An APRIL Adventure in Autism: 2008 (8/8) Time to Say Good-Bye....

[KathyRN137]

The worst part of a Disney vacation is everything you miss on the DIS while you're gone...

No, its the second worst thing....

The worst is having to leave!!!

I'm glad you're back, though, so we can hear all about it!

Kathy

 

[KathyRN137]

I'm finally here! (Ok, I'll admit, I lurked quite a bit)

Billy is such a sweetheart

Thanks! Believe me, he really is!!

Tricia...I remember being her age (so what if it was 2 years ago?). She seems so hip, yet so full of that pre-teen attitude! (Mamas beware, it will get worse!)

I never had to deal with a little brother when I was her age, so I feel for her. (Five little sisters, yes, a brother, no!)


Update more! I want to see PPP pics!

They are coming soon... we did the party the very next night!



Kathy

 

[wvdislover]

Oooh! Can't wait to see them!

 

[mousescrapper]

I had a completely different outlook this time around!

That must be the most wonderful thing about living near WDW and being able to visit several times a year... there just doesn't seem to be as much pressure to run around and cram everything into one little week!


Kathy

I understnad....I feel I was in between the 2 on this last trip...there is a happy medium somewhere


Nice AK update

kids and gas

Hope the safari works out well and the animals have their smiles on for you.

and cool street side band you discovered!

 

[blue_river]

I just recently found out about AK losing McD's!


at poor Billy and his gassy problems


Why do you put ear plugs in? Is Billy afraid of the noise?

 

[KathyRN137]

Why do you put ear plugs in? Is Billy afraid of the noise?

Yes, Billy's sensitive to loud noises...rides...fireworks...stuff like that.

Even I wear ear plugs on Dinosaur because I just think its too darn LOUD!!


Kathy

 

[KathyRN137]

Oooh! Can't wait to see them!

Coming soon....aarrgh!


Kathy

 

[KathyRN137]

I understnad....I feel I was in between the 2 on this last trip...there is a happy medium somewhere


That's really the best way to do it!


and cool street side band you discovered!

I can't remember the name... something like Incas Wabi (??)... they're no longer listed on the Live entertainment schedule, but it was cool to see /hear them!


I still have yet to see DIVINE!!!


Kathy

 

[All7OfUs]

Sounds like Billy was just trying to enhance the atmosphere in Harambe! OMG! That was a seriously funny update, Kathy! Thanks for the smiles.

You know, I totally can't decide AT ALL which to go to in AK- Flame Tree or Pizzafari. I suppose maroo and I will have to figure that out in the next year and half!!

But, I love your touring style-takin' it slow an easy! We missed so much in AK last time; and can't wait to give it another go 'round.

 

[KathyRN137]

But, I love your touring style-takin' it slow an easy! We missed so much in AK last time; and can't wait to give it another go 'round.

The one park that I could see myself spending an entire day just walking around doing "nothing" in is the Animal Kingdom!

Kathy

 

[Disney_Fanatic25]

Great report!! I will be taking my autistic son to WDW for his first visit in December.

 

[KathyRN137]

Great report!! I will be taking my autistic son to WDW for his first visit in December.

Get ready for some magic!! Disney really tries to make things a little easier for families with special needs kids... that's one of the reasons we keep coming back!!


Kathy

 

[KathyRN137]

Chapter 13: Kiss of the Spider-Daddy!



Still Tuesday, 4/22/08

Animal Kingdom



We boarded our safari truck and I was relieved to see that we were to be seated in one of the middle rows this time. I could almost hear my back muscles whispering, “Thank you! Thank you!” as we climbed aboard, parents on the ends and kids in the middle (just in case.)


Vroooom!! Off we went on our bouncy photo safari! Despite being the middle of the afternoon, there were many more animals out and about this time. For once, I actually captured more than just pictures of animal backsides!

(Well, that's enough. You get the general idea!)



As we walked down the exit path from KS I debated internally whether we should even try to make it to the parade route to find a viewing spot. It was already a quarter to four….


Nah! It was too late; we’d never be able to get a decent spot. Instead, we put our heads together and decided to take advantage of the lighter parade-time crowd to visit an attraction we had never done before... Rafiki’s Planet Watch.



Now, I’ve never really been interested in touring the former Conservation Station because to me, it seemed to be nothing more than a glorified petting zoo. The kids had never shown an interest in it, either, so when Ed suggested it I was surprised that they agreed to give it a try! Okay, well why not? After all, it might be fun to do something new!


It was a short walk to the Wildlife Express train station and we stopped for a little photo op along the way:

Soon the next train came chugging along and we easily found seats. (Unlike the WDW RR, everyone on this train rides sideways and all riders face the same direction.) It was a quick ride to the next station... and really not much scenery to look at along the way except for dense greenery... so we were hopping off the train and strolling to Rafiki’s within a matter of minutes. There were some outdoor exhibits along the way:

Entering the Planet Watch building..

(If your wondering why there's a car parked in front of the building, it was a model of an energy efficient vehicle that was on display!)

Ahh! Air conditioning! We immediately ran into several characters. Pocahontas was having a conversation with some children about her animal friends that lived in the forest. Before I realized it, Billy just ambled on over and sat himself down with the rest of the kids to listen.

Next was the big baboon himself, Rafiki!

There was no line at all to meet Jiminy Cricket (I wonder if perhaps people didn’t realize who he was), so we went and said hello to him, too! It was fun because I’m pretty sure we’d never met him at the parks before.

Right behind Jiminy was a glass-walled room where technicians were preparing food for various animals at the station. We watched them for a while and looked at all the displays that taught the children (and adults) about the types of food the different animals required.

There wasn’t much going on at the veterinary hospital... they were doing some minor procedure on... was it a meerkat or some similar-sized creature? Whatever it was, it was under general anesthesia and I wasn’t really sure I wanted the kids to see that. We moved on…



We played around with some of the interactive video displays (educational and mildly fun), then tried out the rainforest “sound booth.” The idea here is to enter a darkened booth, put earphones over your ears and listen as you are taught the various nature sounds of the rainforest. Billy didn’t like the dark too much and as soon as the thunderstorm sounds began, he bolted!! Hmmm, I didn’t realize there was going to be a storm! We moved on once more!


We learned about lizards. We learned about frogs. We learned about... spiders!!

Continued in Next Post....



Kathy

 

[mousescrapper]

we visited the Conservation Station too on this trip...but that is a WHOLE other story you'll just have to wait for in my TR....

 

[KathyRN137]

Kiss of the Spider-Daddy (Part Two)

Tricia dared her father to put his hand inside the hole in the “tree” to feel the spider web. So, naturally, he took the dare. Are any of you familiar with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday??

Oh, he really got her, but good! For a second there, she really thought his hand was stuck in the web! Then he tried to “persuade” her to stick her own hand into the hole!

More photo ops:

The picture I took of Billy petting a tiger was blurry, but I love this one. See how he casually put his arm around the rhino’s horn and posed?! You'd think it was a friend from school!!



Cut out animals are fun, but now we were ready to make friends with some live animals that were waiting for us outside! Grab your brushes everybody; it’s time to groom some goats!!


Kathy

 

[DisMomAmy]

Those are great pictures of Tricia & Ed! It's nice to see a picture of her laughing - she's such a serious tween this trip!

We haven't been out to Conservation Station in a long, long time - maybe 2002?? I bet Zachary would like some of that stuff - he's really into lizards & frogs.

 

[karriemouse]

Oh I love that pic of Billy and 'his mate' the rhino!!!

Looks like Billy's whispering to him and cooking up a plan - 'why don't we ask Mom if you can come over and we can watch DVD's together'??!!

 

[Goofster57]

(If your wondering why there's a car parked in front of the building, it was a model of an energy efficient vehicle that was on display!)

Glad you explained about the car, I was thinking that you let Tricia drive....

Next was the big baboon himself, Rafiki!

OK, You got me I was sure it was going to be a picture of Ed.

 

[Goofster57]

That Billy is so lucky, when I try and get my picture with Pocahontas they call Security....

 

[Charleston Princess]

Cute pics from Conservation Station! That is one of the places we are trying for the first time in June. Can't wait!

I do know that scene from Roman Holiday! Too funny about Ed and Tricia!