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

[kayrosek]

great update can't wait to read more

 

[KathyRN137]

Chapter 8: Arrrgh You Ready, Kathy? Aye, Aye, Captain!


Saturday Evening
October 31, 2009
Kidani Village



As I lay on the colorful bed trying to get my head together, Tricia and Catie came bouncing in to get their Halloween costumes from the big box we had pushed into the corner of the room. I got up and went into the kitchen to get a knife so I could cut through the packing tape. While I was there I grabbed a handful of Billy’s Cheerios and began to munch on them, thinking that all I needed was a little something in my stomach to absorb the alcohol from that powerful drink. The girls fished out their costumes and bags of assorted accessories and scampered off to change in the other room.


You may recall from the PTR that DSis and I had gone through a very tough time trying to find pirate costumes that were age-appropriate for two thirteen year-old girls. Most of the costumes were quite trashy: “Vixen Pirate Wench,” “Captain Pirate Booty,” “Provocative Piratess,” etc. Heaven forbid they just throw on a pair of old black pants and a white shirt and tie a sash around their waists. After all, they had to look gorgeous! I had finally come across a “Pirate Lass” costume that would fit them and did not reveal too much, so I bought it for Tricia and DSis got the same one for Catie. Surprisingly, the girls did not have the slightest problem with wearing the same outfit; they simply planned to “accessorize them” differently.


Ed came out of the bathroom with Billy, who was literally bouncing up and down and making a lot of stimming sounds (Eeeeeeee, Ahhhhhh, Eeeeeee) and scripting bits and pieces from the Hallowishes CD. I helped him dress, but left Ed to help him with his sash and boot covers while I went in to dry my hair and apply my Pirate-y makeup, which was basically regular makeup applied with a heavier hand. The girls were having trouble with theirs.


“Mom, help me do Catie’s eyeliner, I can’t get it right!” I turned and faced the girls who had come into our bathroom carrying their makeup bags. If only I had my camera there to take a picture of the botched eyeliner! Alas, I am not in the habit of bringing one into the bathroom, even at Disney. They looked more like raccoons than sultry pirates, although I admit that Catie had done a bit better job on her cousin than Tricia had done on her. Quickly we performed damage control and the girls were satisfied.


Ed called to me from the bedroom. “Honey, Billy’s boot covers won’t stay up!” With a sigh I put down my hairbrush and went in to investigate. Two rubber bands took care of the uncooperative booties. Meanwhile, Ed frowned as he surveyed himself in the mirror. “There’s something wrong with these laces,” he said, pointing to the sides of his pirate vest. “That’s because they haven’t been put in correctly,” I said. After I washed the vest I just stuck the laces back in quickly so they wouldn’t get lost. Tricia and I helped get them right, but Ed wasn’t too sure he would keep the vest on because it was still quite warm out. We had decided to bring along a change of clothes for everyone, anyhow, so we would be getting a locker as soon as we got to the MK. He could always stash it in the locker if he thought it would be too hot to wear.


The girls announced that they had finished adorning themselves with fake bling and were now ready to go. The boys were ready, too, but I wasn’t even dressed yet. “Come on, Kathy, it’s a quarter to four already,” Ed growled. “Get a move on!”

I made a face. “Well, if I wasn’t so busy helping everyone else with their costumes, I’d be dressed by now!” He grumbled a little under his breath about always being late as he finished packing his backpack and went to round up the kids.


“The party doesn’t start until seven,” I called out, pulling on my own pirate vest and lacing it quickly. “We’re fine!” I grabbed my own bag…a cute little black-and-white striped hobo that I thought went well with the pirate theme… and made sure I had packed our MNSSHP tickets and some glow-bracelets along with the usual park supplies. The crew was restless and the captain was getting ready to have me walk the plank, so I hurriedly finished dressing. Feeling better, but not wanting to risk any delayed ill effects from the Tangerine Dream, I made sure to take along a bottle of water to sip on while we waited for the MK bus.


Once we had settled onto the benches to wait it became evident that it was going to be a very warm evening. I squished myself onto one corner of the bench that was covered in shade and put my sunglasses on. It was ruining the effect of my costume, I’m sure, but I can’t see very well in bright sunlight (blue eyes), so I had to do it. While we waited, I went over the “game plan” with the family:


-First things first: we would get our locker and the GAC for Billy.

-Then we would get something quick to eat.

-Until the party officially got underway at seven o’clock, we would do whatever rides the kids wanted.

Then we would switch into party mode...

-Trick-or-treating (DSis had given the kids trick-or-treat bags she bought at the Disney Store.)

-Special character meet-and-greets and character dance parties.

-9:00 DIS-Meet with Dreamer & Wisher’s family at Aloha Isle.

-9:30 Hallowishes.

-10:30 Boo-to-You Halloween Parade at Frontierland.

-11:15 Last showing of Disney’s Villains Mix and Mingle at the Castle.



“We’ll be coming back to the Magic Kingdom during the week, so we’ll have plenty of time to do rides then,” I told them (for the hundredth time.) “We’re going to focus on special party stuff tonight.” They all nodded mechanically; the non-autistic ones engrossed in their cell phones and the autistic one engrossed in trying to get his mommy to take off her hat.


Next came a general warning to the girls about not getting separated from the rest of the group. “It’s going to be super-crowded,” I told them. “So we’ve got to stick together!” (The glow-bracelets in my bag were not just for fun later in the evening, they would make it easier to spot my kids in the crowded darkness.)


The “business” part of my speech was over, now it was on to the fun stuff. “Which ride do you think we should do first?” I said. “Haunted Mansion because it’s Halloween or POC because we’re all pirates tonight?” Both the girls and Ed were strongly in favor of POC, but I was leaning more toward HM. Billy did not seem to care either way, so it was decided that the pirates would ride Pirates first. We practiced our Pirate-talk until the MK bus rolled up.

Dead men tell no tales, but I will be back soon with the rest of this one.




Kathy

 

[joy13]

Yes, it was very warm on Halloween night for sure! We did both POC and HM before the party started as well - our night there were no lines for anything at that time - it was great!

 

[jordanyosh]

Argh.

Now who's the Disney nut? Ed saying "We're gonna be late?"....kinda brings a smile to my face....

 

[princesskelz]

Awsome section did you guys see the MASSIVE wave of people at the turnstiles at the start of the night Also i gotta tell you my celeberty sighting! Ill wait until you post the rest though!

 

[DisMomAmy]

I can't wait to see pictures of all of you!!

 

[KathyRN137]

I see you're "back!"

As always, I am really enjoying your report!

great update can't wait to read more

Hello Krystal! I just found your report today!

Yes, it was very warm on Halloween night for sure! We did both POC and HM before the party started as well - our night there were no lines for anything at that time - it was great!

Hmmm, wish I could say the same!

Even though I'm not Jaimie....I can't wait to hangout at Samawati Springs...thanks for the warning about the drinks....

Argh.

Now who's the Disney nut? Ed saying "We're gonna be late?"....kinda brings a smile to my face....

I'm sure you will take one sip and think, "Boy, Kathy is such a lightweight!"

Now let me say that Ed is simply just one of those people who likes to be on time, even early. Unfortunatlely he married an "I'll get there when I get there" kind of gal! I told him that we could get in with our party tickets as early as four and he locked onto that target like a Patriot missile!


Kathy

 

[KathyRN137]

Awsome section did you guys see the MASSIVE wave of people at the turnstiles at the start of the night Also i gotta tell you my celeberty sighting! Ill wait until you post the rest though!

Oooh! Sounds exciting!

I can't wait to see pictures of all of you!!

Hopefully tonight... if not, then tomorrow.


Kathy

 

[preschoolmom]

I made a face. “Well, if I wasn’t so busy helping everyone else with their costumes, I’d be dressed by now!” He grumbled a little under his breath about always being late as he finished packing his backpack and went to round up the kids.

Isn't that the way it goes?

 

[Hedy]

Can't wait for pictures!

 

[mrsksomeday]

Kathy you are killing me I am dying to see pictures.

I'm not a patient person .

 

[jordanyosh]

I'm sure you will take one sip and think, "Boy, Kathy is such a lightweight!"

Maybe, maybe not. I guess I will have to try one now.

Now let me say that Ed is simply just one of those people who likes to be on time, even early. Unfortunatlely he married an "I'll get there when I get there" kind of gal! I told him that we could get in with our party tickets as early as four and he locked onto that target like a Patriot missile!


Kathy

I think I remember you saying in a previous TR that Ed was this way....

He and I would get along. I'm the same way.

 

[maroo]

Argh!

 

[Halloweenqueen]

It's the MOST wonderful time of the year!...well, atleast for me!

MNSSHP, I can't wait!

Looking forward to photos of your pirate crew.

 

[dillydilly]

Great update! Can't wait to see pictures!

 

[KatGarcia]

That was a great installment and I am so excited to hear how it all turned out! Right about that time I was flying into MCO and about to have a drama filled evening!

 

[KathyRN137]

Chapter Nine:We’re Gonna Party Like it’s 999 (Happy Haunts!)


Saturday Evening
October 31
Magic Kingdom
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party




After about fifteen minutes of sitting in the sun, the Magic Kingdom bus finally pulled up to Kidani. After an elderly man in an ECV was loaded, we climbed on board with a bunch of other guests. I was really feeling hot and the air conditioning felt good! I thought I was taking some really good “notes” on my digital voice recorder, but didn’t realize at the time I still wasn’t using it correctly. I wasn’t recording at all! We stopped at Jambo House and picked up some more partygoers. (For those of you are planning to stay at AKL, all buses except the DTD buses go to Kidani first and then on to Jambo House.) I’d have to say that every child was in costume (lots of princesses) and many adults had dressed up as well. Most adults who were not in costume were wearing some sort of Halloween t-shirt or hat and the general vibe on board was one of excitement and anticipation.



Billy sat next to me, kicking his legs, and Ed had to reach out to grab them several times so he wouldn’t hit anybody because the bus was pretty full. I think only a couple of people were left standing in the back. There were a lot of strollers! The man in the ECV had heavily decorated the basket on his vehicle for Halloween, probably for the benefit of the little kids in his party (I assumed they were his grandchildren.) I remember thinking, “How cool is that?” Three generations enjoying the party together! I looked at my own family. Tricia and her cousin were happily chatting away and Ed had put his arm around Billy’s shoulders and he was snuggling into his daddy. I sighed happily. We were on our way to the Magic Kingdom!



We hadn’t made the MK our first park to visit in quite some time. Usually I’m following Tour Guide Mike’s recommendations and we are not getting to the MK for a day or two into the trip. (Not a bad idea, really, because it lets the anticipation build.) For some reason I was ultra-excited as the bus pulled up to the corral and began unloading passengers. We were starting out this vacation with a really Big Bang… our first-ever Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party!

In the past we’ve visited immediately after Halloween and the fall decorations were already starting to come down to make way for Christmas. This was the first time we were really seeing them in there full splendor!


There was a moderate line at bag check (primarily because there were only two security guards checking bags) and then we were off to find the entrance designated for party guests. Not much wait there! We handed over our tickets and immediately ran into CMs distributing wristbands for the party. Luckily, Billy has outgrown his aversion to having them on his wrists (we used to have to put them around one of his ankles because he would pick at it all night long!) I was about to go through the tunnel when Ed reminded me about getting a locker. He took Tricia with him and while the rest of us waited, I noticed that workers were already taking down the “What Will You Celebrate?” banners and replacing them with MNSSHP banners:

See them in the background?

After our things had been safely stashed, we eagerly made our way through the tunnel and into Main Street USA’s Town Square. The five o-clock flag-lowering ceremony was in progress and we arrived just in time to sing the National Anthem with a bunch of assembled guests. Billy looked so cute holding his pirate hat over his heart, but I did not want to be disrespectful by turning away from the flag to take his picture! After the flag was folded, the marching band played as the security detail turned and walked away with the flag carefully held in the arms of a guest veteran.



Not to sound snarky or anything, but I was amazed at the number of guests entering and exiting the park who did not stop for a moment in deference to our flag being lowered and The Star Spangled Banner being sung. Shame on them!

Soon we were walking “right down the middle”. The crowd was not too bad… yet.

Lots and lots of PhotoPass photographers were out…

​

…But that afternoon sun was right in some of our faces….

​

We were just about to turn off the Hub toward Adventureland when I suddenly realized that we had forgotten to stop by Guest Relations for Billy’s GAC. So, we turned around and walked all the way back to Town Square! Once we had obtained the GAC, we decided to take a few pictures by the scarecrows since we couldn’t get near them during the flag-lowering ceremony. By this time, Ed had ditched his vest… it was just too warm.

(Tiggerbell, do the rings look familiar?)

I took this one in honor of the World Series game that Ed was giving up tonight!

Back down Main Street we all went. But it was a good opportunity to see some of the things we missed the first time!

See all the Jack 'o Lanterns?

​

All of a sudden, Billy grabbed my hand and said, “Mom, I’m hungry!” Ed chimed in and said that he was feeling hungry, too. I realized that it would be a good idea to grab dinner before the main dinner rush started, and since hot dogs are one of the few foods Billy will eat, we conveniently ducked right into Casey’s. (Pardon the pun…you know how Disney birds just love to hang out there!)

Now I had read in several trip reports that the hot dogs at Casey’s had been changed, but at the time I had completely forgotten. (Somehow I think that in my state of euphoria only half my brain cells were firing that evening!) Ed took Billy to find seats while the girls and I procured the food. There were about a half-dozen people in front of us and the line was moving slowly. Thankfully, no issues arose with our dining plan and we were soon carrying our trays and looking for the boys. They had camped out at a little table next to the bleachers in the back so that Billy could watch cartoons. Good call! I was not looking forward to being stalked by dozens of hungry birds…


We all squeezed in around the tiny table and I made some room by laying out napkins, putting the food down, and sending Tricia to get rid of the trays. Then I passed out the wet wipes and had everyone wash their hands. I must bring about ten packages of these to Disney! Then I opened Billy’s hot dog and realized the change. I held my breath. Would Billy eat it? His autism makes him extremely picky about what he will eat. I covered his white shirt with a bunch of napkins while Ed put ketchup on the hot dog. Our eyes met and I could tell he was thinking the same thing. He gave the hot dog to Billy and told him to “dig in, boy!”


Billy held the hot dog up to his nose and sniffed it suspiciously. He frowned and looked at it closely. He turned it over in the bun and sniffed it again. Then he put it down and began to eat his French fries. The girls had already begun to eat their hot dogs and Tricia started saying, “This bun is weird…” but immediately held herself in check when Ed sent her a look, nodded toward her brother and mouthed, “Shut up!” Then he turned to Billy and told him that he had to eat his hot dog and not just his fries.

“No hot dog!” he answered emphatically.

“Yes, hot dog!” his father replied firmly. Ed is a zealous member of the You-Must-Clean-Your-Plate Club.

“No hot dog!” Billy said again, loudly.

“YES, HOT DOG!”


Seeing that he was outmatched, Billy took a little nibble of the hot dog, followed by another. Soon he was eating it normally, but we all had fallen quiet since Ed had become a bit irritated during this altercation. We really needed a tension-breaker and at that very moment, in walked two people dressed up as a bottle of mustard and a bottle of ketchup! They looked around and, seeing that all the tables were taken, sat themselves down on the bleachers and began to eat their hot dogs.

Well.

Tricia and Catie thought it was hysterical and began to laugh…hard. Then, who should come along to join them but a giant hot dog and an order of fries! The entire room was laughing now and the condiments waved to the crowd while their partners settled down and began to eat…hot dogs and French fries!

“That’s a little creepy if you think about it,” said Catie.

“Yeah, it’s like they’re cannibals or something,” replied Tricia.


I wonder what they all thought about the new buns at Casey’s. Personally, I was sorry that I hadn’t listened to Brook and ordered the corn dog nuggets. Ah well, there’s always next time! We got ourselves cleaned up, left Casey’s and set out to visit our brother pirates’ underground lair…



Kathy

 

[MEK]

You were up late. I am up early....and what a great surprise to be the first one to read your late night update! Your costumes are really great. I love the girl's stockings. So cute. Great pictures of the whole family. You guys look great - really a nice theme.

I have a confession to make - I have never eaten at Casey's. But I have the corndog nuggets on my list for next trip. I'm glad that Billy started to enjoy his hotdog after a little gentle prodding (not!). Oh well....I am sure you are off to a wonderful evening! Can't wait!

 

[jess98ac]

How funny with the ketchup and mustard in Casey's, I would have been cracking up, too! Loving the report so far, can't wait for the next installment!

 

[Charleston Princess]

You may recall from the PTR that DSis and I had gone through a very tough time trying to find pirate costumes that were age-appropriate for two thirteen year-old girls. Most of the costumes were quite trashy: “Vixen Pirate Wench,” “Captain Pirate Booty,” “Provocative Piratess,” etc. Heaven forbid they just throw on a pair of old black pants and a white shirt and tie a sash around their waists. After all, they had to look gorgeous! I had finally come across a “Pirate Lass” costume that would fit them and did not reveal too much, so I bought it for Tricia and DSis got the same one for Catie. Surprisingly, the girls did not have the slightest problem with wearing the same outfit; they simply planned to “accessorize them” differently.

Can't wait to see how they accessorized differently!

“Mom, help me do Catie’s eyeliner, I can’t get it right!” I turned and faced the girls who had come into our bathroom carrying their makeup bags. If only I had my camera there to take a picture of the botched eyeliner! Alas, I am not in the habit of bringing one into the bathroom, even at Disney. They looked more like raccoons than sultry pirates, although I admit that Catie had done a bit better job on her cousin than Tricia had done on her. Quickly we performed damage control and the girls were satisfied.

It's always a fine line between racoons, sultriness, and 13-year-olds.

I made a face. “Well, if I wasn’t so busy helping everyone else with their costumes, I’d be dressed by now!” He grumbled a little under his breath about always being late as he finished packing his backpack and went to round up the kids.

Such is my fate almost every time we go anywhere as a family!

Not to sound snarky or anything, but I was amazed at the number of guests entering and exiting the park who did not stop for a moment in deference to our flag being lowered and The Star Spangled Banner being sung. Shame on them!

I don't think you are being snarky at all! I would feel the same way!

What a great bunch of pirates!!! I love the girls pirate tights!



We really needed a tension-breaker and at that very moment, in walked two people dressed up as a bottle of mustard and a bottle of ketchup! They looked around and, seeing that all the tables were taken, sat themselves down on the bleachers and began to eat their hot dogs.

Well.

Tricia and Catie thought it was hysterical and began to laugh…hard. Then, who should come along to join them but a giant hot dog and an order of fries! The entire room was laughing now and the condiments waved to the crowd while their partners settled down and began to eat…hot dogs and French fries!

“That’s a little creepy if you think about it,” said Catie.

“Yeah, it’s like they’re cannibals or something,” replied Tricia.

That's great!!!