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

[eandesmom]

Gee, I hope I didn't bring everyone down! Waiting for the parade was tough, but we're tougher! I still love PTC... one bad pot roast doesn't spoil the whole bunch of... well... you know!


Kathy

Oh gosh, not at all! I like hearing the good, the bad...but most importantly...the REAL.

Life isn't a Disney movie. Most of the time.

for the great movie ride!

 

[All7OfUs]

We're classics nuts too! My 14 and 17 year olds have read them ALL and have truly loved them- but especially The Phantom of the Opera and anything Austen. I think the 17 year old is especially fond of Wuthering, but I made sure she read the Cliff Notes alongside it to get more out of it. There's some rather mature and disturbing theming there for sure.

It's fun to see their tastes and abilities grow from Babysitter Series and Margurite Henry to adult reading!

 

[KathyRN137]

We're classics nuts too! My 14 and 17 year olds have read them ALL and have truly loved them- but especially The Phantom of the Opera and anything Austen. I think the 17 year old is especially fond of Wuthering, but I made sure she read the Cliff Notes alongside it to get more out of it. There's some rather mature and disturbing theming there for sure....

Wow, I forgot about Clif Notes... great idea!

Oh gosh, not at all! I like hearing the good, the bad...but most importantly...the REAL.

Life isn't a Disney movie. Most of the time.

for the great movie ride!

Hey, even the Disney movies have their "dark" side!

I've always loved the title of the chapter in Unofficial Guide that talks about bringing kids to WDW: "The Agony and the Ecstasy."


Kathy

 

[praisehisname]

I love The Great Movie Ride, and the nostalgic feelings I get from watching the film clips! I hope Billy is feeling well enough to enjoy Fantasmic...

 

[mousescrapper]

great photo montage of TGMR hit all my favorites! you know I have a sweet spot for those Ruby slippers.

We had the gangster last yr too...do you recall how he "snapped" at Nathan "What are you looking at?"

Hope F! is good

Scrappie J~

 

[Lovemy3babes]

Love all of those pictures Kathy! We missed the Great Movie ride on our very first trip but never have again. It's such a fun ride!

 

[AmandaSparks730]

Yes, she read that a couple of months ago (on my recommendation!)

Congrats on the new Job!!!




Thanks... she's only fourteen, but now when she cruises the "young adult" section of the bookstore she's a bit frustrated that all the books seem to have the same basic plot.

I'm thrilled that she asked me for some recommendations!

(Clothes - no. Books - yes!)




She is compiling a "Books to Read List" ... she's definitely looking for suggestions. She has never had a summer reading list required for school! So, she's making her own!


Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre were another two of my suggestions. Last summer, she actually found Jane Austen a bit difficult but plans to take a second crack at Pride and Prejudice , Sense and Sensibility, and Emma this year.

I Jane Austen!

If she can read Bronte, I'm sure she can handle Austen now... of course, I'm sure that if she re-reads Wuthering Heights in a few more years she'll get more out of it.

Now, as for Dickens... I do believe Oliver Twist is on The List... She knows the story of A Christmas Carol so well. I know she will want to read something "new."


OT: Funny memory about A Christmas Carol... you will enjoy this, Meg, since you love history...

When I was a Freshman in HS we had to write a term paper for our history class, Western Culture. It was basically an Intro to European History class. The paper was due at the end of the semester (December) so I chose A Christmas Carol from the list of titles because I thought if I had to write a research paper, I might as well write it on a book that would help to get me in the Christmas Spirit!

Any way, my paper was titled, "The Cultural Aspects of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol." It was actually rather fun to write!

A couple of days after I turned it in, my history teacher approached me and accused me of plagiarism! "This is a college-level paper!" he said. "Did an older brother or sister write this?" Ha! (I laugh about it now, but I was horrified that he would accuse me of cheating.)

Boy, was he taken aback when I offered to call my mother on the spot and have her bring all my notes, index cards, and rough drafts into school! (Remember, this was "pre-word processor" and we did all that stuff longhand.) I still had everything strewn about on my desk at home.

He declined the offer, but told me he would consult with my English teacher to see if it was "consistant with my other papers." (Little did he know I was getting an "A" in English!)

The next day I brought in all my materials and he apologized profusely. Seems he had checked with my English teacher and found out that I actually could write that paper!

I wish I had it now so I could show it to Tricia...



Kathy

Dear goodness. She's one smart lady! I haven't even TACKLED Austen yet.

Has she started Shakespeare? I remember at her age really enjoying Romeo and Juliet. I also really enjoyed A Midsummer's Night Dream last year.

I do love Oliver Twist. It's dark, it's twisted...and it's a musical . In all seriousness, it's a great novel to break in the Dickens, and there are several great movies to companion it with.

Wow! about your story. Some teachers just don't believe what you're capable of.

I'm sending you a PM of books that I think she might like

 

[KathyRN137]

Dear goodness. She's one smart lady! I haven't even TACKLED Austen yet....
I'm sending you a PM of books that I think she might like

Got it! Thanks!

Love all of those pictures Kathy! We missed the Great Movie ride on our very first trip but never have again. It's such a fun ride!

I agree... and I love looking at the hand and foot prints in the cement outside!

great photo montage of TGMR hit all my favorites! you know I have a sweet spot for those Ruby slippers.

We had the gangster last yr too...do you recall how he "snapped" at Nathan "What are you looking at?"

That's right!

I love The Great Movie Ride, and the nostalgic feelings I get from watching the film clips! I hope Billy is feeling well enough to enjoy Fantasmic...

That will be the subject of my next post!


Kathy

 

[michellem1118]

I'll add some book suggestions, since we're on the classics list:
Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
A Tale of Two Cities - by far my favorite Dickens novel
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Shakespeare - at 14, I'd say Romeo & Juliet is a good one, as is Julius Caesar (especially if she's taking a world history class in the fall), and The Taming of the Shrew
I may add to this list tomorrow night, I need to look at a bookshelf!

 

[burly]

wow it sounds like she will have all of the high school required reading done by this summer, gonna be an english teacher??? I'll tell ya we need some good lit teachers in high schools who truly ENJOY the books they make kids read. some of those books are insanely hard. And a great teacher can make it awesome and understandable.
sorry to hijack. it just makes me so happy when i see kids who are 'in' to books.

 

[KathyRN137]

I'll add some book suggestions, since we're on the classics list:
Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
A Tale of Two Cities - by far my favorite Dickens novel
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Shakespeare - at 14, I'd say Romeo & Juliet is a good one, as is Julius Caesar (especially if she's taking a world history class in the fall), and The Taming of the Shrew
I may add to this list tomorrow night, I need to look at a bookshelf!

Thanks! I've never had to force her to read a single word!

wow it sounds like she will have all of the high school required reading done by this summer, gonna be an english teacher??? I'll tell ya we need some good lit teachers in high schools who truly ENJOY the books they make kids read. some of those books are insanely hard. And a great teacher can make it awesome and understandable.
sorry to hijack. it just makes me so happy when i see kids who are 'in' to books.

She has talked about becoming a teacher... but not sure of which subject she likes best.


Kathy

 

[mrsksomeday]

I jinx people, they meet me in WDW then take months or years to talk about the experience.

 

[MeMom]

I'll tell ya we need some good lit teachers in high schools who truly ENJOY the books they make kids read. some of those books are insanely hard. And a great teacher can make it awesome and understandable.

Kids are forunate when they get a teacher like that!

 

[DisMomAmy]

Earlier that year we had seen the Broadway show and Billy had just loved it! He seemed to have developed a little crush on Ariel. Every day on the bus he listened to the soundtrack on his ipod and many times I found him watching clips of VOLM on youtube!

That's funny... Alex is a big fan too! He likes VOTLM since seeing it last year with Karen. He was happy to visit again this year.

Darn! We got the Gangster side again! (Are they even doing the Wild West bank robber side any more?) And although I’m all for equal opportunity employment, I really think it loses something when your 30’s “gangster” is a young woman wearing her hair long… women just didn’t wear their hair like this back then! (Boy, am I being picky!)

Yes - they still do the cowboy.

 

[KathyRN137]

I jinx people, they meet me in WDW then take months or years to talk about the experience.

Kids are forunate when they get a teacher like that!

That's funny... Alex is a big fan too! He likes VOTLM since seeing it last year with Karen. He was happy to visit again this year.

Yes - they still do the cowboy.

I thought so!


Kathy

 

[KathyRN137]

Chapter 31: Billy Gets His Fantasmic Fix!


Monday Evening
November 2, 2009
Hollywood Studios


I left off as our group was leaving the Great Movie Ride. The Studios had added a second showing of Fantasmic that night and we were planning on seeing the later of the two shows at 9pm in hopes that it would be less crowded. Ed and the kids wanted snacks for the show, so we took a little detour and stopped in that candy shop… I forget the name… the one next to the store with all the Disney Villains merchandise: Villains in Vogue. Unfortunately, the line was huge! Seems we weren’t the only ones who wanted to indulge their sweet tooth! Ed took a look around and told me what he wanted, grabbed Billy and got the heck out of there!


Really, sometimes I think he loves having an excuse not to deal with snack and counter service queues!


His daughter and niece, on the other hand, seemed bent on wandering around aimlessly, looking at all the goodies. They drifted into to the connecting Villains store and began looking at mugs and tee shirts under the guise of “looking for a souvenir” for my sister. When those two get together, I literally think they could shop for hours! I told them that I was getting on line at the cashier’s desk and that if they hadn’t picked out what they wanted by the time I got to the register, they would be out of luck!


Grabbing some cotton candy for Billy, some chocolate for me, and some I-forget-what for Ed, I took my place at the end of the long line. Each time I moved ahead I craned my neck, trying to get the girls’ attention so they would hurry it up. I’m sure that they were ignoring me intentionally! Finally, just as I was putting my goodies on the counter, they came rushing up with their treats. There was a bit of confusion as a couple of our items were not considered snacks on the DP, but there was no time to go back and exchange. I just quickly paid OOP for those and we were soon on our way.


Before we left the shop, however, I had Catie (the big Maleficent fan) pose in the shop window for a quick photo op. Note where she’s placing her finger on the spinning wheel!

We gathered up the boys and started off in earnest for the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater. Oh boy! We got hit with oncoming traffic… the crowds exiting the first showing of Fantasmic. Ooops, I kind of forgot about that!


In any case, we got to the theater with time to spare and slowly trekked up the winding walkway to join the rest of the audience waiting to be seated. There was Disney music playing over the loudspeakers and Billy got his groove on! He seemed to have totally recovered from his little episode of elevated temperature… for the time being.


Eventually the crowd began moving forward and CMs were directing everyone to the left. We found a CM, showed her Billy’s GAC, and asked if we could be seated in one of the last rows because of Billy’s fear of fire. Luckily we were seated in a great location, center stage. Judging from the looks of the theater, choosing the later show looked as if it had been a good decision.


To our left:

See how the seats on the far side aren’t even filled?

And to our right:

Some of these seats did fill in, but not as much as the left side… I think the CMs were expecting a lot more people. We broke out the glow necklaces, but since there weren’t that many kids sitting near us with which to share, our three were left with multiple colors to choose from!

I don't remember why there are no pictures taken with my (better) camera… did my battery die or something?

We sat on our bench up in “the nosebleed section” and happily munched on our sweets while awaiting the show. Once it started, Billy was jumping up and down with excitement and since there was no one sitting behind us, we let him!


Personally, I think this show is a little intense with all the villains, pyrotechnics, and “nightmare” references, but I suppose Billy felt safe sitting where we were. I find it interesting that he is getting less sensitive to certain things (like fireworks) and more sensitive to others (like the dark) as he gets older.


I like the part of the show where the images of the villains are projected onto “walls” of water. They certainly show up better in person, but I’ll share some bad pix:

Ursula:

Cruella:

Jafar:

Catie was in her element… Maleficent is the evil “star” in this show! She invades Mickey’s dream and turns herself into a giant serpent. For a time, our pal Mickey looks like he’s in trouble! Billy was clutching onto his Daddy when the fire spread across the lake, but he didn’t hide his face this time!

Mickey realizes he has the power to change his nightmare back into a sweet dream:

Good is stronger than evil and the serpent is banished. A colorfully- lit string of floats carrying the Disney princes and princesses float happily by, followed by a paddle boat chock full of our favorite characters… with a black and white Steamboat Willy at the wheel:

A great ending!


No time to dwell on the magic, however. Ed quickly gathered us up and shepherded us out the exit, hoping to get a jump ahead of the mass exodus headed for the bus stops! We moved purposefully through the park… no time for shopping! Despite this, there was still quite a line at the Animal Kingdom Lodge bus stop when we arrived. We definitely weren’t going to make the first bus that came along, so the girls plopped themselves down on the cement to wait. Suddenly, one of them noticed a tiny sneaker sitting in the middle of the path leading to the bus stops. Ed went over and picked it up so it wouldn’t get kicked around or tripped over.


It was so tiny and cute! I felt bad, thinking that some little girl would be missing a sneaker in the morning and hoped that her parents had brought along a second pair! Luckily, Ed spotted a fellow Dad who was obviously walking along, looking for something. We asked if he was looking for the sneaker and he was. Boy, was he relieved. He said his daughter had kicked her shoes off so many times that day that he was seriously thinking about “buying some glue.” He thanked us and took off to join his family. I was happy that we could help in some small way.


One bus came, filled to standing room-only, and left. This is the only bad thing about hanging around to do the nighttime spectaculars. While we waited, Ed checked the score of the World Series game which had started just before eight and was really annoyed to discover that the dastardly Phillies were leading! (Frankly, I had forgotten all about it.) He passed the time talking baseball with some of the other guys in line.


About 15-20 minutes later, another bus arrived. We were all feeling pretty tired by then, as I’m sure the rest of the people waiting were. We all squished in and I found a seat with Tricia and had Catie sit on my lap since she was a bit lighter. Ed stood with Billy and I admit that I was a little nervous since his balance isn’t the best, but he was a trooper and held onto the grab rail like a big boy.


We were so happy to finally see the welcome lanterns outside Kidani Village! Catie is lighter than either Tricia or Billy, but she’s still a big girl… my legs were getting pins and needles! We all trudged inside and went upstairs on the elevator. Walking along the hallway, the girls looked out the viewing windows expectantly and were disappointed not to see any animals. I explained that they all went to their sleeping quarters during the night and would be back the next day.


We got inside our room, made ready for bed, and I gave Billy another dose of the orange medicine, just to be sure. It was lights-out in the living room and there wasn’t too much giggling that night as the three of them must’ve been tired. In the master bedroom, Ed turned on the TV and caught the end of Game Five, most of which he had obviously missed. The Phillies won that game and so the World Series was now Yankees ~ 3, Phillies ~ 2. Needless to say, Ed was not happy and I was sorry he missed the game.


No more guilt until Wednesday, however, because the teams had the next night off. I was happy because in the morning we were going back to the Magic Kingdom… and we were kicking our day off with a pre-park opening breakfast at Crystal Palace with Pooh and Friends! I eventually convinced him to turn off the post-game show so we could get some rest. Little did I know that I would be getting up a whole lot earlier than I had planned…



Kathy

 

[All7OfUs]

I"m so glad you waited for the 9:00 showing! What a relief to not be a sardine!

Isn't a a good feeling to be able to bring some magic into someone else's day! Yay for finding the missing owner to the shoe

And about cliff hangers... eh hemmmm....

 

[DisMomAmy]

I'm glad you guys got to see Fantasmic! It's funny, my boys are the same way with their sensitivities... some are fading, some are getting stronger as they get older. Zach's my "afraid of fire" kiddo - it's really bad... Alex surprised us on our recent trip with a change of heart about one the rides that used to be a favorite.

I'm not sure I want to read your next installment...

 

[IluvXU]

I just love Fantasmic... but we just can't manage it right now. I hope it does not make major changes before my kids can check it out.

I hate to think what happens later that night.... but I have a feeling more sickness?

 

[michellem1118]

Thanks for all the pics of Fantasmic! Would you believe I've never seen that show? Well.... actually, I've never seen any of the shows, and only watched Spectro & Wishes for the first time in December.... I must be a bad DISer!

I'm guessing your ominous cliffhanger has to do with Billy's fever from earlier in the day... I hope the sickness was short-lived & you didn't miss your breakfast with Pooh & friends!!!