ANOTHER Adventure in Autism (4/15) A Taste of What's to Come...
- Thread starter KathyRN137
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KathyRN137
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2006
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Chapter 34: Sweet Chair-ity!
“Okay, well, here goes nothin’,” I thought, and I pushed open the red door that led into the Villa living room. No immediate signs of major catastrophe, which was encouraging. Ed and the kids were in various stages of getting ready and Aunt Rae was in her room.
Tricia stopped making up Billy’s bed and came over to me. “Are we still going to MGM?” she queried. Although not particularly pumped up about Play N’ Dine, she was looking forward to seeing her cousins again. Oh, and R&RC, too.
“Of course,” I reassured her. “Finish getting ready.”
She leaned in closer and, in a whisper, imparted the “news” that Aunt Rae had declared she would just stay in the room that day.
I sighed. I felt no stress, really, just ……
I went inside to our bedroom, where I found Billy jumping up and down in front of the TV in his underwear and Ed making up our bed. Again, I must insert a little tee-hee-hee here, because at home he never makes the bed! (Perhaps he just sees it as his way of helping out.)
After receiving a big morning hug and a sniff from Billy, I helped him to put on the rest of his clothes. He can dress himself (well, except for buttoning buttons) but needs constant “prompts” to get him to stay on task, especially if the TV is on! I relayed my conversation with Member Services to Ed and he was relieved that everything had been straightened out with our Dining Plan credits and our room keys. He also appeared to be relieved that my mood had improved.
“Why did you let us sleep so late?” he asked.
“I thought we were going to get to MGM when the park opened?” I told him that I had not intended to fall asleep in the living room and had not had the chance to set the alarm. “But it seemed like we all needed to sleep in today a bit, don’t you think?”
He agreed.
I’m not quite sure, but I think I remember that this was the morning that one of the stitches from his emergency dental surgery (done the day before we left for WDW) had fallen out. He was concerned and had me check his mouth, but since everything looked okay, I didn’t think it was a problem.
“The swelling’s gone down, so the stitch was probably loose anyway,” I reassured him. Although still on the antibiotics, he said he felt he could get away without any Advil that morning, but would take some with him just in case. But that stitch coming out still concerned him. I said something to the effect of, “Well, there’s nothing we can do about it, anyway, so let’s just go and have a good time.”
And that’s exactly the same response I gave to Tricia when she came to tell us, yet again, that Aunt Rae was not coming with us to the Studios. It’s not that I was feeling angry toward Aunt Rae. On the contrary, I really had just come to the point of acceptance and was at peace with it. Aunt Rae had had enough.
Ed, however, would not accept her decision. “Kathy, we can’t let her stay here by herself,” he declared. “I’m going in there to talk some sense into her!” And with that, he strode off to have his “talk” with her. I opened my mouth, and shut it again.
Nope, I’m not going to get involved with this.
Time check: somewhere around 10am.
ADR for Hollywood and Vine with DSis & Family: 11:40.
We really should be leaving soon. I caught myself. There it was again…. that word, should.
SHOULD: the well-intentioned bane of all planners. “We should do this,” “We should go there,” “We should see that.” I was getting weary of my self-imposed Tyranny of the Shoulds. Perhaps it was just as well that the OP was in the trash. I turned off the TV and continued to gather our stuff. I went to the fridge for water bottles and saw Aunt Rae, dressed, and sitting out on the living room chair. I went over to her. Her eyes were swollen from last night’s cry-fest.
And that’s not all that was swollen.
Her feet were up and I could see that her ankles were quite puffy. She said her ankles and knees were really hurting her. Ed was crouched next to her chair and was telling her, in no uncertain terms, that she would be coming with us and that she would just have to use the wheelchair in the park to remain off her feet. She started in again with, “I don’t want to be a burden, and was abruptly cut off by Ed, who bluntly told her that she would be much more of a “burden” to us if we had to worry about her being unsteady on her feet and alone in the room all day.
“I’m not taking ‘no’ for an answer,” he said, helping her to her feet. (Sometimes its good to be a ::cop: )
Tricia chimed in, “C’mon, Aunt Rae, don’t stay here!”, then she got Billy to join in and the two of them continued in a chorus of begging and pleading. Seeing that she would be disappointing the children, she relented, and gingerly went in to get her hat and her bag.
“Don’t forget to change your shoes!” Tricia called after her.
Ed glared at her, but I suppressed a laugh. (AR has a habit of forgetting she’s wearing her slippers and walking out the door still wearing them!)
Slowly but surely, we all made it out to the bus stop and caught the next bus headed to the Studios. I was absolutely amazed at how crowded the bus stop was at this late hour! But strangely, I didn’t care.
Our bus arrived and, as you may have guessed, AR was anxious about having a difficult time getting up the stairs. Thank goodness it was one of those buses that is equipped for wheelchairs and ECVs, because the bus had to “lower” itself to the curb and the stairs wound up being fairly low. A guest with an ECV was boarding and Ed pointed it out to AR, telling her that hundreds of guests use wheelchairs and ECVs at WDW and that she shouldn’t feel bad about using one.
I made it a point to try and keep the conversation off the subject of the wheelchair. But AR was stressing over it. “I took some Advil. Maybe I’ll only need it for a few hours and then I’ll feel better!” She looked at me, hopefully.
“Sure, Aunt Rae, maybe you’re right,” I answered.
The soundtrack changed as we entered the Studios’ gate and there was that rustle of excitement that swept through the bus as we gathered up our things and prepared to have some FUN! Aunt Rae, however, seemed wracked with anxiety. “I took my tranquilizer, but its not helping,” she said.
No kidding, I thought, but kept a smile on my face as we negotiated bag search and the turnstiles. Our first stop would be Guest Services for the wheelchair rental.
Are you familiar with Handel’s Messiah?
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
Ha-la-ay-lu-jah!!
Aunt Rae and I went in to rent the chair while Ed and the kids went to look at something. (I’m guessing they went to Crossroads of the World to get a Times Guide and so Tricia could look at pins!) The CM doing the rentals was very chipper. Aunt Rae looked as though I was admitting her into a nursing home.
The CM picked up on it and made a comment about how big the parks were and how tiring, etc., and how common it was for people who normally didn’t use wheelchairs or ECVs at home to use them when they were at WDW. I could have kissed him.
“Would you like to rent daily or for the week?” he asked. I turned to AR and she was mute. I said, “Why don’t we rent it for the day, we may not need it tomorrow. Right, Aunt Rae?” She tentatively stepped a little closer to the desk. She looked confused, now. “What does he mean?” she asked me. “I thought that I had to keep the chair with me.”
“Umm, no, Aunt Rae. We’ll return it tonight when we leave to go back to the resort.”
“So, daily rental then,” continued the CM as he typed our info into the computer. I nodded and turned once more to see that Aunt Rae had the most relieved look on her face. “Oh...Oh, so you can leave the chair here,” she said. I was a bit puzzled.
“Well, of course, Aunt Rae, what did you think?”
Her body sagged a bit and her eyes welled up with tears. “I thought I had to stay in the chair and that I had to use that lift-thing on the bus,” she cried. “I didn’t want everyone to be staring at me and complaining that I was holding things up!”
Oh, brother!
I was struck with feelings of both compassion and annoyance. Ed and I had had several discussions with her about the wheelchair rental and we had always talked about her using it in the parks, never at the resort. So, all this time she was under the misconception that we would “make her” sit in the chair all day for the duration of the trip? How could that be? I was truly dumbfounded.
“Aunt Rae,” I said evenly, “you’re only going to use the chair to assist you when we are going from here to there.” She still looked confused. “You can walk, we just don’t want you walking all day long.” (Sheesh! Hadn’t we only said that a hundred times this week?) The CM asked for a credit card and she jumped to hand him hers so that I would not pay. Fine, she needed the control, so I gave in to her.
She completed her transaction and I continued, “when we get to a ride or show, we’ll just park the chair with all the other chairs and ECVs (I held off from saying "strollers") and you can walk into the attraction just like you always do.” She finally seemed to be “getting it,” although she continued to look dubious as the CM led us outside and asked us to wait while he brought us the chair. Ed saw us and he and the kids came over.
Billy was verbally ticking off his own version of the OP: “First, we go to Rock ‘N Roller Coaster, then we go to Playhouse Disney: Live on Stage, then we go…..”
Oh boy! Getting the wheelchair business out of the way had distracted me from Billy and his list of “to-do’s” for the park, which had been based upon us arriving at park opening! (Sorry, it also distracted me from taking any pictures at this point.) Ed and I “switched”; he took over with Aunt Rae as the chair was brought out and I had a talk with Billy about our change in schedule, assuring him that we would be able to do everything he wanted, just in a different order.
I was annoyed at myself for forgetting his “social story” about changes in plans back at the villa. He began to cry (doing things “in order” are very important to him.) But, he brightened when I told him it was lunchtime and we were going to Play ‘N Dine....he loves that character meal!
I checked my watch. If we left just then, we would be just about making it to H&V to check in at the suggested ten minutes prior to our ADR.
Sorry....I guess old habits are hard to break!
We set off down Hollywood Boulevard with me holding onto Billy’s hand and Ed pushing AR in the chair. She began apologizing about him having to push her around, but Ed just laughed at her, joking that she was so light it felt like he was pushing an empty chair! I whispered to Ed that he needed to watch out; that people tended to get distracted and might stop short, so he should leave enough “braking distance” between the chair and the people in front of him. Well, you know how that went over! Men can’t stand it when they think you’re trying to tell them how to drive!
We hooked a left into the Echo Lake area and it was a short walk/roll to Hollywood ‘N Vine.
As it turned out, there were a lot of people waiting for the changeover from breakfast to lunch, so all the surrounding benches were full. I walked up the steps to check in at the podium and receive our buzzer. Ed found a shady spot and stood waiting with the kids and I was already thinking that chair would be well worth the cost b/c it was giving Aunt Rae and her swollen ankles the convenience of a “personal bench” when none were available.
Then, along came Marilyn, John, and the kids! Hug-hug, kiss-kiss, and we milled around waiting for the buzzer to go off…
Next up: “Dance Your Pants Off, Billy!”
Kathy
“Okay, well, here goes nothin’,” I thought, and I pushed open the red door that led into the Villa living room. No immediate signs of major catastrophe, which was encouraging. Ed and the kids were in various stages of getting ready and Aunt Rae was in her room.
Tricia stopped making up Billy’s bed and came over to me. “Are we still going to MGM?” she queried. Although not particularly pumped up about Play N’ Dine, she was looking forward to seeing her cousins again. Oh, and R&RC, too.
“Of course,” I reassured her. “Finish getting ready.”
She leaned in closer and, in a whisper, imparted the “news” that Aunt Rae had declared she would just stay in the room that day.
I sighed. I felt no stress, really, just ……
I went inside to our bedroom, where I found Billy jumping up and down in front of the TV in his underwear and Ed making up our bed. Again, I must insert a little tee-hee-hee here, because at home he never makes the bed! (Perhaps he just sees it as his way of helping out.)
After receiving a big morning hug and a sniff from Billy, I helped him to put on the rest of his clothes. He can dress himself (well, except for buttoning buttons) but needs constant “prompts” to get him to stay on task, especially if the TV is on! I relayed my conversation with Member Services to Ed and he was relieved that everything had been straightened out with our Dining Plan credits and our room keys. He also appeared to be relieved that my mood had improved.
“Why did you let us sleep so late?” he asked.
“I thought we were going to get to MGM when the park opened?” I told him that I had not intended to fall asleep in the living room and had not had the chance to set the alarm. “But it seemed like we all needed to sleep in today a bit, don’t you think?” He agreed.
I’m not quite sure, but I think I remember that this was the morning that one of the stitches from his emergency dental surgery (done the day before we left for WDW) had fallen out. He was concerned and had me check his mouth, but since everything looked okay, I didn’t think it was a problem.
“The swelling’s gone down, so the stitch was probably loose anyway,” I reassured him. Although still on the antibiotics, he said he felt he could get away without any Advil that morning, but would take some with him just in case. But that stitch coming out still concerned him. I said something to the effect of, “Well, there’s nothing we can do about it, anyway, so let’s just go and have a good time.”
And that’s exactly the same response I gave to Tricia when she came to tell us, yet again, that Aunt Rae was not coming with us to the Studios. It’s not that I was feeling angry toward Aunt Rae. On the contrary, I really had just come to the point of acceptance and was at peace with it. Aunt Rae had had enough.
Ed, however, would not accept her decision. “Kathy, we can’t let her stay here by herself,” he declared. “I’m going in there to talk some sense into her!” And with that, he strode off to have his “talk” with her. I opened my mouth, and shut it again.
Nope, I’m not going to get involved with this. Time check: somewhere around 10am.
ADR for Hollywood and Vine with DSis & Family: 11:40.
We really should be leaving soon. I caught myself. There it was again…. that word, should.
SHOULD: the well-intentioned bane of all planners. “We should do this,” “We should go there,” “We should see that.” I was getting weary of my self-imposed Tyranny of the Shoulds. Perhaps it was just as well that the OP was in the trash. I turned off the TV and continued to gather our stuff. I went to the fridge for water bottles and saw Aunt Rae, dressed, and sitting out on the living room chair. I went over to her. Her eyes were swollen from last night’s cry-fest.
And that’s not all that was swollen.
Her feet were up and I could see that her ankles were quite puffy. She said her ankles and knees were really hurting her. Ed was crouched next to her chair and was telling her, in no uncertain terms, that she would be coming with us and that she would just have to use the wheelchair in the park to remain off her feet. She started in again with, “I don’t want to be a burden, and was abruptly cut off by Ed, who bluntly told her that she would be much more of a “burden” to us if we had to worry about her being unsteady on her feet and alone in the room all day.
“I’m not taking ‘no’ for an answer,” he said, helping her to her feet. (Sometimes its good to be a ::cop: )
Tricia chimed in, “C’mon, Aunt Rae, don’t stay here!”, then she got Billy to join in and the two of them continued in a chorus of begging and pleading. Seeing that she would be disappointing the children, she relented, and gingerly went in to get her hat and her bag.
“Don’t forget to change your shoes!” Tricia called after her.
Ed glared at her, but I suppressed a laugh. (AR has a habit of forgetting she’s wearing her slippers and walking out the door still wearing them!)
Slowly but surely, we all made it out to the bus stop and caught the next bus headed to the Studios. I was absolutely amazed at how crowded the bus stop was at this late hour! But strangely, I didn’t care.
Our bus arrived and, as you may have guessed, AR was anxious about having a difficult time getting up the stairs. Thank goodness it was one of those buses that is equipped for wheelchairs and ECVs, because the bus had to “lower” itself to the curb and the stairs wound up being fairly low. A guest with an ECV was boarding and Ed pointed it out to AR, telling her that hundreds of guests use wheelchairs and ECVs at WDW and that she shouldn’t feel bad about using one.
I made it a point to try and keep the conversation off the subject of the wheelchair. But AR was stressing over it. “I took some Advil. Maybe I’ll only need it for a few hours and then I’ll feel better!” She looked at me, hopefully.
“Sure, Aunt Rae, maybe you’re right,” I answered.
The soundtrack changed as we entered the Studios’ gate and there was that rustle of excitement that swept through the bus as we gathered up our things and prepared to have some FUN! Aunt Rae, however, seemed wracked with anxiety. “I took my tranquilizer, but its not helping,” she said.
No kidding, I thought, but kept a smile on my face as we negotiated bag search and the turnstiles. Our first stop would be Guest Services for the wheelchair rental.Are you familiar with Handel’s Messiah?
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
Ha-la-ay-lu-jah!!
Aunt Rae and I went in to rent the chair while Ed and the kids went to look at something. (I’m guessing they went to Crossroads of the World to get a Times Guide and so Tricia could look at pins!) The CM doing the rentals was very chipper. Aunt Rae looked as though I was admitting her into a nursing home.
The CM picked up on it and made a comment about how big the parks were and how tiring, etc., and how common it was for people who normally didn’t use wheelchairs or ECVs at home to use them when they were at WDW. I could have kissed him.
“Would you like to rent daily or for the week?” he asked. I turned to AR and she was mute. I said, “Why don’t we rent it for the day, we may not need it tomorrow. Right, Aunt Rae?” She tentatively stepped a little closer to the desk. She looked confused, now. “What does he mean?” she asked me. “I thought that I had to keep the chair with me.”
“Umm, no, Aunt Rae. We’ll return it tonight when we leave to go back to the resort.”
“So, daily rental then,” continued the CM as he typed our info into the computer. I nodded and turned once more to see that Aunt Rae had the most relieved look on her face. “Oh...Oh, so you can leave the chair here,” she said. I was a bit puzzled.
“Well, of course, Aunt Rae, what did you think?” Her body sagged a bit and her eyes welled up with tears. “I thought I had to stay in the chair and that I had to use that lift-thing on the bus,” she cried. “I didn’t want everyone to be staring at me and complaining that I was holding things up!”
Oh, brother!
I was struck with feelings of both compassion and annoyance. Ed and I had had several discussions with her about the wheelchair rental and we had always talked about her using it in the parks, never at the resort. So, all this time she was under the misconception that we would “make her” sit in the chair all day for the duration of the trip? How could that be? I was truly dumbfounded.
“Aunt Rae,” I said evenly, “you’re only going to use the chair to assist you when we are going from here to there.” She still looked confused. “You can walk, we just don’t want you walking all day long.” (Sheesh! Hadn’t we only said that a hundred times this week?) The CM asked for a credit card and she jumped to hand him hers so that I would not pay. Fine, she needed the control, so I gave in to her.
She completed her transaction and I continued, “when we get to a ride or show, we’ll just park the chair with all the other chairs and ECVs (I held off from saying "strollers") and you can walk into the attraction just like you always do.” She finally seemed to be “getting it,” although she continued to look dubious as the CM led us outside and asked us to wait while he brought us the chair. Ed saw us and he and the kids came over.
Billy was verbally ticking off his own version of the OP: “First, we go to Rock ‘N Roller Coaster, then we go to Playhouse Disney: Live on Stage, then we go…..”
Oh boy! Getting the wheelchair business out of the way had distracted me from Billy and his list of “to-do’s” for the park, which had been based upon us arriving at park opening! (Sorry, it also distracted me from taking any pictures at this point.) Ed and I “switched”; he took over with Aunt Rae as the chair was brought out and I had a talk with Billy about our change in schedule, assuring him that we would be able to do everything he wanted, just in a different order.
I was annoyed at myself for forgetting his “social story” about changes in plans back at the villa. He began to cry (doing things “in order” are very important to him.) But, he brightened when I told him it was lunchtime and we were going to Play ‘N Dine....he loves that character meal!
I checked my watch. If we left just then, we would be just about making it to H&V to check in at the suggested ten minutes prior to our ADR. Sorry....I guess old habits are hard to break!
We set off down Hollywood Boulevard with me holding onto Billy’s hand and Ed pushing AR in the chair. She began apologizing about him having to push her around, but Ed just laughed at her, joking that she was so light it felt like he was pushing an empty chair! I whispered to Ed that he needed to watch out; that people tended to get distracted and might stop short, so he should leave enough “braking distance” between the chair and the people in front of him. Well, you know how that went over!
Men can’t stand it when they think you’re trying to tell them how to drive!We hooked a left into the Echo Lake area and it was a short walk/roll to Hollywood ‘N Vine.
As it turned out, there were a lot of people waiting for the changeover from breakfast to lunch, so all the surrounding benches were full. I walked up the steps to check in at the podium and receive our buzzer. Ed found a shady spot and stood waiting with the kids and I was already thinking that chair would be well worth the cost b/c it was giving Aunt Rae and her swollen ankles the convenience of a “personal bench” when none were available.
Then, along came Marilyn, John, and the kids! Hug-hug, kiss-kiss, and we milled around waiting for the buzzer to go off…
Next up: “Dance Your Pants Off, Billy!”
Kathy
/
preschoolmom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2007
- Messages
- 979
Whew! What a relief! I'm glad she finally has a chair to use...
mousescrapper
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2007
- Messages
- 4,595
LOL Mine, too!
Tricia will only change her mind about a dozen times before she chooses!
Kathy
I know all about that too....
for the TS credit, and all that ressie/dining business stuff figured out! for just letting the day lead you...very good huh? for AR and the wheelchairHave fun at H&V PH & D....we did!
Scrappie
Halloweenqueen
Whenever Candle Lights Flicker...
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2007
- Messages
- 5,334
Good news!!! 
i would have given you a dancing banana too but i cant find it anymore. oh wellKathyRN137
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2006
- Messages
- 7,882
Halloweenqueen: The chair got a two I already have the date that MNSSHP tickets go on sale (historically), circled on my calandar!
jcc0621 So glad to see you again, too!
whgrn: I'll be "seeing you" later!
Hedy:
So sad our Fall dates won't match!
Kimmylaj: Thanks for telling me about Grandma
starrzone: Hi, fellow Cathy! Thanks for posting!
DearDaisyinDurham: Hope you got to catch up on your sleep!
Juliah: Goodness!! Hope all is well and you got your power back soon!
MRYPPNS: Yes, we hit rock bottom, good news was that there was no where to go but up!
Disneylvr: Hi, nice to see you again! You, especially, know how sweet that "Billy moment" trully was.
to Madelyn.
eyeheartgoofy: Congrats on getting the AKV ressie, its so popular! We'll try for BLT, but I'd be just as thrilled with AKV!
tiggerbelle: Oh! But the worst part about the PMS comment was that he was right! Grrrrrr!!
IluvXU: I love all the resorts, but can't make a ressie until 3/31! With DVC, unless its your home resort, its like rolling dice!
DisMomAmy: I think the boys would love the Tutorial! Just tell the CM that Alex needs his Daddy to help him!
askelton: I am so excited about the MNSSHP! Jersey Week usually is right in the middle of the parties!
mrsksomeday & Yoda K: Oh I hope our dates will overlap!
Mom2mek: I really wish I had taken more VWL pix. You're right, Pop-Pop would love it, even if you just stop by for a visit!
preschoolmom: A DIS-Meet would by fun! Looking forward to doing the Ticker Dance with you!
mousescrapper:
Tricia already has a list of about 8 different costumes, written out with "Pros" and "Cons" for each, plus a list of the accessories needed. (Perhaps I should get her a binder....)
aspen37: Billy has helped me to focus on what is really important, not just at WDW, but in Life.
Hope I didn't forget anyone...thanks for ticker-dancing with me!!
Kathy
I already have the date that MNSSHP tickets go on sale (historically), circled on my calandar!jcc0621 So glad to see you again, too!
whgrn: I'll be "seeing you" later!
Hedy:
So sad our Fall dates won't match! Kimmylaj: Thanks for telling me about Grandma
starrzone: Hi, fellow Cathy! Thanks for posting!
DearDaisyinDurham: Hope you got to catch up on your sleep!
Juliah: Goodness!! Hope all is well and you got your power back soon!
MRYPPNS: Yes, we hit rock bottom, good news was that there was no where to go but up!
Disneylvr: Hi, nice to see you again! You, especially, know how sweet that "Billy moment" trully was.
to Madelyn.eyeheartgoofy: Congrats on getting the AKV ressie, its so popular! We'll try for BLT, but I'd be just as thrilled with AKV!
tiggerbelle: Oh! But the worst part about the PMS comment was that he was right! Grrrrrr!!
IluvXU: I love all the resorts, but can't make a ressie until 3/31! With DVC, unless its your home resort, its like rolling dice!
DisMomAmy: I think the boys would love the Tutorial! Just tell the CM that Alex needs his Daddy to help him!
askelton: I am so excited about the MNSSHP! Jersey Week usually is right in the middle of the parties!
mrsksomeday & Yoda K: Oh I hope our dates will overlap!
Mom2mek: I really wish I had taken more VWL pix. You're right, Pop-Pop would love it, even if you just stop by for a visit!
preschoolmom: A DIS-Meet would by fun! Looking forward to doing the Ticker Dance with you!
mousescrapper:
Tricia already has a list of about 8 different costumes, written out with "Pros" and "Cons" for each, plus a list of the accessories needed. (Perhaps I should get her a binder....) aspen37: Billy has helped me to focus on what is really important, not just at WDW, but in Life.
Hope I didn't forget anyone...thanks for ticker-dancing with me!!
Kathy
mrsksomeday
My Prince uses a power wheelchair!
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2006
- Messages
- 7,785
The way you can describe things to have us see into your world never ceases to amaze me. Kathy you are a very talented writer.
Thank goodness that member services got things straightened out. That had to be very frustrating dealing with that while on vacation.
Yay about AR finally saying yes to the wheelchair. She had it stuck in her head you were going to treat her like a child and I am so glad you finally got it through to her that you were just helping her with the physical issues.
I can't wait to read about Billy dancing!!
We also hope our dates overlap, you know Bill he likes to add days anyway
. So when is the date the MNSSHP tickets "historically" go on sale??KathyRN137
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2006
- Messages
- 7,882
We also hope our dates overlap, you know Bill he likes to add days anyway
Thanks!
I read somewhere that it's May 1st, but I guess we'll find out the specifics as the date gets closer.
I'm bummed that we probably won't get the DVC discount for Oct. 31st; the discount only applies to certain dates and I'm positive that Halloween Night won't be one of them, LOL!
Oh well, who cares? I just want to go to the party!
Kathy
mrsksomeday
My Prince uses a power wheelchair!
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2006
- Messages
- 7,785
Same thing happens to us with AP discounts, they will probably call it a "premium" night.
KathyRN137
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2006
- Messages
- 7,882
“Dance Your Pants Off, Billy!”
So now the gang was all here: my crew (with whom you are all, by now, very familiar) and my DSis, Marilyn’s: her DH (John) and my Dnieces, Emily (6), Beth (4), and Josie (2). We were all ready for some Playhouse Disney fun!
Remember the story of how this joint-family character meal came about? After making our ADRs at our respective 180-day marks, Marilyn and I were amazed to discover that not only had we independently decided upon going to the Studios on the same day, we had each chosen to do an early lunch at H&V! My ressie was for 11:30 and hers was for 11:40!
Upon this making this discovery, I had called Disney Dining and was fortunate to be able to make a new 11:40 ADR for our entire party so we could sit together. I was desperately hoping that the good ADR karma would carry over to our dining experience…we really needed to get that Disney Magic
back into our trip!
I forgot to mention the "uniform" of the day: I had made matching tee-shirts for all ten of us using a design from my DIS-friend, Halloweenqueen!
The hostess called our name and we all trouped inside. The décor is reminiscent of a diner in the late 20’s or early 30’s…very Art Deco…lots of chrome and pastel colors. Some holiday tinsel was already up! To our right, the room was full of patrons finishing the late breakfast buffet. We were led to the left and shown to a large table in a near-empty room! This room, I gather, had been cleared for the change over to the lunch buffet. We were the first seating; in fact, all the chafing dishes on the “lunch side” were still uncovered and the desserts were just then being brought out.
First!
Colorful mural on the wall near our table:
A Close-up of same:
I had been told at the time of making the ADR that we would be seated at two separate tables, but was pleasantly surprised to find that one long table for ten was set for us at the far end of the room. It wasn’t exactly next to the wall, but the second table from it, in a section of tables set up for larger parties. We staked our claim as the waiter came to take our order for beverages and explain the buffet. We already knew all we needed to know… “all-you-care-to-eat”!!
The kids color while beverages are served:
Please forgive me…..I have no food pix! (I know, I know) But I have an excuse…Characters!
Jo-Jo (from Jo-Jo’s Circus) was first around the room.
LOL! DSis is still wearing her Birthday Button!
It’s been a while since Billy watched Playhouse Disney, but he knows and loves the characters. His cousins are younger and they just went crazy for them!
Goliath the lion (from Jo-Jo’s Circus)
Billy loved his soft, furry costume and after we told the character CM that he was autistic, he (or she) let him stroke his mane and sniff him. The furry characters are always very sensory-appealing!
Billy has a funny look on his face, because he is saying, CHEESE!
My nieces loved getting a big bear, er, lion hug!
Somewhere in between all the character love, we managed to get the kids something to eat from the buffet. I held AR’s tray and she followed me, hanging onto the rail, and made her selections. For a tiny lady, she loves to eat! The buffet was great…sorry I have no recollection of the specific items…but they did have the requisite chicken nuggets and mac ‘n cheese for the kids! I remember salad, some kind of chicken, a fish dish and, was it pot roast or flank steak?
Next came two of the Little Einsteins’ characters: Leo and June. I held my breath…would Billy be upset that the other two, Quincy and Annie, were not there?
Thankfully, he never asked about the missing characters! Whew!
The characters were all so friendly to the kids, especially Billy. We always let the characters know he is autistic so they won’t be taken aback by his behavior, but they are all so good with him. I am convinced that they must be getting in-service training in how to interact with developmentally disabled children, because they were all so kind and did not rush him.
Now, the very best part of this character meal was not so much the “Dine”, but the “Play!” Several times throughout the meal, a CM would announce that it was time to get up and dance with the Playhouse Disney friends and all the kids were invited to go up and dance with the characters. Familiar music from the Playhouse Disney shows would blare out over the speakers and the dancing would begin. And it was not just Jo-Jo and Little Einsteins music.…there were songs from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Rollie Pollie Ollie too.
The kids were really into it. But, I think I’ll let the pictures tell the story!
Tricia was a really good sport about going up with her brother and her little cousins to keep and eye on them while we Mommies took dozens of pictures! I am always a bit nervous about Billy jumping around when smaller children are close by; he’s so big but can be a bit clumsy and somewhat clueless as to the proximity of others in his space. I made Tricia stick close by to made sure he didn’t step on any of the little ones!
Marilyn and I were standing nearby taking pictures of the kids dancing and feeling exhilarated that they were all having so much fun together in Disney. For me, it was such a blessing; the magic was back! They were all jumping up and down and singing along to the music, and Billy’s elastic-waist jeans were starting to slip a little. My six-year-old niece shouted out, “Dance your pants off, Billy!” My sister and I were laughing so hard we were in tears! Then we had to run to the Ladies’ Room because we were afraid we would wet our pants!
Well, we were having such a good time, but we had to buckle down eventually and get the kids to sit down and finish eating (especially Emily, the six-year-old, who is a real finicky eater.) It gave my sister and I a breather and a chance to tackle our own plates. (While we were up dancing, Ed had helped AR fill up her plate a second time!)
And then, Oooooh! The desserts! (Insert smilie with mouth watering, here.) There was apple cobbler, brownies, bread pudding (warm), pineapple upside down cake, all kinds of cookies and little pastries, and soft-serve ice cream, vanilla and chocolate. Again, something for everyone! Billy even found the only dessert he eats at WDW…the big chocolate chip cookie! We were stuffed!
Well, all good things must come to an end, so we eventually got up the energy to roll out of there and back out into the brilliant sunshine. (We really had been so fortunate to have such gorgeous weather this trip.) The only time our ponchos came out was for Splash Mountain!
Egads! It was after one o’clock!
The kids were clamoring to “do something” together. We made a quick decision in favor of something that they would all enjoy (and the adults, too.) We gathered the pack and we walked/strolled/rolled toward Sunset Boulevard…..
Kathy
So now the gang was all here: my crew (with whom you are all, by now, very familiar) and my DSis, Marilyn’s: her DH (John) and my Dnieces, Emily (6), Beth (4), and Josie (2). We were all ready for some Playhouse Disney fun!
Remember the story of how this joint-family character meal came about? After making our ADRs at our respective 180-day marks, Marilyn and I were amazed to discover that not only had we independently decided upon going to the Studios on the same day, we had each chosen to do an early lunch at H&V! My ressie was for 11:30 and hers was for 11:40!
Upon this making this discovery, I had called Disney Dining and was fortunate to be able to make a new 11:40 ADR for our entire party so we could sit together. I was desperately hoping that the good ADR karma would carry over to our dining experience…we really needed to get that Disney Magic
back into our trip!I forgot to mention the "uniform" of the day: I had made matching tee-shirts for all ten of us using a design from my DIS-friend, Halloweenqueen!
The hostess called our name and we all trouped inside. The décor is reminiscent of a diner in the late 20’s or early 30’s…very Art Deco…lots of chrome and pastel colors. Some holiday tinsel was already up! To our right, the room was full of patrons finishing the late breakfast buffet. We were led to the left and shown to a large table in a near-empty room! This room, I gather, had been cleared for the change over to the lunch buffet. We were the first seating; in fact, all the chafing dishes on the “lunch side” were still uncovered and the desserts were just then being brought out.
First!
Colorful mural on the wall near our table:
A Close-up of same:
I had been told at the time of making the ADR that we would be seated at two separate tables, but was pleasantly surprised to find that one long table for ten was set for us at the far end of the room. It wasn’t exactly next to the wall, but the second table from it, in a section of tables set up for larger parties. We staked our claim as the waiter came to take our order for beverages and explain the buffet. We already knew all we needed to know… “all-you-care-to-eat”!!
The kids color while beverages are served:
Please forgive me…..I have no food pix! (I know, I know) But I have an excuse…Characters!
Jo-Jo (from Jo-Jo’s Circus) was first around the room.
LOL! DSis is still wearing her Birthday Button!
It’s been a while since Billy watched Playhouse Disney, but he knows and loves the characters. His cousins are younger and they just went crazy for them!
Goliath the lion (from Jo-Jo’s Circus)
Billy loved his soft, furry costume and after we told the character CM that he was autistic, he (or she) let him stroke his mane and sniff him. The furry characters are always very sensory-appealing!
Billy has a funny look on his face, because he is saying, CHEESE!
My nieces loved getting a big bear, er, lion hug!
Somewhere in between all the character love, we managed to get the kids something to eat from the buffet. I held AR’s tray and she followed me, hanging onto the rail, and made her selections. For a tiny lady, she loves to eat! The buffet was great…sorry I have no recollection of the specific items…but they did have the requisite chicken nuggets and mac ‘n cheese for the kids! I remember salad, some kind of chicken, a fish dish and, was it pot roast or flank steak?
Next came two of the Little Einsteins’ characters: Leo and June. I held my breath…would Billy be upset that the other two, Quincy and Annie, were not there?
Thankfully, he never asked about the missing characters! Whew!
The characters were all so friendly to the kids, especially Billy. We always let the characters know he is autistic so they won’t be taken aback by his behavior, but they are all so good with him. I am convinced that they must be getting in-service training in how to interact with developmentally disabled children, because they were all so kind and did not rush him.
Now, the very best part of this character meal was not so much the “Dine”, but the “Play!” Several times throughout the meal, a CM would announce that it was time to get up and dance with the Playhouse Disney friends and all the kids were invited to go up and dance with the characters. Familiar music from the Playhouse Disney shows would blare out over the speakers and the dancing would begin. And it was not just Jo-Jo and Little Einsteins music.…there were songs from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Rollie Pollie Ollie too.
The kids were really into it. But, I think I’ll let the pictures tell the story!
Tricia was a really good sport about going up with her brother and her little cousins to keep and eye on them while we Mommies took dozens of pictures! I am always a bit nervous about Billy jumping around when smaller children are close by; he’s so big but can be a bit clumsy and somewhat clueless as to the proximity of others in his space. I made Tricia stick close by to made sure he didn’t step on any of the little ones!
Marilyn and I were standing nearby taking pictures of the kids dancing and feeling exhilarated that they were all having so much fun together in Disney. For me, it was such a blessing; the magic was back! They were all jumping up and down and singing along to the music, and Billy’s elastic-waist jeans were starting to slip a little. My six-year-old niece shouted out, “Dance your pants off, Billy!” My sister and I were laughing so hard we were in tears! Then we had to run to the Ladies’ Room because we were afraid we would wet our pants!
Well, we were having such a good time, but we had to buckle down eventually and get the kids to sit down and finish eating (especially Emily, the six-year-old, who is a real finicky eater.) It gave my sister and I a breather and a chance to tackle our own plates. (While we were up dancing, Ed had helped AR fill up her plate a second time!)
And then, Oooooh! The desserts! (Insert smilie with mouth watering, here.) There was apple cobbler, brownies, bread pudding (warm), pineapple upside down cake, all kinds of cookies and little pastries, and soft-serve ice cream, vanilla and chocolate. Again, something for everyone! Billy even found the only dessert he eats at WDW…the big chocolate chip cookie! We were stuffed!
Well, all good things must come to an end, so we eventually got up the energy to roll out of there and back out into the brilliant sunshine. (We really had been so fortunate to have such gorgeous weather this trip.) The only time our ponchos came out was for Splash Mountain!
Egads! It was after one o’clock!
The kids were clamoring to “do something” together. We made a quick decision in favor of something that they would all enjoy (and the adults, too.) We gathered the pack and we walked/strolled/rolled toward Sunset Boulevard…..
Kathy
mrsksomeday
My Prince uses a power wheelchair!
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2006
- Messages
- 7,785
Kathy, this installment was fantastic!! I am so glad the magic came back. It was wonderful that your sister and family could have lunch with you.
I am such a softy when it comes to anyone name "Billy". I had tears rolling down my cheeks looking at all the pictures with Billy and the characters. It was so wonderful seeing him interact with all of them. I loved all the pictures but this one is my favorite:
That is the best smile .
I am such a softy when it comes to anyone name "Billy". I had tears rolling down my cheeks looking at all the pictures with Billy and the characters. It was so wonderful seeing him interact with all of them. I loved all the pictures but this one is my favorite:
That is the best smile
.
DisMomAmy
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2007
- Messages
- 7,994
I'm so glad things finally turned around for you guys- The Magic is Back!!!
Alex was the same way about Annie & Quincy not being at the Play & Dine breakfast! He's noticed that Daisy isn't always around too... there seem to be a lot of things that don't include Daisy - packages of stickers, figurines, etc. He always says, "She must not have been there the day they made thatm."
We're hoping to meet Daisy this year.
Alex was the same way about Annie & Quincy not being at the Play & Dine breakfast! He's noticed that Daisy isn't always around too... there seem to be a lot of things that don't include Daisy - packages of stickers, figurines, etc. He always says, "She must not have been there the day they made thatm."
We're hoping to meet Daisy this year.
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