Planning with autistic adult

[SeaweedCupcake]

So I have a random question. I'm trying to talk my mom into a Disney World trip with my autistic 21 year old brother. He's been to Disneyland several times and loves it. We will probably be primarily using the Disney buses to get around. My question is is there any way he could load onto the bus with my mom before everyone else? There's no way he could stand and hang onto the rails and we wouldn't all have to load with him just at least my mom.

 

[Tuvalu]

Unless your brother is in a wheelchair/ECV (which have a designated loading spot and are allowed first on the bus) the answer is probably no. You would have to explain to others who are already waiting at the bus stop why you need to board first. Besides the potential embarrassment for your brother, (and while some folks may be kind and let you go ahead) most people are are anxious to get on that bus and their only concern is getting themselves and their family on first so they won't have to stand either. And besides people, there are the giant strollers that have to be folded and put on the bus as well.

If your brother gets on a bus and there are no seats, you MAY find someone willing to give up their seat, but that in itself could be awkward if your brother looks like an able-bodied man.

If you just had to ride the bus only a of couple times, the stress of the boarding issue would be manageable. But if you are using the buses as THE primary means of transport, this will be highly stressful for all involved. The best solution (though more costly) is to rent a car and drive to the parks. Then your brother could ride the tram (where he is guaranteed a seat) to the front gate.

 

[PrincessNelly_NJ]

Well, last week just after Magic Kingdom closed. We were in the front of a very long line back to POR. While the bus driver was loading an EVC, a woman just walked on to the bus spoke with the driver and he allowed her to sit down. IDK, what she said but it must have had some medical reason behind it. So it doesn't hurt to ask. I would plan on taking buses at off times when buses are less crowded. We took buses about 2 hours after park opening to 2-3 hours before closing or wait until the park emptied and took a bus. We always had empty buses. Also if you can pick resorts that are less family friendly (popular like POR or values) then they tend to be less crowded.

 

[SeaweedCupcake]

Yeah I figured it probably wasn't possible since I haven't seen anyone get on a bus like that that was not in a wheelchair or ECV. I'm still going to try to convince my mom though.

 

[Suwithoutane]

My experience may not be relevant since my brother (28, autistic & down's) looks a little different (but not like a typical down's diagnosis), but people seemed more than happy to give up a seat to someone who physically could not hold on. It never hurts to ask, and even if his appearance is "normal", any inability to hold on creates a safety issue for him and anyone around him (if he were to fall on another passenger) so his needs should be accommodated and anyone with an issue can, IMHO, suck it up and deal. Something like that is significantly less irritating than many other "issues" (and I use that term very loosely) that are accommodated. I wonder if the hotel could give you something equivalent to a GAC to show when boarding?