Special Requests
When I think about traveling as a family I automatically start thinking about where we need to sit in a restaurant, what things we need to take with us, what type of things to request for our room, etc. When planning our trip to Walt Disney World those same thoughts go through my mind but I also need to know how best to make sure these needs are met.
Before calling Disney, I sit down and think through what requests I needed to make. I start with what would make our dining experiences the most pleasant. You see, my daughter is developmentally delayed and can become loud at times, have melt downs or exhibit behaviors that may seems strange to others. She can be unpredictable. However, just like every other kid, she deserves to go out and enjoy herself and we, as her parents, deserve to be able to take her out and not have to worry about people complaining about her. This does not mean that we expect people to just deal with her screaming non-stop or having a melt down but a little understanding while we take care of her is appreciated. With all of this in mind we look at ways to keep her calm and content but we also keep in mind the possibility of a melt down or an outburst. With that possibility in mind we made requests at all of our dining reservations. The one request we made for our family was that we have a table close to an exit and not in the middle of a room. Up against a wall was ideal for us. It wasn’t going to keep people from hearing her but we would not feel so on display if she did get loud. Being by the door would allow for a quick exit if needed. Since every need is unique, you can check with your Wishing Well Travel agent to find out some dining options that might work best for you and your specific needs.
When your Wishing Well Travel agent calls to make your Advanced Dining Reservations they can also make your special requests at that time. Be sure and let your travel agent know of all your requests so nothing is missed. No worries though, if you remember something else just give your travel agent a call and they will contact Disney to get that taken care of. Once your agent has done that for you, you will need to be sure and mention your request when checking in at each restaurant. Simply tell the cast member that a special request was made when making your reservation, let them know what that request is and, although there is no guarantee, they will do their best to accommodate. When we went last year, it was the first time we had made any special requests. We found everyone to be wonderfully helpful and had no problems getting our requests met. The restaurants should have your requests in their notes but it is best to mention it just in case.
The next request we made for our family was a room request. We did this because we really were not sure how our daughter would do that week. She doesn’t always sleep through the night and I had concerns of her waking up and getting loud and disturbing other guests. Therefore, when booking our trip, I made a room request. I requested that, if at all possible, we have a room at the end of a building, a corner room, not surrounded by other rooms. That way, if she woke in the middle of the night and was upset, there would be less people for her to disturb. I know I would appreciate people showing me the same courtesy. Some other requests that may be made for your room are, bed rails, rubber bed mats, door knock and phone alerts. Most onsite Disney rooms have mini refrigerators but if not you can request one, there may be a charge for this.
Tabitha has been a Disney Travel Specialist with Wishing Well Travel since 2012, you can contact her at Tabitha at wishingwelltravel.com, find her on Facebook or Request a Quote from her online.
