it is becoming much more of a necessity than it was in the past.
This one's more personal, but when we went to Disney when I was a kid, the best part was interacting with the characters. I've become a lot more shy since then and I know I would be self conscious about doing that as a thirty-something grown up.
This is pretty easy to avoid if you don't want to interact with characters. I would avoid any character dining experiences (or let the cast member accompanying characters know that you would prefer they not stop at your table), and just don't do the meet and greets in the parks. It's unlikely you'll randomly come across a character these days unless you've specifically attempted to meet them. You could also test out meeting one to see how it goes.
