Back from trip number 12 - highs and lows

[Brummig]

Back last night from the 41st birthday trip (mine). This was another campervan trip with 3 nights in our car park home.

Highs:
- tree lighting ceremony -beautiful (although had a bit of a strop with my son because he didn't want to watch it!)
- Winter Wonderland show - we saw part of this last year, but had to leave before end as we had a fastpass so great to see whole thing.
- Cinemagique - the actor sat right in front of us!
- when the music starts for the snow to fall on Main Street it makes me go all tingly!
- Character interaction in Cafe Mickey was great, and lovely waitress (other aspects not so good - my husband had the 3 course set menu, I just ordered a main, so his starter came with my and ds main course, then dh ate his main alone, he had ordered his pudding at the beginning, we asked for a dessert for ds but they came 5 minutes apart!)
- Big Thunder Mountain was up and running (apart from the last evening so again ds didn't get his last go, but he was happy as he'd had 3 goes each day)

Lows:
Again not much, just the small things.
- we saw the characters in the sudios on the float come out, and went over to meet them - it was a total scrum, there was no indication of how long they'd be there, but it seemed like it was about 5 minutes! DS has autism and we've done lots of work with him on turn taking so he won't now push himself forward, so of course just kept being pushed aside. I spoke to the CM who just shrugged, and said 'there's no queue' and walked off!
- there must have been some kind of holiday on 11th as park was very busy - much busier than expected, shame, but we know the bits that are important to us now, and work around it, using ds Access pass on some occaisions, fastpasses and our knowledge of the park
- routes! I know they have to do work on the park, but with the cut off bits round fantasyland, it is a nightmare trying to get from Adventureland to Buzz Lightyear when the parades are on!
- they have changed how they run the Access Pass at Buzz Lightyear, but seems to be causing some chaos - you are meant to now wait opposite the photo ordering booth for a cast member, but they weren't there for ages. We did get on, but other people waiting by then, and all a bit confused!

 

[Mum to Belle]

Welcome back! Glad to hear you had a great trip!

November 11th was Armistice Day which is a holiday in France - I remember others saying how busy the parks were last year too.

We had a similar CM experience to you in Studios on our last trip and ended up walkiing away...

I'm really looking forward to seeing all the Christmas bits - they sound amazing! Will work on DD now to make sure she understands that Mummy WILL be watching the tree lighting!!!!

p.s. Happy Birthday!

 

[DLPdaft]

Sounds like you had a great birthday trip !

 

[Brummig]

I'm really looking forward to seeing all the Christmas bits - they sound amazing! Will work on DD now to make sure she understands that Mummy WILL be watching the tree lighting!!!!

p.s. Happy Birthday!

Christmas bits are as ever gorgeous. You can't beat it!!!

Have a great trip!

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Sorry to hear about the pushing of your son, our boy is also autistic/non verbal.
It's a shame people are so rude.

I don't know about you but we tend to try and keep ourselves in our own 'little bubble' and attempt to not let things upset or spoil the experience.
It's not nice some don't have good manners and show respect to others.

 

[Brummig]

Agree with you Johnny we keep pretty much to ourselves, and generally have fantastic experiences. However, we do try to encourage ds to have some interactions because they help him progress so much with his social skills, like we make sure that he says thank you to a member of staff when we leave, and it was a huge achievement for him when he first had a conversation with Captain Jack - we were so proud!

Hope you don't mind me asking - have you taken Johnny on Star Wars? I just wondered what other asd kids reactions were, as ds totally didn't get it - no movement at all - and I wondered if it was part of the sensory thing, or if he had just zoned out then.

 

[Jonjo]

11th November is Armistice Day / Remembrance Day which is a public holiday in France.

 

[Brummig]

One other low - Earl of Sandwich. I guess not any worse than other 'fast food' at the park, but had hoped they would have learnt from other outlets and got this one a bit better. There were only about 6 people in the queue for the till, but still took over 30 minutes to get food! Design is also bad - stairs are blocked by people in queue, nightmare for people to get to the lift with pushchairs or wheelchairs as again through queue of people. Not enough places to sit down.
Food was okay though.

 

[SyracuseOrange44]

Good to hear that Big Thunder is running properly. I'm going to DLP in a couple weeks and want to ride!

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Agree with you Johnny we keep pretty much to ourselves, and generally have fantastic experiences. However, we do try to encourage ds to have some interactions because they help him progress so much with his social skills, like we make sure that he says thank you to a member of staff when we leave, and it was a huge achievement for him when he first had a conversation with Captain Jack - we were so proud!

Hope you don't mind me asking - have you taken Johnny on Star Wars? I just wondered what other asd kids reactions were, as ds totally didn't get it - no movement at all - and I wondered if it was part of the sensory thing, or if he had just zoned out then.

Sorry for the late reply, haven't been on here for a few days.

We have only been to Disneyland Paris once and we didn't go on Star Tours.

I have ridden it at WDW a few times and it's one of my favourite rides, naturally I can't compare as I haven't been on the Paris one yet.

My wife and I actually agreed that in most cases either herself or me wouldn't go on a ride alone anymore - we used to but often the other person was left outside waiting with Joshua for a while. So unless one of us rides with him or all 3 of us do we give the attraction a miss.
Julie isn't keen on rides that can possibly cause motion sickness and I think having ridden at WDW years ago she is reluctant to go on it again. Even though she loved Test Track at EPCOT.
I may try and get all 3 of us on it next March, as he gets older we can experiment as it were by going on different rides.

 

[MinnieVanMom]

Sorry to hear about the pushing of your son, our boy is also autistic/non verbal.
It's a shame people are so rude.

I don't know about you but we tend to try and keep ourselves in our own 'little bubble' and attempt to not let things upset or spoil the experience.
It's not nice some don't have good manners and show respect to others.

I have yet to figure out why DLP doesn't change the policy and make the interaction for characters with a queue. Our DS also has autism and there is no way he is going to push and shove to see a character, nor would I let him.

Do you think they will ever change the bad manner way they do it now?

 

[MinnieVanMom]

Agree with you Johnny we keep pretty much to ourselves, and generally have fantastic experiences. However, we do try to encourage ds to have some interactions because they help him progress so much with his social skills, like we make sure that he says thank you to a member of staff when we leave, and it was a huge achievement for him when he first had a conversation with Captain Jack - we were so proud!

Hope you don't mind me asking - have you taken Johnny on Star Wars? I just wondered what other asd kids reactions were, as ds totally didn't get it - no movement at all - and I wondered if it was part of the sensory thing, or if he had just zoned out then.

Our DS gets very still during rides and then also after. It is because all his sensory needs are getting met.