***1st Week of December Thread ADR Plans, Park Hours, and dealing with Pop Warner***

[Lisa F]

Fell free here I think we all need some stress relief and Disney is usually my escape (especially from work where I;m so stressed out )

yes, me too. I'm glad this thread is here, it just keeps going and whenever I feel like popping in there is tons to respond to.

Hugs! Sounds like a difficult situation, so whine away!

It could be a lot worse and I know that. His dad is a basically good guy and I'm glad he has such a good relationship with him. But I can't compete with nonstop play. I do my best to build in as much as I can but sometimes at the end of the day I am just tired. My job is stressful and takes a lot out of me too. And then I feel guilty when I am too tired to go pokemon hunting every single day, maybe just two days out of the week. etc.

I'm sorry you're having a rough time. If it makes you feel any better at all, I am the daughter of the "fun dad", and while it was really cool when I was a kid, and I used to say things like that too, now that I'm old enough to look back on how things really were, I appreciate so much the parent who kept it real and structured at home base. For me, it was my grandmother. (Mom is bipolar and lived in a mental health group home for a lot of my childhood.) So even though he may say those things now, when he's a little older, he will definitely appreciate the life you provide for him too. It just sucks that it takes a little hindsight to really see it.

It is even worse because he is on the spectrum so he obsesses on things and tends to repeat them over and over (good and bad) and it can REALLY wear me down. We had a bad spot a couple of weeks before he left where he told me that he KNEW I was trying but it just wasn't enough and kept saying it a hundred different ways. He didn't mean to be mean, but he just breaks my heart sometimes. My family is extremely toxic and me living near them again is a non-starter. Our life is here. I know the distance is hard on him but also with his special needs I have to be very careful what public school district I am in - he would not get the same care and attention in a district where the class size 35 and in trailers rather than the 17 they have here, and they don't still have teacher's aides in the classroom for the third grade, or he has an IEP team consisting of the special ed teacher from K-1 because she is still so invested in him, the one assigned to him and the one from 4-5 because she fell in love with him too. Or an after school program where the second in command adores him and will let him just sit in her office and play on her computer if he is having a tough time with other kids and needs a break and quiet time/ one on one adult attention. He really has no clue how great he has it here and because I have sheltered him from all of the bad stuff about where we came from, he has no idea what it would really be like living there either. He just knows that's where it is fun and he gets to see his cousins (the children of my sister who is no longer speaking to me) and his grandparents (who he does get to see at least monthly which is more than a lot of other kids). And I need to be ok with him believing that and being protected from my baggage. Ok so that was a really major vent, lol. he is looking forward to Disney and I'm glad I can at least do that for him. It's a week where I get to be the disneyland parent and maybe it is a bit of overcompensation but he does pretty much get whatever he wants for that one week, lol.

 

[Candycane83]

We have actually walked from BW to HS before...but if we have the time we prefer the boat to save our aching feet a little bit. Plus it's nice to relax a little bit since we're always so go go go, KWIM? Plus, DH likes boats. LOL

LOL Yes, I totally get you! I think we walked to the park once or twice but always took the boat!!!

AoA seems so nice especially for kids. But convenience seems to win me over each time. If you're looking to stay at the EPCOT area, I would recommend the Dolphin/ Swan. I actually really liked the Dolphin and would probably stay there again because it's priced like a moderate. We had a CAA discount too then so it was well worth the price. But this was before FP+ and magic bands. Not sure how they are with FP+ booking, if you can book 30 or 60 days ahead.

 

[Lisa F]

LOL, I totally get you. I don't have a double, just single but I'm interested to know the answer to this too. I think you fold it up and bring it along with you on the bus. Disney buses are not all facing forward I think, some face each other? I never quite paid attention before (no child of my own yet) so this will be new for me too!

you fold it up and haul it on and stand in the aisle with it (or sit with it at your knees but it will definitely overlap other people so you have to get a couple of seats together for your party). It's a big pain in the butt. I had a stroller for the kiddo in 2014 and i avoided transport wherever I could. it was very hard for me to deal with him and folding it and lifting it (it was a city stroller so HEAVY and bulky) and manage it when I was already tired and get it into tight spaces (like on the WDW railroad if we were not taking it the whole way around or a tram). If you have two people and someone who can lift the darn thing it will be easier. or if you have an umbrella stroller. that's why you see people cramming bigger kids into a $14.95 umbrella stroller with their little butts nearly dragging on the ground and the wheels barely turning, lol.

The Magical Express buses are set up like normal buses with rows of two or three seats with an aisle down the middle and have storage underneath. The ones you use to get from resort to parks look like this:

View attachment 190617

So if you sit on the front half of the bus, there's plenty of room to have it right there with you.

magical express is a coach bus for longer trips but the disney internal buses are more like city buses. they will never be that empty! lol

 

[Lisa F]

LOL Yes, I totally get you! I think we walked to the park once or twice but always took the boat!!!

AoA seems so nice especially for kids. But convenience seems to win me over each time. If you're looking to stay at the EPCOT area, I would recommend the Dolphin/ Swan. I actually really liked the Dolphin and would probably stay there again because it's priced like a moderate. We had a CAA discount too then so it was well worth the price. But this was before FP+ and magic bands. Not sure how they are with FP+ booking, if you can book 30 or 60 days ahead.

yes I am more inclined to walk at the beginning of the day and ride at the end. but if I want to do fireworks I will hoof it to wherever I want to go, whatever is fastest. fireworks are my favorite and Illuminations is my favorite fireworks show.

 

[Mal6586]

It is even worse because he is on the spectrum so he obsesses on things and tends to repeat them over and over (good and bad) and it can REALLY wear me down. We had a bad spot a couple of weeks before he left where he told me that he KNEW I was trying but it just wasn't enough and kept saying it a hundred different ways. He didn't mean to be mean, but he just breaks my heart sometimes. My family is extremely toxic and me living near them again is a non-starter. Our life is here. I know the distance is hard on him but also with his special needs I have to be very careful what public school district I am in - he would not get the same care and attention in a district where the class size 35 and in trailers rather than the 17 they have here, and they don't still have teacher's aides in the classroom for the third grade, or he has an IEP team consisting of the special ed teacher from K-1 because she is still so invested in him, the one assigned to him and the one from 4-5 because she fell in love with him too. Or an after school program where the second in command adores him and will let him just sit in her office and play on her computer if he is having a tough time with other kids and needs a break and quiet time/ one on one adult attention. He really has no clue how great he has it here and because I have sheltered him from all of the bad stuff about where we came from, he has no idea what it would really be like living there either. He just knows that's where it is fun and he gets to see his cousins (the children of my sister who is no longer speaking to me) and his grandparents (who he does get to see at least monthly which is more than a lot of other kids). And I need to be ok with him believing that and being protected from my baggage. Ok so that was a really major vent, lol. he is looking forward to Disney and I'm glad I can at least do that for him. It's a week where I get to be the disneyland parent and maybe it is a bit of overcompensation but he does pretty much get whatever he wants for that one week, lol.

Well you sound like a superhero mom to me, so if you need to vent, vent away! Also, that is a great support system to have set up! I have a friend whose oldest son is on the spectrum, so I know from listening to her that it can be so hard to find what you need for your kids to succeed.

And shoot, I go out of the way to spoil myself at Disney, so I can only imagine getting to spoil my kid! I'd be doing it too!

 

[Candycane83]

you fold it up and haul it on and stand in the aisle with it (or sit with it at your knees but it will definitely overlap other people so you have to get a couple of seats together for your party). It's a big pain in the butt. I had a stroller for the kiddo in 2014 and i avoided transport wherever I could. it was very hard for me to deal with him and folding it and lifting it (it was a city stroller so HEAVY and bulky) and manage it when I was already tired and get it into tight spaces (like on the WDW railroad if we were not taking it the whole way around or a tram). If you have two people and someone who can lift the darn thing it will be easier.

magical express is a coach bus for longer trips but the disney internal buses are more like city buses. they will never be that empty! lol

Good to know! Thanks! We're bringing a Maclaren with us so its not too bulky but it's still heavy for me!

 

[Candycane83]

Well you sound like a superhero mom to me, so if you need to vent, vent away! Also, that is a great support system to have set up! I have a friend whose oldest son is on the spectrum, so I know from listening to her that it can be so hard to find what you need for your kids to succeed.

And shoot, I go out of the way to spoil myself at Disney, so I can only imagine getting to spoil my kid! I'd be doing it too!

Totally agree with this!!!

 

[LBlovesM&WDW]

@SilSprBea You will need to close your stroller and very likely you may not get a seat. Often the seating is taken and someone may not give up their seat, even for a female with a small child. You could get lucky and find a seat or a kind person who will stand for you--here's hoping for ya!

 

[Mal6586]

@SilSprBea You will need to close your stroller and very likely you may not get a seat. Often the seating is taken and someone may not give up their seat, even for a female with a small child. You could get lucky and find a seat or a kind person who will stand for you--here's hoping for ya!

Yeesh, folks can be so rude. Since we don't have kids or stuff to bring, roomie and I always head for the back of the bus in the corner where's there's not really room for strollers or anything so parents or older people can have the front half or more easily accessible seats.

 

[BDFmom]

@LisaF wow... what a vivid dream.

((Hugs)) vent away!! It's really hard being a single mom and the one who is responsible for all the hard stuff.


So it's better to Uber to BW or BC to walk to the international gateway?
I plan on using Uber as much as possible... I hate buses but will probably use them to get to MK.

 

[Lisa F]

@LisaF wow... what a vivid dream.

((Hugs)) vent away!! It's really hard being a single mom and the one who is responsible for all the hard stuff.


So it's better to Uber to BW or BC to walk to the international gateway?
I plan on using Uber as much as possible... I hate buses but will probably use them to get to MK.

if you are going for fireworks yes. if you are going for rides, no... most of that stuff is in future world and even frozen is about equally distant from future world as it is from the international gateway. it depends.

thanks I'm actually kind of whiny lol. But I do want to know what it feels like to be that parent who sends their kid to school and doesn't jump every time her phone rings and the parent who doesn't have any contact with the teacher except at conference and report card times and whose biggest problem is the A- now slipped to a B+ due to a few missed homework assignments. There really are parents like that! lol.

 

[Candycane83]

@LisaF wow... what a vivid dream.

((Hugs)) vent away!! It's really hard being a single mom and the one who is responsible for all the hard stuff.


So it's better to Uber to BW or BC to walk to the international gateway?
I plan on using Uber as much as possible... I hate buses but will probably use them to get to MK.

Boardwalk may be closer... I plan the same thing with Uber.

 

[Lisa F]

Boardwalk may be closer... I plan the same thing with Uber.

ample hills is on the way from boardwalk lobby to epcot. just sayin'. nice pre-illumination snack here!

 

[TiggerManiac]

I just redid it and it seems to be behaving. I like the ones that say days rather than months and weeks and days lol. Yes it was crazy

I think I am mostly stressed about my kid being gone two weeks :-/ he is with his dad who is the "disneyland dad" - whenever he is with dad it's all fun and vacation and when he's with me it's school and homework and therapy and social awkardness dealing with friend issues and real life. I know he is going to come home talking about how much better it is with Dad... because it is. Because it is vacation and he has no demands placed on him except to have fun. Kind of bumming this week.

Can you talk with him when he comes home that time with dad is like vacation time, so it will always seem more fun than being back to his regular daily life full of all the "boring" stuff? That you're glad he gets to have nothing but fun on these short times with his dad, and that if he LIVED even part-time with dad, all that "boring" real-life stuff would follow him there, so those times would no longer be nothing but fun all the time?

 

[Lisa F]

Can you talk with him when he comes home that time with dad is like vacation time, so it will always seem more fun than being back to his regular daily life full of all the "boring" stuff? That you're glad he gets to have nothing but fun on these short times with his dad, and that if he LIVED even part-time with dad, all that "boring" real-life stuff would follow him there, so those times would no longer be nothing but fun all the time?

I have had that convo with him but he is smart and thinks he knows everything. That is when he told me that daddy doesn't work as hard as I do he thinks going to school in a trailer would be great. and 30+ kids in a class is just more opportunity for friends. so now we're at "this is your home and this is where you live and it is not up for discussion" on advice of his therapist.

 

[areno79]

ample hills is on the way from boardwalk lobby to epcot. just sayin'. nice pre-illumination snack here!

Don't even get me started on ice cream. It's my kryptonite!

 

[TiggerManiac]

ok everyone. it is getting real.

@Lisa F, what a nightmare! I had some strange Disney nightmare the other night, too, but I couldn't really remember much about it when I woke up for real.

 

[Lisa F]

@Lisa F, what a nightmare! I had some strange Disney nightmare the other night, too, but I couldn't really remember much about it when I woke up for real.

you are at 90 days!!! if your ticker is right, lol.

 

[areno79]

Ok, just booked a PPO BOG for our last day of the trip (thanks again, @Mal6586 )....what do I need to know about it? I've never done a PPO before so don't know all the tips, but I'd love to get in early and get some pics without the crowds if possible!

 

[Maryemcd]

***** ALERT *****

Early Morning Magic is showing for SATURDAYS through December in Hollywood Studios!! I tried to pick December 3rd, but said no availability so I don't think they are fully available to book.