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

[jordanyosh]

Really? Buffy? Really? I didn't even know that was still used as a name.....

She had no clue what you were talking about.

 

[joy13]

That was obviously a canned response! It's good that the online opens up an hour earlier, that way you can test it and if it doesn't work you are up and ready to call when the phone lines open. As for the website not retrieving your reservation under the my Disney vacation area. That seems to be hit or miss anyway - I just was doing that and it didn't recoginize it the first time I tried. It doesn't retrieve my dining reservations either, but I called and they are all there.

 

[moparop]

It sounds like canned response A wasn't going to work, so "Buffy" thought B might make you go away.

PS I love the title of this update!!

 

[DisneyMomLiz]

Kathy, thanks so much for sharing your story with us...just finished reading about your DS Billy (sorry I'm only on page 3 or 4). Had to stop and comment even though it will take me a bit to get through the PTR.

I finally made it to your PTR on the suggestion of mousescrapper (thanks Julie ) as I was blessed with an upgrade to SSR and she thought you could enlighten me on what appears to be a gorgeous resort. I have noticed your posts in various PTR/TRs I read and always loved your Pooh doing toe-touches...he's my favorite

Ok, back to reading 120+ pages to go...good thing work is slow today

 

[KathyRN137]

Always a great idea to have a back-up plan in mind, so you are flustered in the moment or have to call back

and right now when I'm thinking TS meals I scan the kid menu first too

I think you have a good choice!

Thanks! But as you will see in my next update, Ed and Tricia have rebelled and want our second choice to be....

... well, you'll just have to wait and see!

Isn't that so funny about reading the Kids Menu first?? But I suppose we know that we can find something on just about any menu.... it's the kids with the limited food "repetoir" that can make or break the experience.
I just really don't want to have to tote around bologna and goldfish crackers whenever we go out to eat!!

We really liked Coral Reef and it was one of the only dinner sit down meals my ASD son would eat (mac n cheese). He will only eat mac n cheese at this one restaurant by our house. How can you be picky with mac n cheese . I had read bad reviews for Coral Reef but we really liked it and went back the following year.

I was able to get Le Cellier for our Sept 09 trip so we are trying that this time.

We get the DDP for Gabriel because snacks alone (plain vanilla ice cream, popcorn, soft pretzels, grapes, juice) add up enough. It also gives him a chance to at least TRY something. (which can be quite amusing or quite the scene). Well and this year it is free dining so even better.

We normally plan more breakfasts because he will eat plain pancakes, plain waffles, blueberry muffins and cheerios if offered. Crystal Palace is our favorite breakfast followed by Boma (haven't been to Kona yet for breakfast).

Ah, Cheerios! The breakfast of my young champion!! A nutritionist friend of mine says that ASD kids naturally crave carbs because their body "knows" that they give them the energy they need to be so (hyper)active!


I truly think that sense of smell plays a large part in the food pickiness, at least with Billy. When he's unsure of a food he always sniffs it thoroughly before he will attempt a first bite. The next issue is texture. He's used to the texture of the breaded coating in chicken nuggets and that's why plain baked or grilled chicken seems so foriegn to him.

You got Le Cellier for Sept '09?? That's great, 'specially with Free Dining! Thank you, I feel somewhat encouraged.

Gabriel must be so excited!


Kathy

 

[mrsksomeday]

 

[KathyRN137]

I'm sorry Kathy...but you still made me

It's in my job description!

Buffy the Problem Slayer is obviously not as well equipped with slaying Disney website problems as her counterpart was with eradicating vamps!

Okay, in retrospect, I don't have access to the wording of the "help ticket" that was sent, so perhaps it was confusing to poor Buffy.

Why do some Cast Members not even read your questions? Hello Buffy, wake up and read!!

Ibid. Let's see what response I get from my request for help!! (It may be good for a little chuckle.)

Really? Buffy? Really? I didn't even know that was still used as a name.....

She had no clue what you were talking about.

Perhaps she hadn't drank her morning coffee yet??

Other than the Vampire Slayer, the only other Buffy I ever heard of had a doll named Mrs. Beasley and a butler named Mr. French....

(Darn, I'm showing my age again!)

That was obviously a canned response! It's good that the online opens up an hour earlier, that way you can test it and if it doesn't work you are up and ready to call when the phone lines open. As for the website not retrieving your reservation under the my Disney vacation area. That seems to be hit or miss anyway - I just was doing that and it didn't recoginize it the first time I tried. It doesn't retrieve my dining reservations either, but I called and they are all there.

It's hit and miss for a lot of things when you use the words "Disney" and "online" in the same sentence!

But I still think it has something to do with having twe different usernames on different branches of the same website. Perhaps I'll try an experiment and try to change one so they match...

It sounds like canned response A wasn't going to work, so "Buffy" thought B might make you go away.

PS I love the title of this update!!

Thanks, mop! It does sound a little snarky, but I just couldn't resist!


Kathy

 

[KathyRN137]

Kathy, thanks so much for sharing your story with us...just finished reading about your DS Billy (sorry I'm only on page 3 or 4). Had to stop and comment even though it will take me a bit to get through the PTR.

I finally made it to your PTR on the suggestion of mousescrapper (thanks Julie ) as I was blessed with an upgrade to SSR and she thought you could enlighten me on what appears to be a gorgeous resort. I have noticed your posts in various PTR/TRs I read and always loved your Pooh doing toe-touches...he's my favorite

Ok, back to reading 120+ pages to go...good thing work is slow today

Hello and

Sorry about the length of this... I only recently learned how to post links to chapters. I put them in my April report, but frankly I'm just too lazy to go back and do it for this PTR!! I will do it when we get to the actual report, however, because it certainly does make it easier for new readers.

Doing links on a PTR can be daunting.... like Jordan said, it's kind of like musing aloud about the upcoming trip. It's actually just another way to talk to yourself, only here your cyber-friends actually talk back to you!!

Liz, feel free to PM me with any questions or just to say hello! Any friend of Scrappie's is a friend of mine!


Kathy

 

[cjackearl]

Buffy must have picked a random canned response and clicked send. Too bad. Oh, and I got your reference. I had surgery as a child and got Mrs. Beasley paper dolls when I was recovering. I always mixed up which child was Buffy and which was Jodi! Let's show our age together.

 

[KathyRN137]

Is anyone here familiar with the term, "Flight of Ideas?" It's something I learned about (way) back in Psych Nursing. It's a term used to describe a type of thought and speech pattern usually found in schizophrenic patients.


flight of ideas
A nearly continuous flow of accelerated speech with abrupt changes from topic to topic that are usually based on understandable associations, distracting stimuli, or plays on words. When severe, speech may be disorganized and incoherent. ~ John F Abess, MD



Basically, each thought acts as a "jumping off point" for the next thought, which may or not seem related to the previous thought.

My friends, I believe I am suffering from Disney Flight of Ideas!

No matter what the current topic of discussion, my mind will find a way to associate it with our upcoming WDW vacation.


Tricia: "Mom, we need to go shopping soon for back-to-school clothes."
Me: "Yes, we will, I promise."
Tricia: "I really want to get a pair of those flats I saw in the store the other day, the ones with the buffalo plaid print."
Me: "We should get you some new running shoes to wear at Disney!"
Tricia: "I think those plaid shoes are sooo cute..."
Me:"...and we should get pool shoes for you and Billy, I've read that the concrete around the Kidani Village pool gets really hot!"
Tricia: "Mo-OM!!! We're talking about school shoes!"
Me: "Oh, sorry..."


Conversations such as these become proportionately more frequent the closer we get to our trip. Now that we're close to 90 days, they happen daily. My family is used to, albeit, slightly annoyed by how my ideas always seem to take flight to a certain parcel of land in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.


Tonight we were having dinner and watching TV. The characters on the screen were eating with chopsticks. We were talking about ... I can't recall exactly what, but suddenly I turned to Ed and said something like, "I thought we might try Teppan Edo as an alternate ADR if we can't get into Le Cellier, but then I thought that there wouldn't be anything there for Billy, so I thought we might Coral Reef again....what do you think?"

Both Ed and Tricia stopped eating, looked at me, looked at each other, and then burst out laughing. "Mom, how did you get from (insert forgotten topic of conversation) to Disney?"

I pointed to the TV. "Well, I saw them eating with chopsticks and that made me think of Teppan Edo!"

They snickered.

Billy chewed, apparantly oblivious to his mother's absurdity.

A bit flustered, I added, "And we are eating dinner, you know, so it's natural that I should think of our dinner ADRs!"

Really! Don't they know I've been thinking about them for the past several days?!

The Disney Flight of Ideas:
Eating dinner > Seeing images of people eating with chopsticks > Teppan Edo


They were not entirely convinced by my argument, however, to humor me Ed remarked to Tricia that Teppan Edo had been lots of fun and that she would probably like it. Then he proceded to tell her about the chefs and the shows they put on while cooking dinner in front of you. She seemed intrigued.

"But Dad, they won't have anything for Billy to eat!" was her first remark.

"Ah-ha!" I answered, "That's what I thought! I think that we should try Coral Reef."

Tricia looked quizzical. I suppose she doesn't remember it. I tried to jog her memory by telling her it was "the restaurant in Epcot with the big fish tanks." Surprisingly, Ed wrinkled his brow.

"I'd rather eat at Teppan Edo," he declared. "Billy will eat the chicken, just bring along some goldfish (crackers) for him and he'll be set."

I sighed.

I do believe that when I'm 80 years old I'll be carrying around bags of goldfish for Billy in the basket of my walker.


Okay.... so Coral Reef has been bumped. Teppan Edo now stands as our Epcot alternate to Le Cellier.

Oh, by the way, I got an e-mail with flight changes for our return flight.... we have to leave an hour earlier now.

(You got that, didn't you?) Bumped > Alternate > Flight Change

I knew you would!!


Kathy

 

[KathyRN137]

Buffy must have picked a random canned response and clicked send. Too bad. Oh, and I got your reference. I had surgery as a child and got Mrs. Beasley paper dolls when I was recovering. I always mixed up which child was Buffy and which was Jodi! Let's show our age together.

Tail-End of the Baby Boomers... Unite!!!


Kathy

 

[Charleston Princess]

Oh, Kathy! I was dying with laughter over this latest update! I love your Disney Flight of Ideas and love that I now have a name for my own conversational jaunts to Disney!

 

[cjackearl]

So that's not normal? I completely followed you and your logic without a second thought to the absurdity of the association. I think that means the problem is with THEM.

I bet with an explanation you could bring a counter service meal in with you to Teppan Edo if you can find something Billy would like. Would he eat tempura chicken?

 

[moparop]

Having done both Teppen Edo and Coral Reef, I think you are making the right call. Billy will love the cooking so much, he might not mind having just Goldfish for dinner if it comes to that.

 

[mrsksomeday]

I have chronic DFI (Disney Flights of Ideas), just ask anyone that talks to me for more than 3 minutes. I can turn any conversation into one about WDW . Some days it annoys Bill, some days it amuses him.

I know exactly where you are coming from .

 

[MinnieNurse]

Buffy? Naw, that cant really be her name. I have heard the CM's on the phone use fake names, surely that is her code name or something?

 

[joy13]

LMAO on the latest update - I love it! Of course I don't think you'll need the second choice, I have faith that you'll get Le Cellier

 

[KathyRN137]

Oh, Kathy! I was dying with laughter over this latest update! I love your Disney Flight of Ideas and love that I now have a name for my own conversational jaunts to Disney!

So that's not normal? I completely followed you and your logic without a second thought to the absurdity of the association. I think that means the problem is with THEM.

I have chronic DFI (Disney Flights of Ideas), just ask anyone that talks to me for more than 3 minutes. I can turn any conversation into one about WDW . Some days it annoys Bill, some days it amuses him.

I know exactly where you are coming from .

Aaaahhhh, its so good to know I'm not alone!

My Disney trip is always simmering on the back burners of my mind!


Kathy

 

[KathyRN137]

I bet with an explanation you could bring a counter service meal in with you to Teppan Edo if you can find something Billy would like. Would he eat tempura chicken?

Hmmm, prolly not.

I wonder if they can cook French Fries on the Hibache....

Having done both Teppen Edo and Coral Reef, I think you are making the right call. Billy will love the cooking so much, he might not mind having just Goldfish for dinner if it comes to that.

Have you seen Billy's picture? Trust me, the boy is nowhere near wasting away!! He can eat an entire bag in one sitting!

LMAO on the latest update - I love it! Of course I don't think you'll need the second choice, I have faith that you'll get Le Cellier

Thanks! That's sweet!!

"Hope for the best, prepare for the worst!"

(Although now that I know Ed and Tricia are keen on Teppan Edo, I actually won't feel too bad if we don't get Le Cellier!)


Kathy

 

[KathyRN137]

Buffy? Naw, that cant really be her name. I have heard the CM's on the phone use fake names, surely that is her code name or something?

Seriously? Seriously??

They make us use our real names! That doesn't seem fair!!

Reminds me of when I was single and my best friend and I would go out to clubs. If we were approached by any guys and we weren't interested, our code words to each other were the names we would give.

I was "Bernice" and my friend was "Ethel"...


Kathy