A Halloween Adventure in Autism (11/7) Prayer Request for Catie (p.129)

[KathyRN137]

What a great start to your vacation! Lazy morning are the best and really hard to make yourself do when you know how much there is to see out there.

That Frunch sounds so yummy, someday I hope to have some!

Wonderful pictures, wonderful moods, I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did try the Frunch the first time we went to Boma... it was delicious but sweet, sweet, sweet! I stuck with the Florida OJ this time.

I must admit it was easier to accept the lazy first morning after arriving so very late the night before!


Kathy

 

[melissa37]

I found your trip reports when I first joined DIS to plan a first vacation to WDW with my DS7 who has autism. Reading about your adventures sure made me feel better about planning ours

Can't wait to read the rest of this one!

 

[KathyRN137]

I found your trip reports when I first joined DIS to plan a first vacation to WDW with my DS7 who has autism. Reading about your adventures sure made me feel better about planning ours

Can't wait to read the rest of this one!

That's so sweet, Melissa! Welcome!


Kathy

 

[IluvXU]

I remember being so impressed by the bathrooms at AKV too... glad you felt you had enough room as a party of five. Boma breakfast, taking in AKL, what an awesome morning!

Can't wait for the pool pics

 

[Beka]

Love the update! I felt like I was right there with you! The CMs at Boma are great! I love that they had an impromptu dance/drumming session! I'm excited for the day (whenever it may be) to sip a cup of coffee on the balcony at AKL!

 

[2_Eagle_Mom]

Kathy,

I just read through most of your PTR and love reading about this trip. I have a DS (22) with Aspergers so your title caught my eye. You report is wonderful and I'm looking forward to hearing about all your experiences. Almost makes me want to start my own PTR for our next adventure..

 

[KathyRN137]

I remember being so impressed by the bathrooms at AKV too... glad you felt you had enough room as a party of five. Boma breakfast, taking in AKL, what an awesome morning!

Can't wait for the pool pics

It's sooo cold this weekend... I could really use an afternoon in that fantastic pool!

Love the update! I felt like I was right there with you! The CMs at Boma are great! I love that they had an impromptu dance/drumming session! I'm excited for the day (whenever it may be) to sip a cup of coffee on the balcony at AKL!

If you want to do that (sip coffee) you will have to remember to bring your own!

Kathy,

I just read through most of your PTR and love reading about this trip. I have a DS (22) with Aspergers so your title caught my eye. You report is wonderful and I'm looking forward to hearing about all your experiences. Almost makes me want to start my own PTR for our next adventure..

Well, why not? It's fun and you learn so much from other DISers!


Kathy

 

[mousescrapper]

Kathy wonderful next installment...

I love all the pictures ad art work...it looks so amazing there...btwn your report and Triple P's last trip...I look forward to when we visit AKL

good for you sticking w/ the relax mode

I love the picture of Billy and Tricia at the table... and mae walked by and saw the pic of Ed eating and his Grumpy shirt...she giggled and said he must really like Grumpy

Can't wait to hear about the pool and see you are as Pirates

Scrappie

 

[Mommy2LittleVols]

Sorry I'm so late in joining the party! I just got caught up. What a stressful way to start the vacation with all of that traffic and almost missing the plane! Not to mention the smelly ride. It sounds like a lazy first day was exactly what you guys needed. Can't wait to hear how the rest of the day went!

 

[wvdislover]

Great updates! What a great idea to spend the first part of the day just relaxing! You would have all been too exhausted to enjoy the Halloween party that night Can't wait to hear all about the party! Sarah is determined that we ARE going to the party next year. Guess we better start saving our money

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

How lovely to wake up to the sound of your son's laughter...

I hear you about waking up teenagers...it isn't pretty...

I love the breakfast at Boma...I like the dinner too-the food is excellent but there is just something about breakfast there with a pot of pressed coffee...all those excellent smells...and that relaxing we aren't running anywhere feeling is really nice sometimes...

the whole AK complex is just a sensory delight...

I am dying to hear about the Halloween party...

 

[KathyRN137]

Oy.

I just had my entire next segment written out on Word and stepped away for one minute... Billy logged me off the computer before I could save it!

Hopefully I can re-write it and post tonight.

Oy.


Kathy

 

[moparop]

That sounds like an awesome first morning at Disney. The hubby and I have been talking about extending our trips to ease into the parks too. Once you've paid for the hotel and enjoy the property you've got plenty to keep you busy! Catie looks like she fits in so well with your crew!

 

[DisMomAmy]

I hate when that happens!

 

[preschoolmom]

Oh No! I hope you can pull it back up with the lost file thingy. Or "recent draft" thingy. I know there is a computer thingy that does that sort of thing Really helpful, I know...

Just waiting on your next installment. It is so cold here, and I have a sick kid (high fever, bleah) - so I'm just waiting to see pictures of the pool at Kidani - and finally! pictures of your costumes! (How long have we been waiting? LOL LOL).

 

[aspen37]

Hi Kathy! I'm all caught up. Sounds like a pretty good start to the trip. Sorry that you forgot the phone charger. I can't wait to hear how MNSSHP went. I went in 2008 and had a great time.

I saw that you are reading Jaime's TR. We had a great time on that trip. Jaime is such a great person. If it wasn't for all of them on that trip I don't know what I would have done.
I have a new respect for people with mobility issues, after being hurt, and having to use a wheelchair and ECV. I can't wait to read the next chapter.

 

[KathyRN137]

Kathy wonderful next installment...

I love all the pictures and art work...it looks so amazing there...btwn your report and Triple P's last trip...I look forward to when we visit AKL

good for you sticking w/ the relax mode

I love the picture of Billy and Tricia at the table... and mae walked by and saw the pic of Ed eating and his Grumpy shirt...she giggled and said he must really like Grumpy

Can't wait to hear about the pool and see you are as Pirates

Scrappie

Thanks, tell Mae that Ed has three different Grumpy shirts! (Do you sense a pattern here?) That picture of Billy and Tricia is my current screensaver...

Sorry I'm so late in joining the party! I just got caught up. What a stressful way to start the vacation with all of that traffic and almost missing the plane! Not to mention the smelly ride. It sounds like a lazy first day was exactly what you guys needed. Can't wait to hear how the rest of the day went!

Lazy can be sooo good when you plan it ahead of time! And yes, we really did need it after our crazy travel day!

Great updates! What a great idea to spend the first part of the day just relaxing! You would have all been too exhausted to enjoy the Halloween party that night Can't wait to hear all about the party! Sarah is determined that we ARE going to the party next year. Guess we better start saving our money

It's worth it! But get your costumes together early!

Oy.

I just had my entire next segment written out on Word and stepped away for one minute... Billy logged me off the computer before I could save it!
Kathy

I hate when that happens!

It's my own fault! I wasn't happy with him, though, and gave him a little scolding about asking first before he logged other people off the computer. He put his hand over my mouth and told me to "slow down" and to "just breathe!"

Kathy

 

[KathyRN137]

How lovely to wake up to the sound of your son's laughter...

I hear you about waking up teenagers...it isn't pretty...

I love the breakfast at Boma...I like the dinner too-the food is excellent but there is just something about breakfast there with a pot of pressed coffee...all those excellent smells...and that relaxing we aren't running anywhere feeling is really nice sometimes...

the whole AK complex is just a sensory delight...

I am dying to hear about the Halloween party...

I'm afraid the next post is all about the pool... Party Post will be next! I think AKL is now my favorite resort....

That sounds like an awesome first morning at Disney. The hubby and I have been talking about extending our trips to ease into the parks too. Once you've paid for the hotel and enjoy the property you've got plenty to keep you busy! Catie looks like she fits in so well with your crew!

Ed is much happier now that I have learned to spend some time at our resort... too much go-go-go gets him cranky! My dream is to someday be able to do two weeks, but that will definitely have to wait until the kids are much, much older...

Just waiting on your next installment. It is so cold here, and I have a sick kid (high fever, bleah) - so I'm just waiting to see pictures of the pool at Kidani - and finally! pictures of your costumes! (How long have we been waiting? LOL LOL).

Oh my, sorry about the sickies! Tricia has had a nagging cough for nearly a week after finishing a cold and she just got her first full night's sleep last night. It can really knock you out...

Again, like I told Triple P, you will have to wait just one more post for me to get to the party... the next installment is all about our afternoon at the pool.

Hi Kathy! I'm all caught up. Sounds like a pretty good start to the trip. Sorry that you forgot the phone charger. I can't wait to hear how MNSSHP went. I went in 2008 and had a great time.

I saw that you are reading Jaime's TR. We had a great time on that trip. Jaime is such a great person. If it wasn't for all of them on that trip I don't know what I would have done.
I have a new respect for people with mobility issues, after being hurt, and having to use a wheelchair and ECV. I can't wait to read the next chapter.

I just read about that... hope you are feeling better now! You have to be prepared for anything to happen while on vacation. I'm so glad that WDW is so accommodating for folks in WCs and ECVs. It sounds like your group had a blast!


Kathy

 

[KathyRN137]

Chapter 7: Samawati Swimming and a Tangerine Dream, er, Nightmare!


Saturday Afternoon,
October 31, 2009
Kidani Village



After leaving Johari Treasures, newly purchased teabags in hand, I entered the elevator and pushed the button that would take me to the second floor. When I opened the door to our villa I fully expected to see three children in bathing suits chomping at the bit to be taken to the pool. Instead, I found this:

While we were at breakfast, the animals had come out to play!

Our first Giraffe!

Oh look, some of the cattle are actually standing up now!

But some are still being lazy...

​

Normally when choosing our accommodations I couldn’t give two figs about our view. Location within the resort is always a bigger priority for me. But since we were staying at Kidani for the first time, I had decided that it would be worth it to borrow a few extra DVC points from our next use year to splurge on a savanna view. After all, the animals are the main attraction here! All week long, the first thing Tricia and Catie would do upon waking or entering the villa was run to the balcony to gaze out on the savanna. They really got a kick out of it. To keep our points usage down somewhat, we had opted to reserve one of our nights as a member-discounted cash ressie (25%) and although it was still pricey, I think it was worth the investment and I’m glad I did it at least once.


Ed brought Billy out onto the balcony to see the animals and Billy got so excited that he began flapping his arms and burst out in a series of squeals and shouts. A couple of giraffe looked up momentarily from their grazing and everyone began to “shush” him at the same time. We sounded like a giant tire releasing its air: SSSSSHHHHHHH!!!!!


I don’t think the animals were quite as disturbed by the noise as we had feared. They were more interested in the browse (food left out for them here and there around the savanna), but after a moment or two I took Billy inside to change into his bathing suit, leaving the girls to continue with their camera shoot in relative peace and quiet.

It is so much easier to photograph animals when you're not bouncing up and down in the back seat of a Kilimanjaro Safaris truck!

Emu:

I think I mentioned in the last installment that it was somewhere around 1pm when we left Jambo House. Upon reviewing the stats from the above pictures I realize that they were actually taken at 12:30. Nevertheless, our plan was to be dressed in our costumes and headed to the MK for the MNSSHP by 4pm, so we needed to get going if we wanted a decent amount of swim time. After I had changed, I hustled the reluctant teenagers inside to change into their own bathing suits. I knew that once we got down to the pool they would not readily wish to leave it.

“The animals will be here all week,” I promised them. Still, as I turned to go inside I couldn’t help but take a minute to get a few pictures of the whimsical Lion King character designs in the lace curtains.

We were just about ready to go when I remembered that I had to take the sheets out of the washer and put them in the dryer. Oh, and I couldn’t forget to pack our sunscreen, either. Ed became impatient and decided to go on ahead with the kids. A few minutes later I was trotting down the hall as fast as I could in my flip-flops, dodging mousekeeping carts along the way. I could hear Billy stimming, but they had already turned the corner. They were too far for me to let them know that they were going the wrong way! Well, I suppose I could’ve shouted, but I didn’t want to disturb anyone who might be napping. That didn’t stop Tricia, though.

“MOM!” she yelled from down the hall and around the corner. “The elevator’s here!” Followed by, “See you later!”

“Those little stinkers,” I thought. “They couldn’t even wait one minute for me!”

I rounded the corner and ran smack into them standing in front of the elevators, laughing at me. “You are too easy,” Ed grinned. Billy’s response made up for it, though.

“MOM!” he shouted, “You’re HERE!” and he wrapped his arms around me for a big hug. “See that!” I chided the rest of them. “Billy’s upset because he thought you were leaving without me.” He held on tight as the elevator arrived and we got on. That reminded me… we really should’ve taken a different elevator.


Here is a map of the resort:

Our room was #7726, located in the third “bead” of the Red River Hog section. (By the way, I have no idea why it’s called that… we didn’t see a single hog all week!) Anyway, you can plainly see that our room was closer to Samawati Springs than to the lobby. And yet, here we were in the lobby.


“There’s a quicker way to get to the pool…” I began, but then thought better of it. Ed was already marching everyone out the front entrance and asking one of the valets how to get to the pool. Besides, I had inadvertently left the resort map in our bedroom. I guess we were going to find out about this the hard way.


If you look at the resort map again you’ll see that after we left the villa we basically walked all the way down the hall, rode down an elevator and walked all the way back again the way we had come, only outside this time. It was hot and most of the walkway was blocked with plastic orange construction fencing, forcing us to walk in the roadway, so it wasn’t the most scenic stroll we ever took. The signs were a bit confusing, too. The pool complex is quite large and the Health Club is located adjacent to it. If I had brought the map with us I would have realized that if we had taken the path by the Health Club, we would have reached the pool area faster. Oh well.


We finally found the entrance and needed to insert one of our key cards into the gate to open it. It was like walking into a little bit of paradise! We made our way past the Maji Pool Bar area and began looking for empty lounge chairs. I thought it was fairly crowded for a Saturday afternoon, especially since it was also Halloween, but then I thought that perhaps many of the guests were doing the same thing we were… having a relaxing day before a late night at the MNSSHP. We located some empty chairs and I got everyone sunscreened. The girls immediately took off to find the stairs to the water slide, but Billy just wanted to get right in the water...



Continued, next post...



Kathy

 

[KathyRN137]

Chapter 7, continued...


It was sunny and warm, about 80 degrees… a perfect day for a perfect pool! I ran around taking pictures before I got in the water myself. I didn’t want to ruin my new camera.

You know, I could've sworn that I had more pictures of the surrounding pool area...


... Wow, am I a dummy! I just realized that I had given the girls waterproof disposable cameras and they both took tons of pictures at the pool. I totally forgot about them! Duh! They’re around here someplace. I will have to get them developed, scan the pictures and post them later.

Meanwhile, here’s some more of my pix:

Our lounge chairs. They are still finishing the Pembe Savanna behind the fence. When it is completed there will be animals right there that can be viewed from the pool area...

Tricia and Catie loved the water slide and wanted Billy to try it. He was not interested! Ed got it into his head that Billy should try it at least once because he might like it. Trouble is, the slide is pretty long and winding and he wouldn’t be able to see one of us waiting for him at the bottom. Ed asked the lifeguards if they would let him go down the slide with Billy because he was autistic, but the answer was no. They wouldn’t let one of the girls go with him, either. So instead, Ed had him try the “baby” slide to build up his confidence. It was way to small for him and practically horizontal, so he didn’t really get a chance to “slide” down it… he more or less inched his rear end along until he reached the pool and plopped himself in.


Here is the difference between moms and dads: when I hear Billy say “No!” when asked if he wants to try the water slide, I think, “Okay, he doesn’t want to do it so I won’t make him.” Heck, he doesn’t even like the water slide at our town pool! Ed on the other hand decided that Billy needed to do the slide. Did he feel this way because he thought Billy would wind up really enjoying it once he got over his fear, or was he just unable to accept that his big boy was afraid of the slide… I don’t really know. Perhaps it was a little bit of each. In any case, he felt like he needed to push him a little so he took Billy and Catie and they went off to climb the stairs to the slide.


Tricia and I stayed in the water as close to the bottom of the slide as was allowed so we could meet him when he came down. Now, it’s not like Billy was crying or screaming that he didn’t want to do the slide. I don’t know if he was actually afraid, per se, or if he just didn’t feel like doing it, but it was a new experience for him and I wasn’t 100% sure that this was going to work out. It was also a bit unnerving because we couldn’t see the top of the slide, but they had told us that Catie would go down first and then Billy, so we would know that Billy was coming down next and be ready for him.


We waited a bit while several kids came flying down the slide and landed with big splashes. I looked over at Tricia and she looked at me. We laughed… we were both standing there in the water with our arms stretched out (like we were going to catch him or something!) Ha! My chubby little boy weighs 125 lbs… I couldn’t “catch” him if I tried! Eventually Catie made her splashdown and she too got up and held out her arms. It must’ve been a bit of nervous tension, but we all were laughing so hard at ourselves.

“Watch, he’s going to come down that slide and knock us all over like bowling pins!” I quipped. The lifeguard posted nearby looked on with interest. I suppose he didn’t wave us off because we had told him about Billy being autistic.

A minute or so went by and… no Billy.


I began to get a little anxious. Was he making a big scene at the top of the slide and holding up the line? Worse, could he have “frozen” halfway down the slide and was stuck there, crying? Oh, even worse yet….could he have gone down a little ways and then stopped and was trying to climb back up to the top? Before my mind could think up any more possible scenarios Tricia called out, “There he is!”


Yes, there was Billy… coming down the longest water slide at any of the Disney resorts the same way he had come down the baby slide… inch by inch. He was pushing both feet and both hands along the sides of the slide and was crab-walking slowly to the bottom. He did not look upset, though, just very focused on what he was doing. We called to him and tried to convince him to let go and slide the last little bit down, but he did it his way to the very end. He plopped himself into the water and shouted, “Hooray! You did it!” We all clapped for him, even the lifeguard (who I’m sure under any other circumstances would have blown his whistle and penalized him for holding up water slide traffic.) Ed came whooshing down the slide next and told us that as soon as Billy had gone down a few feet he stopped himself and started doing the crabwalk thing. Luckily, there were only a couple of older kids that were behind them on the slide and they had been very understanding.


The girls were still fawning over Billy and telling him what a good job he had done and what a big boy he was, etc. “Do you want to try it again?” asked his sister. Ed, Billy and I all answered, “No!” in unison. “It’s okay, buddy,” Ed told him. “I just wanted you to try it once.” Whew, thank goodness. I don’t think I could’ve gone through that again! We went back to happily splashing around in the water.


After a while the girls got it into their head that they just had to try the spa… by themselves, thank you, no adults required… so the three of us girls swam over to the far end of the pool. I stayed behind in the water, but I had a perfect view of the spa from where I was positioned. They really seemed to enjoy the quasi-independence of going off on their own. I never would have allowed Tricia to go over there by herself… the story of that guy molesting young girls at Typhoon Lagoon still haunted me… and I found myself thinking for the first of many times that it had been such a great idea to invite Catie. I’m sure it’s a lot more fun for a thirteen year-old to hang out in a hot tub with her same-age cousin than with good old Mom!


Eventually the glamour of the spa wore off and they came back to swim with the boys and me. We decided to go explore Uwanja Camp, the water play area. (Uwanja means “play area” in Swahili.) The camp is laid out in three different areas: Base Camp, the Departure Zone, and Observation Station. Each area has water activities for kids of different ages. The play area slopes slightly downhill from a waterfall…

Everyone took turns standing under the waterfall...

Billy loved the strong water pressure... it's right up his alley, sensory-wise...

Stairs leading to the top of another slide... this one dumps kids onto a wet spongy surface so it's great for kids who want to slide but not into the pool...

You can see it here in the background...

​

Continued, next post...


Kathy