A Mother-Son Adventure in Autism! (8/29) Itinerary, 1st Draft (!)

[DisMomAmy]

Our flight is at 8:30 pm so we'll probably get a 5:30 DME pick-up...plenty of time to do stuff on Saturday!

I guess you're using Touring Plans to choose which parks which days, huh?


Kathy

I'm not a big fan of the touring plans best/worst park suggestions. I'm more of a Tour Guide Mike girl. I used Tour Guide Mike for this trip but I'm not sure if I'll renew after this one since easywdw.com is free and has the same information and is updated much more frequently. Josh (from easywdw) had a rough draft of the March crowd calendar (the whole month) published on Friday, the same day the hours were out on the TA site. That includes best/worst park suggestions for every day. Tour Guide Mike probably won't have them out until at least late August, if not much later. For the past two or three trips I have found TGM to be a bit unreliable as far as publishing info very late.

 

[MEK]

OKW sounds wonderful! Glad your trip is still on and then you will get to catch up with some other wonderful DISers!

I think Billy will be fine in Via Napoli. There are plenty of places to sit away from the ovens and I don't recall actually seeing much fire (if any - but I have a bad memory for things like that )

 

[ZFamily5]

Subbing! I love your writing style! I got hooked on it after reading the Spectrum moms TR and since then I have read all of your other TRs!! Can't wait to hear all about it! Autism has effected some people very close to me and Billy is adorable (I'm sorry if it comes across like I'm treating him like a little kid)!

 

[KathyRN137]

We are staying at the world part of your Nov trip too...

Great! Perhaps we'll bump into each other!!

...For the past two or three trips I have found TGM to be a bit unreliable as far as publishing info very late.

Agreed... I've been "cheating" on Mike with Josh, too!

OKW sounds wonderful! Glad your trip is still on and then you will get to catch up with some other wonderful DISers!

I think Billy will be fine in Via Napoli. There are plenty of places to sit away from the ovens and I don't recall actually seeing much fire (if any - but I have a bad memory for things like that )

Mary Ellen, you are right, the CMs have always been great when I've requested certain areas of the restaurant. I remember requesting "far away from the fire pit" at `Ohana and it worked out fine!

....Can't wait to hear all about it! Autism has effected some people very close to me and Billy is adorable (I'm sorry if it comes across like I'm treating him like a little kid)!

LOL That's okay, I often forget that he's 13 because he's so cuddly. And, he still loves Winnie the Pooh and Dumbo just as much as Test Track and Space Mountain!!

Thanks for reading!




Kathy

 

[25eels]

Your mother-son trip sounds wonderful!

I wish I'd known about the ovens at Via Napoli. My Asperger's DD is obsessed with volcanoes!

 

[mousescrapper]

caught back up again...so glad to see you spending some time updating on your PTR here and see some plans for you and Billy I am VERY glad you made this choice to keep the trip and just go the two of you...it will be a very special time for you both!

I unlike Amy...do like touringplans but that's probably why her and i work so well together...if the overall crowds are low and you use GAC as needed...I really think you'll be fine picking which ever park you/he wants to go to...but an outline of plans will be helpful too


are you hopping? forget...

 

[KathyRN137]

/
So, to refresh, our dates for the grand Mother-Son Adventure are: Thurs 11/3 through Sat 11/12. We have lots of time built in for nice, easy touring. I hope to minimize fatigue and over-stimulation for my boy!

I used EasyWDW to assist me with planning.

I'm also keeping ADRs to a minimum (1) Because we are paying OOP for Dining (2) There isn't much on the adult menus that appeals to Billy, and (3) I want the freedom to change plans if needed. We'll eat breakfast in our villa before heading out to the parks. (Cheerios, anyone?)


Here's what I've got so far:


Thurs 11/4: Arrive MCO 2pm, Check in to OKW~3pm

Keeping first night plans completely open... relax at resort or perhaps Epcot in the evening.

Fri 11/4: Magic Kingdom/ Late breakfast at `Ohana with Lilo & Stitch (a Billy request!) We'll use this as lunch.

Back to the Magic Kingdom / QS Dinner

Sat 11/5: Animal Kingdom QS Lunch and Dinner

Sun 11/6: Magic Kingdom QS Lunch and Dinner

Mon 11/7: Epcot QS Lunch and Dinner

Tues 11/8: Studios QS Lunch and Dinner

Wed 11/9: Sleep-in Morning, Relax at Resort

Magic Kingdom in afternoon / QS Dinner w/ Amy & Family/ MVMCP

Thurs 11/10: Epcot Dinner at Via Napoli

Fri 11/11: Studios Dinner at 50s Prime Time Cafe Osbourne Lights Meet up w/ Amy?

Sat 11/12: Animal Kingdom QS Lunch and Dinner

Depart ~6pm


Sadly, none of my days coincide with Heidi's weekend plans.


*More details as they become available!


Kathy

 

[DisMomAmy]

Great looking plans!!

So it looks like our only chance of bumping into each other is on Tuesday 11/8 - DHS - This is our arrival day & we'll spend a few hours at the Studios mid-day while we wait for our villa to be ready.

But we'll also have our planned meet on Wednesday 11/9 before MVMCP!

Friday 11/11 is the one night we won't be at DHS to see the Osborne Lights. We'll be there Thursday & Saturday nights.

 

[mousescrapper]

looks like a great first draft itinerary...I love the flexiblity you are planning for dinning too The kids requested Lilo & Stitch too....so sad we won't be meeting again on either of your trips they practically piggy-back when matt and i will be down there in Oct.


but I can't wait to hear more plans and read all about when you get home

 

[Mickey_Mom]

Nice relaxed itinerary! Love the casual feel and the built in flexibility. I too can't wait to see all your pictures from this trip, especially 'Ohana!

 

[KatMark]

I'm here; I'm leaving for the train now, but will catch up when I get home.

 

[lovethattink]

Looks like a nice and flexible itinerary!

 

[MeMom]

Wed 11/9: Sleep-in Morning, Relax at Resort

Magic Kingdom in afternoon / QS Dinner w/ Amy & Family/ MVMCP

I think this looks like a fabulous day!

 

[KathyRN137]

So it looks like our only chance of bumping into each other is on Tuesday 11/8 - DHS - This is our arrival day & we'll spend a few hours at the Studios mid-day while we wait for our villa to be ready.

But we'll also have our planned meet on Wednesday 11/9 before MVMCP!

Friday 11/11 is the one night we won't be at DHS to see the Osborne Lights. We'll be there Thursday & Saturday nights.

Aw, was hoping we could hang out at least once at the Lights, but now that we're leaving Sat instead of Sun I had to move things around a bit.

Very sorry I'll be missing Heidi completely.

looks like a great first draft itinerary...I love the flexiblity you are planning for dinning too The kids requested Lilo & Stitch too....so sad we won't be meeting again on either of your trips they practically piggy-back when matt and i will be down there in Oct.

I'm sorry, too, but there will always be a next time!

We've done Pooh & Friends at CP three or four times now and Billy didn't seem interested. But when I mentioned that we could dine with Lilo and Stitch (and Mickey) he answered me with a resounding "YES!"

I'm always up for a visit to the Poly, and it will give him a little break from the park.

Nice relaxed itinerary! Love the casual feel and the built in flexibility. I too can't wait to see all your pictures from this trip, especially 'Ohana!

Shh! I bought a new camera!! (Well, what's a girl to do when she's stuck inside all weekend because of a hurricane!)

I'm here; I'm leaving for the train now, but will catch up when I get home.

Hi Kathy!

Looks like a nice and flexible itinerary!

And it will be twice as easy keeping half as many people happy, too!

I think this looks like a fabulous day!

Oh yes, I'm thrilled that I can meet up with Amy's family during the party! I think the boys will get along quite well!

I've also learned from experience to build in at least one sleep-in day during our vacation... it's very therapeutic! And if it's warm enough, Billy can get in some pool time.


Thanks for reading!



Kathy

 

[KatMark]

Kathy, I'm all caught up now. I'm sorry it did not work out for a "family" trip, but so glad that you and Billy are going to be able to go. I think a mother/son trip is a great idea.

We are staying at OKW next month (yes, we are cheating on the Coronado this trip) and can't wait to be there...it seems so relaxing.

Your plans sound absolutely great thus far.

 

[Colleen27]

Joining in! We're going to be there at the same time, though it doesn't look like we have much plan overlap. I'm basically going with the "throw all the good advice (TGM, EasyWDW, and TouringPlans) right out the window" plan and hitting up a bunch of late EMH!

All the flexibility in your plans looks so wonderful! That's something I envy - with three generations, 6 of us in all, flexibility is just asking for conflict so I've become an uber-planner.

 

[MRYPPNS]

Very sorry I'll be missing Heidi completely.

Kathy[/SIZE]

Thurs 11/10: Epcot Dinner at Via Napoli

Fri 11/11: Studios Dinner at 50s Prime Time Cafe Osbourne Lights Meet up w/ Amy?

Sat 11/12: Animal Kingdom QS Lunch and Dinner

I think you must of gotten mine and Amy's plans mixed up or you were looking at my old non-hopper plans because your weekend plans are the same as mine now! Well except for the dining. I canceled 50's PTC. After I post my touring plans to FB we'll look and see when is a good time to meet. I'm not, not going to meet Billy this trip!

 

[DisMomAmy]

I think you must of gotten mine and Amy's plans mixed up or you were looking at my old non-hopper plans because your weekend plans are the same as mine now! Well except for the dining. I canceled 50's PTC. After I post my touring plans to FB we'll look and see when is a good time to meet. I'm not, not going to meet Billy this trip!

That's funny because when I plugged both of your itineraries into my spreadsheet I noticed that you two overlap in a few places! I thought I had Heidi's old itinerary!

So if my info is correct... Kathy & I overlap on Tuesday (DHS) & Wednesday (MVMCP), Heidi & I overlap on Friday am (MK) and Kathy & Heidi overlap on Thursday (Epcot), Fri pm (DHS) & Sat am (AK). So much fun!!! Too bad we don't have a day that we all overlap together!

 

[Dreamer & Wisher]

Sounds like a great itinerary to me! I would love to share Disney with just one of my kids at a time. I think Billy will have a great time! Will you plan a Mother Daughter Trip in the future?

 

[MEK]

Wonderful plans! And I think its great that you are going to be able to meet up with Amy again (this time with her family!). That's so cool!

Are you staying at OKW the whole time? We are staying there in December and I am really looking forward to it!