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

[Hedy]

Ooh, Asherkus looks like fun! I'm impressed Tricia's still willing to meet the princesses.
Billy's expression in the picture is cracking me up-the worry but not fear at holding Belle's hand-it's so tween boy.

 

[KathyRN137]

Ooh, Asherkus looks like fun! I'm impressed Tricia's still willing to meet the princesses.
Billy's expression in the picture is cracking me up-the worry but not fear at holding Belle's hand-it's so tween boy.

Hmmm. We'll see how long that lasts! She already told me she has no interest in going to Pixie Hollow....

Billy loved holding her hand.... perhaps it was the glove that felt funny to him? (And I also wonder if he was just thinking, "Okay, this is nice, but where's the FOOD??")


Kathy

 

[DisMomAmy]

Yay - two updates!! Not sure how I missed the last part of the P&PP but it was nice to have 2 updates to read this morning! Sounds like it was a great time (other than missing the parade). I sooo wish there had been a P&PP during our visit this year.

The princess breakfast sounds like it was a success too!! What a nice experience Billy had with the CM.

I hope you didn't keep the camera tucked away for the F&G Festival!

 

[mum24grlz]

I'm new to the DIS and just finding my way around but loving your TR! I have a dd with HFA and love to read about others WDW experiences with their child(ren) w/ autism. I'll be back to read more

 

[jcc0621]

THe princess breakfast looked like fun but I don't think that I will get Jimmy anywhere near the princesses this year. He is starting with the whole eewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww girls phase

Isn't it amazing the magic that some CM's can bring to your trip!

 

[Goofster57]

The Character breakfast at Akershus looked really good. Don't know why I always thought that it would be very heavy on the Norwegian side with lots of fish.

I enjoyed hearing about Billy's experience with all of the CM, Disney Cast members are the best.

Looking forward to your Food and Wine update, another thing we still haven't done at WDW.

 

[KathyRN137]

The princess breakfast sounds like it was a success too!! What a nice experience Billy had with the CM.

I hope you didn't keep the camera tucked away for the F&G Festival!

I'm sorry I didn't get a pic of Billy and his CM friend, but I did try (and the operative word here is try) to take some butterfly pix!


Kathy

 

[KathyRN137]

I'm new to the DIS and just finding my way around but loving your TR! I have a dd with HFA and love to read about others WDW experiences with their child(ren) w/ autism. I'll be back to read more

Hello and

Please forgive my ignorance, but what is HFA? Is it a spectrum-related disorder?


Kathy

 

[KathyRN137]

THe princess breakfast looked like fun but I don't think that I will get Jimmy anywhere near the princesses this year. He is starting with the whole eewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww girls phase

Isn't it amazing the magic that some CM's can bring to your trip!

Hi Janet! Billy hasn't hit that phase yet... one of his best friends at school is "Mary!"


Kathy

 

[KathyRN137]

The Character breakfast at Akershus looked really good. Don't know why I always thought that it would be very heavy on the Norwegian side with lots of fish.

I enjoyed hearing about Billy's experience with all of the CM, Disney Cast members are the best.

Hey, Goof!

Breakfast is very American... but they do serve a koldbordt (cold buffet) at lunch and dinner that has more of the traditional Nordic fare, that includes seafood. Here is the lunch menu in case you are interested:

http://allears.net/menu/menu_norl.htm

And yes, that CM was really kind to us!


Kathy

 

[wvdislover]

Hello and

Please forgive my ignorance, but what is HFA? Is it a spectrum-related disorder?


Kathy

HFA is High-Functioning Autism. Often covers what is classified as Asperger's and PDD-NOS, as well as plain old HFA. Sarah (my DD11) is HFA, too.

 

[KathyRN137]

HFA is High-Functioning Autism. Often covers what is classified as Asperger's and PDD-NOS, as well as plain old HFA. Sarah (my DD11) is HFA, too.

Okay...thanks! (I just knew it as Asperger's)


Kathy

 

[KathyRN137]

Chapter 25: Butterfly Flutterby

Thursday, 4/24/08

Epcot ~ World Showcase



(I’m feeling lazy tonight, so this chapter will be the Children’s Book version... somewhat short and full of pictures.)


After surviving both trolls and ocean storms on Maelstrom, we took an easy walk back toward the Imagination Walkway that connects World Showcase and Future World. The one thing that I had most been looking forward to at the Flower & Garden Festival was Minnie’s Magnificent Butterfly Garden. What garden is complete without colorful butterflies??

Along the way…

The theme of last year's festival was "Fun In The Sun!"

Darn! My lens was foggy! Sorry...


Donald and Daisy in a Volleyball beach scene:

These topiaries looked so real!

I managed to zoom-in on Spaceship Earth...

Here we are! The Butterfly Exhibit is just ahead!

Reading about the stages of a caterpillar’s life… Billy had just learned about this in science, so he recognized some of the words like “chrysalis.”

Minnie, tending her garden:

The exhibit is housed in a tent-like screened enclosure. We carefully went inside...

Unfortuntately, there's not as many inside pix as I would have liked... Billy got a bit scared and ducked every time a butterfly suddenly flew near him (and they were flying around quite a bit!) He needed a lot of reassurance...

Pupae in various stages:

Drinking sugar-water:

As we got ready to leave (it was quite warm inside the tent), we pushed back the curtain of chains covering the doorway and a butterfly flew out. Billy pointed to it excitedly and exclaimed, “Oh-Oh! He’s getting away!” which was rather funny. Once outside, he kept pointing to it and saying, “He’s getting away!” like someone should go and catch it and bring it back!!


We told him that there were lots of nice places for a butterfly to live in Epcot. If you were a butterfly, isn’t that where you’d want to live?


Next up: An Unexpected Meet!


Kathy

 

[maroo]

Oh...

That is just fantastic! I love, love, love butterflies!!

Seriously, I would really like to see this exhibit at some point. Butterflies and Disney. Perfect combination!

I hate that Billy was frightened. But how funny that he wanted to catch the one that got away!

Thanks for the update tonight. I will go to sleep thinking of sweet butterflies and Disney!

 

[wvdislover]

Short, but sweet Allison, our DD7, loves butterflies! She would love that exhibit!

 

[KathyRN137]

Oh...

That is just fantastic! I love, love, love butterflies!!

You're welcome, Maroo! I knew you were looking forward to the butterflies and I didn't want to keep you waiting too long!!

I only wish my lens hadn't fogged up... it was humid!


Kathy

 

[KathyRN137]

Short, but sweet Allison, our DD7, loves butterflies! She would love that exhibit!

The kids enjoyed it... even Billy... so long as the butterflies stayed over there by the flowers! As soon as they flew close to him, he got nervous!

They were very pretty and the flowers smelled so fragrant inside!


Kathy

 

[DearDaisyinDurham]

~LOVED~ the Butterfly Garden!!!!

 

[Goofster57]

Nice update Kathy,

Wish I had seen the note about your lens fogging up sooner, I kept cleaning my glasses...

 

[jcc0621]

We told him that there were lots of nice places for a butterfly to live in Epcot. If you were a butterfly, isn’t that where you’d want to live?

I want to live there and I'm not a butterfly!