A Halloween Adventure in Autism (11/12) New Thread Begun on TR Board!

[mrsksomeday]

 

[KathyRN137]

Kathy, I would maybe do the Fantasmic Dinner Package. I know that still doesn't guarantee you seating, but it prevents you from having to wait in that crushing line..

...I agree with the PP; go for the dinner package, it will cut out a lot of the wait time- esp. good for Billy, too!

We were in the same predicament with F! during our June trip. We ended up not seeing it though because it stormed the night we were at DHS. DS8 handled it well I thought since he really wanted to see it too.

One note about the F! dining pkg. Be sure to read up on it, I've seen a lot of posts lately from people who are upset with the new admission procedure. I guess the pkg people enter in the same queue as the regular seating until inside the theatre, then they get seated in the reserved section. I also read that they are opening that section up fairly early too so you'd have to be there early to make sure you have a seat in the reserved section.

My thoughts on Fantasmic package: Not worth it. If you go early you can get seats just as close. Plus, personally we'd rather sit in the back so you can get out of there quicker!

....Only 9 more days until it's time for ADRs! Shame on me, I might have missed your ADRs discussion and list if you had one. If so, can you point me in the right direction? If not---what ADRs are you trying to get?

Okay... the Fantasmic! dining package... yay or nay??

We've seen F! three times over the years and we never used the dining package. We never had a problem getting seats (in the way back, which is where we want to be), but that was before Disney reduced the number of shows per week.

I've also heard that the original perk of being allowed to enter the theater via a separate entrance no longer exists... everyone enters together... so that does dilute any advantage package guests might have over non-package guests.

In addition, the dinner package reserved seating is located all the way to the far right of the theater seating, so it's not "the best" sight line. And if it fills up fast, well, we're out of luck. So even those with reserved seating have to get to the theater super-early! So... what's the point??

The thought of having to "waste" an hour of good park time sitting looking at an empty stage just makes me sigh heavily. Perhaps if Ed saves us some seats I could take the kids for a ride on R&RC or ToT using the GAC during that hour... that way Billy won't go crazy waiting so long.

I'm sure Ed wouldn't mind... he sits out those rides anyway.

Does anyone have any experience with seat saving at Fantasmic? Is it do-able?

(annewjerz, I'll touch on ADR plans in the next post!)


Kathy

 

[mrsksomeday]

I will throw this idea out there, if Fantasmic is on the two nights we are going to be there when you are there the 5th and 6th, we could meet up with Ed and help "save the seats". It would be at the top of the theater because of Bill. They have me sit by Bill and anyone with us sits directly in front of us so Abbey, Josh, Christian, Hannah, and Ed could spread out enough to save you some seats .

 

[DisMomAmy]

Happy Double Digits Kathy!!!



Sounds like you are going to be a marshmallow (I would be too) based on your FDP question... I don't have any advice there other than to say that the reserved seats aren't bad. We saw F! with the FDP in 06 and thought the seats were OK. But I have nothing else to compare them with. We skipped it this year because of the reduced schedule. Maybe next time?? I like your idea of having Ed save the seats if that's do-able.

 

[KathyRN137]

Ack! I was halfway done my Party Post and I somehow clicked off the DIS while transferring a picture!

... Let me just get Billy off to bed and I'll be back to try it again!!


Kathy

 

[KathyRN137]

Happy Double Digits Kathy!!!



Sounds like you are going to be a marshmallow (I would be too) based on your FDP question... I don't have any advice there other than to say that the reserved seats aren't bad. We saw F! with the FDP in 06 and thought the seats were OK. But I have nothing else to compare them with. We skipped it this year because of the reduced schedule. Maybe next time?? I like your idea of having Ed save the seats if that's do-able.

Planning around these "incredible nighttime spectaculars" is getting more and more difficult. It isn't easy being a marshmallow!

I will throw this idea out there, if Fantasmic is on the two nights we are going to be there when you are there the 5th and 6th, we could meet up with Ed and help "save the seats". It would be at the top of the theater because of Bill. They have me sit by Bill and anyone with us sits directly in front of us so Abbey, Josh, Christian, Hannah, and Ed could spread out enough to save you some seats .

That might work!

I can't imagine one person saving seats for four others! Even if he is a cop...

(Secretly, though, I'm hoping Billy's current fascination with the show will wane. It's not on my top ten to do list, if you know what I mean!)

Okay... back to the party post!


Kathy

 

[mrsksomeday]

I can't imagine one person saving seats for four others! Even if he is a cop...

(Secretly, though, I'm hoping Billy's current fascination with the show will wane. It's not on my top ten to do list, if you know what I mean!)

Okay... back to the party post!

It is a must do for us, Josh really liked it last time and Bill always enjoys it, we just have to wait for those darn hours to come out!

 

[KathyRN137]

Our Countdown to Disney Planning Party!​

On Wednesday we finally reached an important milestone... 100 days til Disney! I planned a little get-together with my DSis Eileen and my DNiece Catie so we could talk a little Disney and get some basic planning done. If your recall, we are bringing Catie with us and although it's not going to be her first time at Disney, it will be her first time going with us, so I wanted to get a good idea of what she wanted to do. (DBIL owns a bicycle shop and it's his busy season, so he couldn't make it.)


Ed was also in absentia. Well, technically he was there... he was just sleeping in our bedroom! After working a twelve hour night shift, his mean old wife made him cut the grass and tidy the yard that morning because company was coming... so after doing the yard work and showering, he was just settling into bed when they arrived a little after noon.

Mean old wife!


Billy was on a field trip as part of his summer program and would not be home until three, so we decided to take the girls to the pool so they could swim and we sisters could catch up on each others lives and talk about our other sisters behind their backs. (Just kidding!)


I had been concerned about the weather because we had a lot of rain the day before. Fortunately the storm passed through our area and we had a sunny, just slightly humid, day... so the barbeque plans were on!


The girls had about two hours in the pool and then it was time for us to pack up and go home to meet Billy's bus. Oh, he had been so excited going off to school that morning! A field trip and a party all in one day!! He had been counting down the days until the party on the calendar for weeks! As soon as he came home, I made him take a shower right after the girls were finished with theirs because his field trip had been to a local state park and they had been swimming in a lake. (Sorry, but I think that's icky!) I am just not a lake swimmer. Give me a nice chlorinated pool, thank you very much!


Soon everyone was all neat and pretty and we went out onto the back deck and prepared for our Disney-inspired feast! I had found some Mickey Ears head bands at the party store and we all wore them. We brought Tricia's old kareoke machine outside so we could play Disney CDs. Billy served as program director and his first choice was the Wishes! CD. Very good choice, young man!

The table, set with my super-bargain plates from the Disney Store...

Our "appetizers" consisted of popcorn (mostly for Billy) and chips with dips (ranch, salsa, and sour cream & onion) served in the cute Disney serving piece with the little LGMH handle. Representing the Magic Kingdom, we had the Artichoke Dip from Tony's Town Square Restaurant:

Ingredients:
½ pound Ricotta Cheese
½ pound Mozzarella Cheese
13 ounces Artichokes (Canned) (drained and chopped)
¼ pound Romano Cheese
1 ½ ounces Heavy Cream
2 ounces Frozen Spinach (chopped)
½ ounce Garlic (chopped)
To Taste Salt and Pepper


Method of Preparation:
Mix ricotta, mozzarella, Romano, artichoke, spinach, garlic, salt, and, pepper. Add mixture to crème brulee dishes, filling no more that ½ full. Top mixture with more mozzarella cheese to come flush with top of dish. Heat in oven to melt cheeses.

​

This was a big, big hit! So yummy with tortilla chips...

Here is your hostess bringing it to the table...

The Cousins

The Girls

Billy and Aunt Eileen

I had originally planned to have the Disney Hollywood Studios represented by the Bleu Cheese Vinaigrette Dressing from the Sci-Fi Dine In Theater, but the kids said "Yuck!" and I didn't want to make it just for Eileen and me, so we bagged it and just went with the standard bottled dressings for the salad. Here is the recipe, however, in case you're interested...

Ingredients

2 oz. Dijon mustard
8 oz. olive oil
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
4 oz. bleu cheese
3 oz. white balsamic vinegar
2 TB basil
1 tsp Kosher salt


Method:

In a blender, blend vinegar and mustard together. Slowly add olive oil in a steady stream until incorporated. Add rest of ingredients and blend.


Here's our dog, Aimee, looking very interested in what's cooking on the Barbie...

Barbequed Chicken (a la Flame Tree)

I had a bit of a challenge here because Tricia refuses to eat chicken with bones in it! Therefore, I had skinless breasts on the grill, which were a bit more difficult to keep moist, but I had coated them with the spice rub at about nine in the morning and let them sit in the fridge... I think it really added to the flavor!

Representing the Animal Kingdom: BBQ Sauce and Rub from the Flame Tree Barbeque.

BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

58 ozs Ketchup
7 ozs Rice Wine Vinegar
4 ozs Molasses
2 Tbsps Chili Powder
2 Tbsps Paprika
2 tsps Tumeric
2 tsps Ground Cumin
2 Tbsps Garlic Salt
1/2 tsp Ground Cloves
2 Tbsps Onion Powder
16 ozs Water
2 Tbsps Brown Sugar

Method

Mix all ingredients together and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

BBQ RUB

Ingredients

2 LBS Sugar
8 ozs Season Salt
2 ozs Paprika
2 ozs Chili Powder
2 ozs Ground Black Pepper
1/2 ozs Garlic Salt
1/2 ozs Onion Powder
1 oz Cumin​

This just smelled heavenly on the grill!!

Once everyone saw and smelled the chicken cooking, they decided they did not want burgers, so no Mickey-Head hamburgers were made after all!

The Wishes! CD had ended and now we listened to the soundrack from SpectroMagic! Billy kept popping up out of his chair to jump up and down to the music! He finally sat down when his hot dogs were ready... we'll just pretend that they're from Casey's at the MK!


While the kids were eating I brought out their goody bags. Tricia had helped me by decorating the outside of the bags with stickers, but the contents of the bags were a surprise to her. The bags contained glow sticks and glow "jewelry" (necklaces, bracelets, and for the girls... earrings!)

Catie thought the glow earrings were so cool...

They also got some Disney stickers, a clip-on mini fan, little magic wands, silly string (don't ask me how this ties into WDW...I just thought it was fun), and some candy.

Billy is facinated by the mini-fan...

M&M mini tubes when emptied are good containers for pennies for the pressed penny machines!
Shake! Shake! Shake!

"Princesses!"

Some of the goodies...

"Okay, I'm wearing the ears..."

"...Can I have some of that chicken, now?"

(Continued next post!)


Kathy

 

[KathyRN137]

The SpectroMagic CD was done, now Billy chose to play the CD that Kristine had kindly sent several weeks back; the music from the MNSSHP and the P&PP. Billy just loves this and he was shrieking with laughter as it played. "Everybody Scream!!"

(I wondered if my neighbors would be puzzled hearing Halloween music coming from our house in the middle of the summer!) It was great to let Eileen and Catie listen to it. I had printed out all the MNSSHP pictures and information from the DIS... The Boo to You Parade, Hallowishes, the Villians Mix & Mingle, etc... and it really got Catie excited about the party!

The chicken was ready, so it was time to bring out the Macaroni Salad from The Biergarten, Germany, so that Epcot could be represented:

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups elbow macaroni, dry
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup peas
1/2 cup diced tomato
1/4 cup onion
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup pickle juice
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar


Method of preparation:
Cook macaroni according to directions. Drain and cool macaroni. Mix all ingredients in a bowl and add to macaroni. Toss it well and adjust seasoning if necessary.
​

This was very tasty, too! I made so much that I sent some home for DBIL (who is German) because Eileen said she knew he would love it! Everyone loved the chicken as well. The kids chowed down and poured over the contents of their goody bags


Of course, no goody bag for Billy would be complete without either a CD or a DVD! I was thrilled when I found Disney Pixar Greatest Hits with songs not only from Toy Story and Toy Story 2 (which can be found on several Disney CDs) but with songs from Monsters, Inc, Cars, A Bug's Life, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Wall-E, Ratatouille, and even Up!!

Billy is very impressed!

Yes, a definite hit!

I believe it was DisMomAmy and mousescrapper who had recommended Guide to the Magic, so I decided to give each of the girls a copy of Guide to the Magic: The Lost Journals.

"Little known facts, Hidden Mickeys, Scavenger Hunts, Mystery Photos, and more! Discover a cryptic scroll with mysterious markings that's your key to unlocking the secret behind the magic of Walt Disney World! Decipher the code as you journey throughout all of the parks and see if you can discover the secret behind the magic!"

Another group pose...

"Say MICK-EEY!"

Not long after we had finished eating, the sun had fallen below the tree line and it started to get a little buggy...so we moved the party inside. We set the music up in the kitchen and listened to Magic in Our Streets, a CD containing WDW parade music. As I filled the dishwasher, Aunt Eileen and the girls got down to some serious planning. (Billy decided that he needed a little computer time, so off he went to look at Mickey's Philharmagic and Hall of Presidents videos for the bazillionth time!)


Off to play on the computer...

Meanwhile, we talked about what attractions each girl wanted to see... especially Catie, who had not visited WDW since 2005. We also talked about what rides she couldn't do because of her heart condition... namely Mission Space-Orange... which is no problemo because we only do the Green version!! She's done ToT in the past and loved it, but we'll probably play it safe and avoid riding it twice in a row... something that Billy will need to accept. ("Again! Again!!")

Hard at work using park maps to make their "lists" of attractions for each park:

Well, well!! Look who's up and ready to head off to work again!!

I fixed Ed a plate of party food so he could eat it later on his dinner break, which is typically around 11pm. It's so hard to be on that schedule... hopefully he won't have to do it much longer.


Oh! Speaking of schedules, I had an e-mail notification yesterday from Travelocity... "Flight Change for your 10/30/09 Trip!"

Oh no!! Please don't let it be a big change.....

Turns out that our flight out of New York is Now departing at 7:30 PM instead of 8:30 PM, which means we'll be arriving at MCO at 10:43 PM and not 11:50 PM. (An hour earlier.) It was great news to me, but as usual, Ed heard this and began stressing. He has an obsession with getting to the airport at least two hours before our flights.


"So now we have to get into New York and be at the airport by 5:30 PM on a Friday night?" he groaned. "We have to leave very early because of traffic!" Eileen decided that in light of this change, she would pull Catie out of school at 1:00 PM so she will get up to our house in time. (They live over an hour away.)


Sooo, although it will put a bit of a time squeeze on us to get to the airport... and probably cause Ed to be a Bear that afternoon... I'm still thinking its a good thing to get into Orlando an hour earlier. The old schedule would certainly have us checking into Kidani Village well past midnight.


Back to the party...

After brainstorming about the touring itinerary, the girls decided they wanted to talk Halloween costumes. They went upstairs and Catie tried on the pirate lass costume we got for Tricia and modeled it for her mother. She really liked it and Eileen thought it was cute but modest, especially with leggings under the short skirt. Tricia said she was fine with her cousin having the same costume, that they would each accessorizd it a bit differently and they would both be happy. Eileen jotted down the web address so she could order one for Catie and that problem appears to be solved.


The girls disappeared upstairs to Tricia's room, only to re-appear every ten minutes or so wearing wacky combinations of clothes that they proceeded to model for Eileen and I. Each successive "outfit" was crazier than the next and they had a good time being silly while my sister and I sipped our tea and talked.


Oh... you may be wondering about the Mickey ice cream sundaes we planned to have for dessert! Well.... we had a little meltdown. Literally. When I had brought the ice cream home from the grocery store the day before I went to put it away in the small refrigerator/freezer we have in our garage. I discovered that the freezer door had swung open and the items in the freezer were starting to melt. Thinking that as soon as the door was tightly shut, the freezer would get cold again quickly (and having no room for the extra ice cream in my regular freezer anyway) I decided to put the ice cream inside and that it would be all right.


It was not.

It was soup!!

Even though the other stuff in the second freezer seemed frozen, the ice cream had melted and had stubbornly refused to re-freeze. Oh well... there go the Mickey sundaes!


Despite this little drama, however, the rest of the meal had turned out very well. We got a lot of planning done, the kids all had a chance to play together, and DSis and I had the opportunity to iron out Catie's medical and financial details. We agreed that I would hold onto Catie's souvenir and "incidentals" money and that we would cover her meals. Which leads me to the next question.... should we re-think our decision to not use the Dining Plan??


Ed did have a chance to put in his two cents about ADRs before he left and it looks like we want to have TS meals at:

~ Crystal Palace
~ 50's Prime Time
~ Hollywood and Vine (Play & Dine)
~ Biergarten
~ Le Cellier
~ Boma
~ 'Ohana

With all these TS meals and the fact that we have one more mouth to feed, i think it would be best to go with the Dining Plan (regular). Ed seems to feel that ADRs are a nuisence, but I keep telling him that they are necessary whether you are on the dining plan or not, so it just seems to make sense for us to use the plan.


Whew!! Lots to report! Let's hope I didn't time out on this....


Kathy

 

[mrsksomeday]

It sounds like you had a great party!! Bill loved all of Billy's music selections, now he wants the Pixar's greatest hits . Sounds like a surprise gift from me, I can't ever seem to surprise him so thanks for telling us about that!!

I can't pick which is my best picture, they are all great!! I might have to try that BBQ chicken recipe, Bill laughed about Tricia and the "no bones" policy .
These past days have been dragging, I want the November hours already .

 

[jordanyosh]

Another group pose...

"Say MICK-EEY!"

[/CENTER]

Kathy

Okay, first, you can really tell you lost some weight. You look fantastic!

The group pose is a great pic of all of you!

That artichoke dip looks great as does all the food. You went all out.

ED and I---great minds fret alike! I, too, have to get to the airport 2 hours before the flight. I try and make it 2 1/2 hours. I want to get all the checking in of bags, security lines out of the way and have plenty of time to wait to board. Once I get past the security checks, I can feel my body relax and I know I'm on vacation.

 

[mrsksomeday]

ED and I---great minds fret alike! I, too, have to get to the airport 2 hours before the flight. I try and make it 2 1/2 hours. I want to get all the checking in of bags, security lines out of the way and have plenty of time to wait to board. Once I get past the security checks, I can feel my body relax and I know I'm on vacation.

I forgot to comment about this. I am like Ed as well. I want to have plenty of time to get there have them check the wheelchair, check the luggage, etc. Then they have to get touchy feely with Bill in the security box . Then when we find the gate they recheck the chair again, then I can relax , like I really relax.

 

[jordanyosh]

It sounds like you had a great party!! Bill loved all of Billy's music selections, now he wants the Pixar's greatest hits . Sounds like a surprise gift from me, I can't ever seem to surprise him so thanks for telling us about that!!

I can't pick which is my best picture, they are all great!! I might have to try that BBQ chicken recipe, Bill laughed about Tricia and the "no bones" policy .
These past days have been dragging, I want the November hours already .

When are they supposed to be out?

 

[jordanyosh]

I forgot to comment about this. I am like Ed as well. I want to have plenty of time to get there have them check the wheelchair, check the luggage, etc. Then they have to get touchy feely with Bill in the security box . Then when we find the gate they recheck the chair again, then I can relax , like I really relax.

I still can't figure out why they always search Bill....

I also love people watching at the airport...

 

[KathyRN137]

It sounds like you had a great party!! Bill loved all of Billy's music selections, now he wants the Pixar's greatest hits . Sounds like a surprise gift from me, I can't ever seem to surprise him so thanks for telling us about that!!

I can't pick which is my best picture, they are all great!! I might have to try that BBQ chicken recipe, Bill laughed about Tricia and the "no bones" policy .
These past days have been dragging, I want the November hours already .

Thanks for remarking about making the BBQ chicken... it reminded me to add 'Ohana to our TS meal list!!

The kids can be so picky about food... even at their ages! Tricia won't eat any chicken with bones and Billy won't eat any chicken that isn't formed into the shape of a nugget!

I was shocked that Billy didn't want to listen to the Pixar CD right away! (I really wanted to hear it!) He wanted to play park music instead... which I suppose better fit the actual "theme" of the party... that's the way his brain works!

BTW, The Wall-E songs are Down to Earth by Peter Gabriel, and Define Dancing and First Date from the movie score.

The Up song is Carl Goes Up from the movie score. I can't imagine getting this music on any other CD...


Kathy

 

[mrsksomeday]

When are they supposed to be out?

If we are lucky within the first couple of days in August.

I still can't figure out why they always search Bill....

Jordan, have you seen him? He is suspicious looking . Who knows what he might be smuggling in his wheelchair .

 

[KathyRN137]

Okay, first, you can really tell you lost some weight. You look fantastic!

Thanks Jordan!

Women love to hear those three little words... no, not "I love you"...

"You lost weight!"

The group pose is a great pic of all of you!

That artichoke dip looks great as does all the food. You went all out.

ED and I---great minds fret alike! I, too, have to get to the airport 2 hours before the flight. I try and make it 2 1/2 hours. I want to get all the checking in of bags, security lines out of the way and have plenty of time to wait to board. Once I get past the security checks, I can feel my body relax and I know I'm on vacation.

That's exactly how he is... so tense until we get through security! I don't get tense at all! I'm too thrilled and excited about the trip to get all tense over silly old security!

If our flight is now at 7:30 PM, he'll probably want to leave our house at 3:30... I'll have to have the kids all packed because the minute they get off the school bus, Ed will want to take off right away!


Kathy

 

[KathyRN137]

I forgot to comment about this. I am like Ed as well. I want to have plenty of time to get there have them check the wheelchair, check the luggage, etc. Then they have to get touchy feely with Bill in the security box . Then when we find the gate they recheck the chair again, then I can relax , like I really relax.

Ed always... ALWAYS... gets frisked because he wears his off-duty badge. Not his gun, his badge. Our luggage always gets opened and searched, too. Now, why would a badge-carrying police officer be suspicious, especially travelling to Orlando with his wife and kids??

Ed thinks the guards just like to mess with cops because they can.

I tell him it's because they think cops are trying to bring their guns on the plane, but he still gets really mad!

Hakuna Matata, I say!


Kathy

 

[jordanyosh]

Thanks Jordan!

Women love to hear those three little words... no, not "I love you"...

"You lost weight!"

Really? Well I done gud.

That's exactly how he is... so tense until we get through security! I don't get tense at all! I'm too thrilled and excited about the trip to get all tense over silly old security!

If our flight is now at 7:30 PM, he'll probably want to leave our house at 3:30... I'll have to have the kids all packed because the minute they get off the school bus, Ed will want to take off right away!


Kathy

This sounds soo much like me. I usually have someone drop me off at the airport and they don't care that I'm more than 2 hours early because they're not waiting with me. So I can really go as early as I want....

 

[brookelizabeth]

Kathy, you look fantastic! It is very evident you have lost weight!!

The party looks like a great success! I love the pic of the girls at the table busy planning our their "plan of attack". DISers in the making right there!

Today makes 98 days right?