Question on a Special Needs Disney fan

[Mackflava99]

My good friend has a niece that has severe epilepsy. Their town is raising money to send her and her parents to WDW.
They don't have much themselves and have alot of pride and don't want us to raise the money, but we are doing it anyway.
She loves everything about Disney, watches all the Disney movies , especially Peter Pan, which she cannot get enough of. She really wants to go to WDW.
I am assisting him, and once we raise enough $$, we want to find a travel agency to help book a trip to ensure all her needs are met.
Do any agencies specialize in that? Does WDW have people that could help us plan?

Are some resorts more suited to handle special needs?

Any suggestions?

[Strmchsr]

Magical Journeys can definitely help make the trip as painless in the planning stages as can be.

I don't know that any of the resorts specialize in this kind of situation (except Give Kids The World, but I think that's only for children with life-threatening illnesses), but all of them are well suited to special needs. Make sure they know about the Guest Assistant Card. Guest Relations will make sure they get the card that will fit their needs. I would suggest one of the values for the Disney fan - like All Star Movies or Art of Animation. Those will have the most "Disney" feel to them.

I hope they have a great time!

[MstngDrvnDsnyLvr]

I second Magical Journeys. I also second getting a Guest Assistant Card.

[wdw_bound]

I'll admit right off the top that I can be a control freak. The one and only time I used a travel agency, my requests were not communicated properly to WDW (note: used a local company, but they were supposed to be "Disney Experts" it may have been different if I had used MJ). So from that point forward, I have always arranged my own trips, and found the CMs very helpful and accommodating.

My suggestion is to sit down with the parents and figure out exactly what will help make the trip easier. Any mobility issues? Need a fridge for the room (although I believe all rooms now offer this)? Need a room that is quieter during the day for resting? Any and all needs should be listed and prioritized. As for which hotel, it truly depends on the budget. We have stayed at Values, Moderates and Deluxe and found them all to be great. Once you have your hotel selected and the list of requests, call WDW Travel Company directly and explain that this is a special trip for a special girl and what you are looking for. My DD has mobility issues, and our requests have always been honored, as they are labelled to be for medical reasons.

The guest assistance card is truly what makes our trips wonderful. For the time we are in the world, we are able to enjoy the attractions like every other family. When the family gets to the first park they are visiting, they should go immediately to Guest Services, usually located just inside the entrance, and explain that their daughter has some special needs. The cast member will be able to issue them a pass to make their park time more enjoyable.

Finally, I can't stress enough the importance of a good plan. Have them get a Birnbaum's book, research online and generally know where they want to go and what they want to do before they leave home. Wandering in a park in the FL heat is hard enough on any family, let alone one with a special needs child. We find that getting to the parks early, taking a long midday break and going back in the evening works best for our family, but their mileage may vary.

You are all wonderful to be doing this for the family!

[Mackflava99]

Thank you so much everyone for your assistance, this will be very helpful !!!

[VWL Mom]

With epilepsy there will be some rides that she should not ride due to the lighting effects. Your friend should check with her doctors beforehand. Disney does have information available when you pickup the GAC but you must specifically ask about epilepsy restrictions.

There are some good support groups out there. Goggling Disney with epilepsy may give you some aded information.

[alaMode]

Have you contacted Make A Wish? You can nominate this child to have her wish granted! She should qualify due to having epilepsy, but Make A Wish will communicate with her doctors to determine that.

The majority of wishes granted every year are trips to WDW & other theme parks in the area. MAW will work very hard to make the trip extra magical for the child and their family.

Best of luck & please keep us posted!

[VWL Mom]

With epilepsy there will be some rides that she should not ride due to the lighting effects. Your friend should check with her doctors beforehand. Disney does have information available when you pickup the GAC but you must specifically ask about epilepsy restrictions.

*UPDATE*

I did stop at MK Town Hall whileI was there last week to see if they had any information I could pass on. They did give me a special services guide but it has no information on epilepsy restrictions. They suggested the best course of action is to take it to the pediatrician.